Sorry I’m Not Sorry: Mean Girl Makeover ~ Tween Book Review

“An honest look at bullying from the bully” – the caption on the front of the book Sorry I’m Not Sorry had me intrigued.  I could understand writing from the perspective of the victim and the bystander (in the first two books of the series), but how would the author handle the bully?

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but was given a free book to review. I am an affiliate of Amazon, and will receive a small commission if a link on this page is used to make a purchase.

Instead of giving this book to my oldest niece to review, as she graciously did for So Not Okay and You Can’t Sit With Us, I decided to read and review this one myself.  The story and characters are very engaging, and I was able to catch up pretty quickly since my niece had told be about the first two stories in the Mean Girl Makeover Series.

Author Nancy Rue gives us a first-person look into the mind of rising-7th-grader Kylie, the bully and main character of this book.  The story takes us on a summer-long transformation of Kylie, which takes place through gentle but firm counseling and community service.  In the end, Kylie’s mind (thinking) and heart (feelings) are changed towards not only her victims, but others in general.  It is a very believable story, full of grace towards bully and victim alike, which is why I believe this book is a valuable resource for those trying to correct the problem of bullying.

I not only enjoyed the story just as a story, but also as a suggested method on dealing with bullying.  The counselor in the story treated Kylie as a person, able to change with patient assistance.  She reached her through Kylie’s own interests, painful background, and through helping her mother as well.  I dislike labeling kids as a “bully,” because I believe it somehow implies that a bully is what they are at the core of their being. Sorry I’m Not Sorry addresses the root causes of the mean behavior, without placing the child in a box from which she can never escape.

Sorry I’m Not Sorry had another unexpected effect on me personally – the revival of memories of me in elementary school, being mean to some of my classmates.  I don’t remember hearing the word “bully,” but it does make me pause.  Now that I’ve confessed the bad behavior and thanked God for my forgiveness, am I being a good role model for my daughter?  Do I look grocery clerks in the eye and smile and say thank you?  Or do I treat them as a checkout robot?  I believe that nowadays my behavior is more positive than negative, but the book did give me some important reminders that kids model what they see in the adults that are closest to them.

I highly recommend this book for your tweens, even if bullying isn’t a current problem in their lives.  I recommend it for parents to read, also!  It is a compelling look into the lives of girls ages 9 – 12.

Purchase Information

Sorry I’m Not Sorry is recommended for kids ages 9 through 12, and is available to order at this link. Available in both paperback ($8.99) and Kindle ($5.99) editions, the List Price of this paperback book is $9.99.

To preview the first chapter, please scroll down below the giveaway form.

Giveaway

Tommy Nelson publishers has generously offered one of my readers a copy of Sorry I’m Not Sorry! The giveaway is open to U.S. residents and will run through midnight on Wednesday, May 20, 2015. Must be at least 18 years old to enter. The winner will be contacted via email and will have two days to claim the prize. If unclaimed, a new winner will be drawn. The winners’ entries will be verified. Please enter the contest using the Rafflecopter form below. All entries are optional. Thank you for visiting Cotton Ridge Homeschool!

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Copyright 2015 Kathryn Depew (except publisher’s image).

Sorry I'm Not Sorry by ThomasNelson

Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, but was given a free book to review. I am an affiliate of Amazon, and will receive a small commission if a link on this page is used to make a purchase.