Tony is tired of being bullied. Everyday he is bullied by boys he goes to school with. To make matters worse his father beats him when he gets home for getting beat up and bullied. Life is rough for Tony. The next door neighbor boy who claimed to be his friend, joins in the bullying. Tony is alone and afraid.
Years later his wish to have a family to belong to and the strength and courage to defend himself is brought to fruition.
He becomes one of the most lethal killers in his neighborhood. And, finally belongs to a family.
Awesome read. I couldn't put it down.
5 Stars

A real page turner couldn't put it down characters are well developed and the plot moves along nicely

Mean Little People is not one of those books that start awful and ends up being all sunshine and flowers afterward. No, this is a story that starts off violent and stays violent the entire book. This is a story that will also break your heart because of the abuse Tony had to deal throughout his life. I will add a trigger warning to this book, so if you trigger easily, do not read the review.


Like I said above, this book is very graphic. To be very honest, I almost DNF’d Mean Little People. I couldn’t take reading the abuse scenes and I will warn you, it does get worse. I can understand why the author chose to write the book the way she did. If she didn’t, you wouldn’t have empathy for Tony and understand how the events in his life shaped him into the man he would become.

The bullying part of the book was very hard to read. As a mother, reading about this happening to a fictional child. I couldn’t understand why the adults in the book did nothing to help Tony. Actually, the only adults in the book that even came close to helping Tony were the bus driver and the drug addict.

I was kept on edge during the book. I did wonder what was going to happen to Tony or what Tony would do from chapter to chapter. The author did a great job hooking me into the story like that. It was that reason why I didn’t DNF the book. I felt that if I did that, I would never see what Tony would make of himself.

The fact that the author did make Tony have a love interest and that the love interest wasn’t put off by Tony’s issues or past (and my heart broke when he told her about his time in juvie). So when certain events happened in the book, I was a little upset by it. Actually, a lot upset. Because I truly hoped that she would become a huge part of the book.

The end of the book was typical and I loved the revenge scenes. The quote “Do unto others” went through my mind as I was reading the book. I just hope that Tony for peace from what was done.

How many stars will I give Mean Little People: 3

Why: Honestly, it was the abuse scenes that lowered my rating. I understand that the abuse was a huge part of the storyline and that the author needed to make me feel empathy for Tony. But I couldn’t get them out of my head during the rest of the book.

Will I reread: Maybe

Will I recommend to family and friends: Maybe

Age range: Adult

Why: Violence, language. Also child physical abuse, child rape and the rape in of a gang member

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**

I found "Mean Little People" by Paige Dearth to be a bit of a hard read. The writing is good and so is the story line but the things Tony had to go through were difficult to read and I had to keep putting the book down.
Tony has had a hard life from the very beginning. He is bullied by other school children and faces abuse at home. After finally being kicked out from his home at the young age of 13, Tony tries desperately to find a place he can call home but keeps going down the wrong path.
I kept reading because I was interested in Tony's story and I just wanted to hug him and bring him home but the things he went through were hard to absorb. I understand and respect that it was what the author intended and it does make you feel uncomfortable. The horror here is the depth of human depravity. We don't need monsters; they are alive and well in human form. I am interested in hearing more of Tony's story.
I received a copy of this book from the publishers via Netgalley for free in exchange for an honest review.

Could not put this book down! I think it is a must read and will be recommending it to all my friends!!

I was very happy to receive the ARC of this book. With all the bullying going on via social media, I settled down to enjoy this book. It was a good subject matter, but for me, the book was hard to read. Although the subject matter was about bullying, it seemed like you were constantly reminded of how mean and nasty the characters were. It was just one sad instance after another. The book was a subject matter that needs to be addressed and written about to bring awareness to all. I just felt this book could have given a bit more. Also, the way some words were written took away from the book.It was too much. Sometimes a little goes a long way. Thank to NetGalley, the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review.

Pain and anguish and oh my God! This book was a painful read, I can't say as I would recommend it. There's just too much pain for any child growing to a young man.

What a dark book. We meet Tony Bruno at age 7. An outcast, bullied and abused by his peers and his own father, the poor kid hasn't got a lot going for him right from the start. He eventually learns to stand up for himself and finds friends, but then also finds himself taking the rap for one of them and landing himself in juvie - which results in a huge downwards spiral for him. It's pretty hard hitting, as although worlds and worlds away from my life, unfortunately, it feels like a lot of the topics covered in the book are very real for a very large number of people.

As I said before, this is a dark book. It's pretty graphic and disturbing - quite a full on read if I'm being honest - but I could not put it down. I read it in one sitting. Despite some of the horrendous stuff that Tony and his friends get up to, I found most of the characters quite likeable, which I think was intentional on the authors behalf, and proves that she has done a great job. This book definitely would not be for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be adding Paige Dearth to my authors list!

I almost put this book down and walked away. In the first few chapters, I had a little trouble getting used to the writing style. It was as if there was a story line and then there were subtitles...perhaps a little psychologist sitting on my shoulder...explaining why things might be happening. And this little shoulder psychologist made a lot of appearances in the beginning. I am glad, though, that I stuck with it. The psychologist visits got fewer and farther between, until they were kind of amusing when I realized what they were. I most definitely thoroughly enjoyed the book, starting with the early childhood experiences....to the fully adult experiences. Tony was a very likeable character. And I really don't want to say anything else about the story, for fear of giving away the ending....but I really enjoyed this 'could be real life' story.

I really expected to like this story. The subject matter appealed to me, the book cover was appropriately creepy, and it sounded like exactly the kind of dark underdog tale I was in the mood for. When I read the preface I was even more intrigued, because the author clearly had the kind of first-hand experience with the subject that would give her unusual insights. Unfortunately, very early on I realized the book wasn’t for me. I finished it, but I had to take it in very small doses.

My biggest problem was the lack of complexity. The acknowledgments begin with a paragraph about bullying. The preface is about bullying. The story is about bullying. The excerpt of the next novel at the end of this book is about bullying (of a kind). I felt like I was being hit over the head constantly, like the author was standing behind me saying “Bullying is bad!” over and over.

There are no layers to any of the characters, no depth to the plot, no subtleties in the writing. It’s simply horrific event after horrific event, related in the most direct terms. I can’t speak for any other readers, but I read novels to invest some of myself in the story and characters and to come away with some knowledge I didn’t already have; when there’s no room for me to do that because the premise is simple, everything is spelled out, and the characters are unrelentingly nasty, I get bored very quickly.

One other thing that drove me crazy was the dialect spelling. “Ya” instead of “you,” constantly dropping the Gs at the ends of words, “outta,” “gotta,” “wanna” … It’s really distracting, and I’m surprised an editor let it stand. Once in a while is enough to give the flavor of the speaker’s accent or speech.

I’m sorry to be so negative, and I’m glad the author is reaching so many people because the subject is important, but this just wasn’t a book for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book from beginning to end. A real page turner and an excellent story

I wanted to run, screaming in disbelief from this story and yet, I had to read every single word, not as a voyeur to the events portrayed, but as a human being aghast that any living creature should be a victim of Tony’s life. Paige Dearth knows abuse and this is her vehicle to awaken the world to the brutality of what can happen beyond our little corner of the world. MEAN LITTLE PEOPLE is by far, one of the most difficult to read books I have ever reviewed.

Tony is the boy we pretend not to see. He is the young innocent who became fodder for abuse from every corner and that abuse created the young man who did what he must to survive, to be accepted and even to stand for others like him when he could. Was he a hero, a victim, a product of his environment? Yes. Did he crave love and acceptance, feel the sting of rejection and the pain of a world bent on either ignoring his plight or using him as a tool for its own devices? Yes. Is this an indictment of a world that is failing itself? Yes.

Although fictitious, this tale is not unrealistic or a flight of fancy. This is raw, heinous and beyond shocking to our senses. Abuse is alive and functioning in a world who must “bring awareness” to a problem that should never exist. Where does the fault lay? Certainly not in the laps of the abused, but in the laps of a society that covets the phrase, "They need to do something about this." Did this this hit harder than a wrecking ball? Was it far more effective than a hallway poster? Oh Hell yes.

This is a tale of abuse, betrayal, and the desperate quest for redemption and acceptance in a world that let one more child down. Read it, try to stomach the events and tell me you are not affected.

I received this copy from Fiction with Meaning in exchange for my honest review.

Publisher: Fiction with Meaning LLC (April 9, 2017)
Publication Date: April 9, 2017
Genre: Child Abuse | Dysfunctional Family | Bullying
Print Length: 466 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.

Actual rating: 4.5

The story was so good and touching that I am going to read it a second time. This is the first book from Paige Dearth that I have read and will be adding to my authors to read list.

"Mean Little People" is a heartbreaking story of a child's struggle with bullying from kids and abuse from his father.

When Tony is bullied to the point of almost dying and wishing he had died, you cannot help but feel sad for him.

This book may have triggers for some people, some parts may be disturbing. Tony's character will definitely stick with me for awhile.

Some parts of this book were a little predictable, but that did not draw too much from the story for me.

Out of all the books I've read this year this book is on the top for the reason that it grabs you by the throat and never lets go till the last page.

I finished this book with a feeling of dissatisfaction. It feels strange that Tony should just accept the mob and forget about his dead wife and mother - two positive influences in his life. I know it's a matter of survival, but it didn't feel natural. I didn't understand why the Slayers were at Kate' s funeral. Tony did lose his wife, so why do they still want revenge? I mean his wife was tortured in the most barbaric way , being eaten by a madman for seven days!! This is more a horror story than a mystery/thriller. I didn't appreciate the violence of Kate's torture and Tony's time in jail. It was graphic and unsettling. I've read horror stories, but this is not to my liking.
I also didn't see the connection where Kate took out the trash and the romantic dinner afterward at their home!
Lastly, I think Ms Dearth should put her biography at the end. I think the impact of her abused childhood on her protagonist would be more positive. Instead, it being in the beginning of the book actually distract the reader and made me feel like there too much repetition of abused children. I'm very sorry that Ms Dearth suffered during her childhood and there are lots of other children in the same boat, but I had the impression of being force-fed this fact, which I find uncomfortable.
To conclude, I didn't enjoy reading this book, although I'm sure there are other readers who will appreciate it. I don't think I will recommend this to my friends. I'm really sorry if I've hurt Ms Dearth's feelings. I'm very aware that it must be very difficult for her to be able to write all this out. Bravo to her courage and success.

This story begins when Tony Bruno is 7 years old and follows him through young adulthood. It is bleak, brutal, and at times shocking. Life for Tony is nothing but pain. He is taunted, beaten and bullied nearly to death by his classmates, belittled and beaten at home by his good for nothing father, friendless and alone in his misery. He is subjected to every abuse imaginable. Physical, emotional, and later sexually assaulted, which was quite difficult to read...I had to put this book down twice and walk away for a bit.
At 13 he is tossed out of his home with nowhere to turn. Tony ends up in a gang and later in the mob. There are few friendly faces amidst all this turmoil. He meets a kindly older woman and her grand daughter who become his surrogate family, and a girl he falls in love with, but his gangster lifestyle attracts danger to those closest to him. This was an emotional read, that at times had me enraged, disgusted, and sometimes in tears.

A truly disturbing and realistic story about a young boy who is bullied, accused of a crime he doesn't commit and immerses himself in a life of crime thinking this will make him a better person. Hard to read at times, with a lot of violence, however extremely well written and gives the reader a true look into the life of gangs and the Mafia.

Mean Little People is a dark book about what can happen to a child whose family cannot or will not provide him with love and basic support (food, clothes etc.). It is a raw, violent look at the many sick people waiting to take advantage of a child with few choices, and the impact on a boy that wanted a happy life and ended up mentally and emotionally scarred to such a degree that he became the man he never wanted to be. It is a horrific story, but one I am afraid is more on the mark than off.

An eye-opening read, this is a book that I won't soon forget!

Many thanks to Netgalley, Paige Dearth and publisher Fiction with Meaning, LLC for allowing me to read an e-copy of this book.

This is a dark book. Tony is bullied at school, bullied at home by his father, winds up in Juvie where horrible things happen to him, lives on the streets and pretty much raises himself. Just when you think things are in an upswing you get the rug pulled out from under you. It is an emotional roller coaster of a book.

Paige Dearth really takes you on a ride of survival and pain. Well written this book sucks you in and keeps your attention as you keep routing for Tony to win at this game of life. Tony's life is violent, from almost getting lynched by a group of bullies to being kicked out of his house, joining a gang and then ultimately finding a home in the mob. As a Philly girl I loved the setting and Dearth really brings South Philly to life, North Philadelphia has changed a bit from the time this book is set but I remember when it was the gang ridden hell hole she describes.

Its been a few days since I finished this book and its still sitting with me. Tony is one of those characters who will stay with me for a long time.

I really can't review this book as the subject matter is not my cup of tea. While it's a frightening story that rings only too true, and the characters ring true, I am not fond of books about organized crime. My heart went out to Tony as I saw him suffer and change irrevocably by the horror he endured, but after reading about half of the book the violence had turned my stomach so much I could not go on. I am sure that other readers will like this book. It just wasn't for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing the opportunity to read this book. I expect that it will be quite successful.