Wow. This book hits you in all the hard places. It will pull you back to high school and the cliques, the bullying and the doubts that come with being a teenager. I think this book is for everyone and a good reminder of the power of words and social media. Petrou does a great job writing about a hard topic and bringing real-life issues to light.

The publisher gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow. I am shook.

'Love, Heather' is an explosive and daring thriller about teen bullying and revenge. It's also a brilliant coming of age story about growing up surrounded by rape culture, misogyny, transphobia and the pressures of social media, and what that can do to a girl when her world turns against her.

But even before the revenge plot kicked off I was hooked. Petrou really gets inside the heads of her characters, and 'Love, Heather' is worth reading for its depiction of teen friendships alone. Stevie is a fantastic protagonist, with a wonderfully distinctive voice. She's a big movie buff, and at times her narration reminded me of an indie film - which sounds awkward but somehow, really works. I felt like I was being picked up and pulled along by a narrative wave that's writhing out of Stevie's control, and it made for a totally intense and immersive reading experience.

In short, I loved it. It's been a while since I read something so creative and captivating. 'Love, Heather' is going to stick with me for a long time.

This book tackles a lot, maybe too much...

This book is a tough one. It does realistically portray the ups and downs of high school, the cliques and the bullying. It’s tough to read at points. It makes me glad I didn’t grow up in the cell phone age where people hiding behind a screen show no mercy and the internet teaches us all sorts of things we can do and make, and they aren’t all good.

The characters were interesting, well written and diverse, like life. The pace was decent though the middle plodded along at times for me. The conclusion leaves me a bit depressed...

I think there’s a lot of lessons trying to come across in these pages. I’m not sure if they will be seen by the right people and even then if they would help them...

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and Crooked Lane Books for a copy in exchange for a review.

This is the story of one girl’s attempt to swipe back at the bullies, the snobby girls and boys who look down on everyone else in their high school, but it goes disastrously wrong. When Stevie decided to destroy her classmates, she didn’t mean to do it in the literal sense, but soon things are out of control and everyone pays the ultimate price. This is the kind of thing we see in the headlines every day, so often that we seem to have become desensitized to it, but Petrou’s book is a reminder that everyone of those headlines has a name, a person, a life behind it. Shocking and sad

Thank you to Netgalley and Crooked Lane for a digital ARC in an exchange for an honest review. This review will be on good reads as well as a short review on my Instagram Blog.

This book hits multiple hard hitting topics that we have in today’s society and it shows you how easy it can be for people to turn their heads or go along with people that would have a negative impact on those hard hitting topics. When I first started reading the book I didn’t enjoy it as much as I did as the last few chapters. The end definitely made it worth the read, with a twist that was probably one of my favorite parts of the book. The twist hits that topic of mental health and I absolutely loved it!

Love, Heather is a shocking and emotional read. It covers bullying, LGTBQ+ issues, social media and teen culture today. It is well written, with lots of twists. I am not the target audience but enjoyed the read. The topics and characters aren't easy or likeable, but they make you think. The author throws in pop culture references to classic films that may go over a lot of teens heads, but were enjoyed by this reader! Always love reading Canadian. Recommend this for teens and those who enjoy YA.

This book begins with two lifelong friends, Stevie and Lottie, navigating the social ups and downs of their first year of high school. The two girls are unexpectedly accepted into the cool crowd, but Lottie shoots up the ladder much more quickly, leaving Stevie a bit bewildered and jealous of all the time she's losing with her so-called BFF.

The typical teenage scenarios occur - accompanied by some very funny teen snarkiness - making the book feel like an episode of any number of teen shows. But after Stevie commits a major social faux pas and is kicked out of the cool kids club, the book becomes a lot more interesting.

Enter Dee, a newcomer to the area who plays by her own rules and doesn't care what the cool kids think. Instead, she believes that they should all be taken down a few pegs through a series of pranks that are inspired by the '80s movie Heathers (hence the book's title). What at first feels like righteous revenge for all the nastiness Stevie has encountered quickly spirals out of control.

The final portion of the book shifts tones dramatically. Gone is the humor and basic teenage angst. In its place is a shocking reveal and a much darker theme than I expected.

This is a book that's been written to speak to today's YA audience. They're readers who have accepted gender fluidity and live in a world filled with the fear of on-campus violence. Yet at the same time, they still have to deal with the often traumatizing aspects of simply trying to fit in. Adults who have previous experience being bullied will be able to relate to Stevie's plight. They're also likely to learn a few heartbreaking truths about modern teenage society.

Recommended for open-minded teen and adult readers who want to see the worst - and some of the best - aspects of society through the lens of a 14-year-old dealing with today's world.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC. This review contains my honest, unbiased opinion.

This book is honestly like nothing I have ever read before. Whilst the novel seemingly centers around teenagers in school, it is not quite your "typical" awkward coming of age story and that is what makes it really interesting.

The characters are written to be so realistic that I am rather grateful to have not been in school with some of them. Although the book is written from the one perspective, you still get a feel of what some people are like without a negative narrative.

I think the book illustrates the gap between school goers and their parents/teachers brilliantly. Everyone can remember having being in school and the things/events that happened, but they actively seem to forget what it feels like when you're going through it.

I was hooked from the beginning as the story is so enthralling, however at some points I felt like I really wanted to know what would happen next, but it was definitely with bated breath; if it was a TV series, I would have been watching through my fingers. Such an unexpected feeling to get from a novel, but genuinely so unique to experience.

It truly is beautifully written with lots of moving moments, addresses difficult situations and touches on real life issues.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Stevie is trying to survive in the jungle that is high school. Her oldest and dearest friend, Lottie, is pulling away from her; her mother is dating a new guy and does not spend time with her anymore; and her close relationship with Lottie’s family is falling apart. The only thing she still enjoys is her deep passion for movies, especially 1980s and 1990s female revenge flicks, like “Carrie” or “Heathers”. When she finally meets a kindred spirit in Dee, the two become fast friends. Eventually though, Stevie and Dee decide they no longer want to tolerate the bullying in their school anymore, they are tired of being the butt of jokes and watching other people suffer at the hands of a select few. So Stevie and Dee concoct a plan, which quickly picks up speed and “goes viral”…….until it gets dangerous.
“Love, Heather” by Laurie Petrou is a modern coming-of-age tale, immersing a reader in the lives of today’s teenagers, and the challenges they face that are only amplified by the wonders of modern technology.
Laurie Petrou is award-winning, educated and super talented. She is also Canadian (her Canadiana in this book touched my heart, the protagonist taking trips to my current town of Niagara Falls, and traveling to Sherkston Shores which is the beach where I grew up) which automatically gives her bonus points.
This novel is rife with teenage drama. Like, over the top, “extra” “bear” teenage drama (thanks to my high school students, I can use the lingo) which can sometimes get repetitive and drama (even more so when you have to deal with it all day long) but the reality in it is powerful and almost uncomfortable. For those of us around teenagers on a daily basis, it is very evident that Petrou has portrayed these struggles with honest humanity.
When the twist in this novel happened, it hit me like a ton of bricks. After chapters and chapters of teenage angst and drama, the climax of the novel came and went so quickly, it left me disappointed. I wanted this part to start earlier, I wanted more, and I wanted the dirty details. That being said, it completely upended my opinion of this novel, and this author (in a great way). This twist will STICK WITH YOU.
Props to Petrou for a creative, intense and uncomfortably honest novel in “Love, Heather”. Full of 80s and 90s movie references, and rife with modern societal issues and karmic revenge, “Heather” is a novel that will stick with you.

I am a huge fan of YA and this book blew me away. When revenge goes wrong what do you do? Wow. Bullying is never right. In this book those who were being bullied wouldn't put up with it anymore, and they would do whatever it took to get back at those who inflicted pain on them.

'How bad does it have to be for us to do something? How much bad? How bad can we be in return?'

As a 90s kid, this book almost reads like a horror/cautionary tale to me. I'm lucky enough to be just old enough that I survived school years without everyone owning a mobile phone and when social media was in its infancy, yet young enough to 'get' it.

This book comes across as current and is no doubt going to appeal to teenagers/YA while also being intriguing enough to capture the attention of a not quite so young adult; I really enjoyed the references to films like Carrie and Mean Girls, the characters are well formed and the story is intense and makes you want to keep reading. Its quite a feat to pull off really!

It toes the frail line between what is revenge and what is just bullying and I found it fascinating the way the author explored the morally grey area between the two.

I hope this book does as well as it deserves to do, it's the type of thing that I would actually love to see be made into a film too!

I was so interested in the premise of this book and I'm so sad to say the amazing premise was overshadowed by lackluster characters and iffy timing. The first 25% was spent watching Stevie lazily react to the changes around her. There's a lot of pointless teenage drama and not a lot of substance. I didn't learn anything about our characters or the world. Everything seemed to drag on forever and nothing happened. For being best friends for so long, Stevie and Lottie didn't act like it at all and I wasn't really emotionally stirred by their breakup. We don't see Stevie's partner in crime save for just a few brief mentions in the first fourth of the book and I really didn't believe their new friendship.

I wasn't blown away or hooked by the first fourth and so I skimmed the rest of the book. It tackles a really good topic and yet I just didn't get it. I did love Stevie's reaction to the trans character and it was really nice to see someone just really defend and get right on board with someone transitioning. We see just a few sentences of questioning and then Stevie uses the correct name and pronouns. It was so refreshing to see such a positive reaction to a trans character. It's not that hard to use the correct name and pronouns.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Crooked Lane Books through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.*

That was completely eye-opening and sobering. Bullying is so very wrong and destructive. Never more so than in today's age of social media where everyone feels they are entitled to a platform and the whole world is just hanging on them to weigh in on things. It is so much easier to sit behind the protection of a screen and tear apart someone else's life without having to consider the consequences...but I digress. This is a supposed to be a book review. Our heroine, oddly NOT named Heather, is your typical awkward young teen. Stevie is just out of reach of being one of the popular kids, but she isn't quite part of the geek squad either. She's the subject of some bullying, because teenagers can be awful, mean-spirited mini-arseholes!! Enter Dee, who convinces her that these people deserve a little payback. Thus the beginning of Love, Heather, a series of pranks against those most deserving, with each act sealed with the Love, Heather signature. But soon, things spiral out of control. More people become involved and the acts of revenge become more hateful and damaging, leading to a final act that has enormous consequences for so many. This book tells the story of why we all need to do our part to be a little kinder and accepting of one another - and the lesson needs to start early in life.

Rating: 4/5
Queer: two trans characters! (cw: transphobia is mentioned throughout; not by the main character herself)
ARC: I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Summary: (paraphrased; taken from book summary)
Bullying is a tough, tough experience, and when Stevie and Dee decide to punish those for vengeance, things get out of control. Stevie feels alone and unprotected, desperate to find justice in the things happening to her. Dee has the idea to get them all back with a few pranks, signing them with Love, Heather - in honour of the ‘80s revenge flick.

The ‘pranks’ grow from being between Stevie, Dee, and their group of friends, to being done by anonymous people. And when it finally swallows them whole, one will reemerge changed, with a plan for one final, terrifying act of revenge.

Review:

Well, holy shit! I’ll be the first to say: I’m more into lighter reads, with fluffier topics, and generally avoid darker, edgier stuff. But this? SO. WORTH. THE. READ. AHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Totally worth it.

First, I want to say: I absolutely love how quick Stevie is to adjust to Pete. How she stands up for him. How she is totally accepting, and wants to ensure that Pete know she’s in his corner. I think this was an excellent way to show how profound the effects of having a strong adult in one’s life is, and even when Stevie felt that she was losing Pete, she never once stopped standing up for him.

I felt for Pete a lot, because he tried to reach out, but it wasn’t quite enough for Stevie. And that’s not Pete’s fault at all. He couldn’t have understood the magnitude of what was happening, not really. Not just from seeing Stevie in class. Plus, he had his own journey to go on, and he was probably very much wrapped up with his family life.

I love Lottie, even when I was frustrated with her antics in the beginning. About half way through one of Stevie’s thoughts, I had the epiphany: Lottie simply felt more comfortable talking about her stuff with Paige than Stevie. And that’s totally okay. From Stevie’s perspective, it wasn’t, and I get why it hurt. But Lottie needed to deal with things on her own. Perhaps she could’ve communicated her needs more, but she’s a strong girl. She distanced herself from people who didn’t make her feel good anymore, which I love about her.

Dee. Ooooh, boy. I have a lot to say about Dee, but without spoiling anything, I’m going to go with this: Dee is terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. I loved her. She gave me goosebumps with how readily abusive she was, and she was such a interesting character to read. She gave no fucks.

The ending: I didn’t see it coming.

Which I think speaks volumes about how important this book is. Because all the signs were right there when I looked back on it - hindsight is 20/20. But as soon as I realized where it was heading, I was like, “Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.” On the edge of my seat (metaphorically, in reality I was lying on my bed desperately wishing I could read faster).

When the book was coming back from the pivotal moment, my mind was racing. And it was so damn good. The thoughts of Stevie, the recovery, the growth... it was very important.

And the note from the author made me very happy. I appreciated the additional view. I think this book could benefit from having a few pages at the end with phone numbers for help lines and stuff.

(Also, it was set in Ontario, Canada! What up! I rarely find books set here. So, that was a nice surprise to see my home terf dealing with topics that are usually US-focused.)

Anyway, it’s a heavy book! Worth the read! But that said...

There are a shit ton of content warnings that people should be aware of (below, under cut, censored) but the author does a really good job in dealing with them all, I think.

OUT OF CONTEXT SPOILERS AHEAD FOR CONTENT WARNING PURPOSES:

* s/xual assault and r/pe
* bullying
* transphobia (including, but not limited to, the t*slur, misgendering, misnaming)
* homophobia
* v/mit
* cruel pranks
* two girls kiss during truth or dare to please a straight male
* h/spital scene (no death)
* mental health issues
* absent parents
* cheating
* online harassment
* slut shaming
* g/n
* e/ting disorder

What an amazing YA thriller! Absolutely loved the storyline and the heroes. The writer spins a beautiful tale abd draws you in slowly but surely.

Stevie, a film buff has her own YouTube channel called FlickChick and her best friend Lottie. When a chance encounter brings them into the same social circle as the cool kids of Woepine High School, Stevie begins to feel the strain it causes on her and Lottie's relationship. A misunderstanding results in Stevie suddenly becoming the school pariah. Exiled by Lottie and the others and bullied relentlessly at school and online. With no one to turn to Stevie sinks into a state of depression...that is until Dee sends her a message. Dee is fearless and bold, everything Stevie wishes she could be. Dee convinces Stevie that the school bullies should pay for how they treat people, an anonymous revenge plot with each act signed Love, Heather. When the pranks begin to get out of hand, Stevie must decide if she wants out of the game for good or if she will see it through to the final act.

Love, Heather is a contemporary YA fiction novel that explores bullying in today’s society where the harassment doesn't end at school, often leaving no reprieve from the hate as it targets them at home and online via social media. With increasing acts of school violence, this hard-hitting novel looks at those acts that often escape the watchful eyes of parents and teachers. Although this book and its characters are fictitious, I felt that it captured the often tragic consequences of these actions. I really enjoyed this novel and found the characters very relatable. This novel does have some material that may be a trigger for some individuals however, I felt that the material was relevant to the plot and not graphic in nature. A very enjoyable novel with a strong message...a must read.

Love, Heather had an awesome beginning, and since YA thriller is one of my favourite genres, I had a lot of expectations from this book.


But unfortunately, as the story progressed, it started getting a tad bit boring. And the fact that I figured out the "twist" pretty early on left me dissatisfied.


Pete was probably my favourite character, and his scenes were the ones I looked forward to. I also liked the way Stevie's struggle was portrayed at the end. There was no sugarcoating, just the plain truth.


Overall, it wasn't a bad read, but it didn't become a favourite either.

So, I requested this book from Netgalley based on the cover alone (which I often do). I had no idea that it would cover one of my favorite movies of all time: Heathers! That was a great surprise, but I had no idea what was in store for me!

This novel covers topics such as transgender issues, date-rape culture, divorce issues, bullying, and violence. Many of these points were cleverly disguised and many were brought to the forefront with an urgent message.

And the twist??? OMG! The twist!!! I didn’t see it coming and I’m usually pretty good at guessing these things. And it’s a great twist!

With Heathers as one of the movie backdrops of the book, it should not be surprising what happens at the end, but it is shocking. And heartbreaking. As a teacher, this book scared me. As a reader, it entertained me (and taught me). Read this!

I feel privileged to have been allowed to read and review an advanced copy of this book thanks to Netgalley and the publisher, Crooked Lane Books.

Simply put, I adored it.

"Why doesn't anyone ever stop these guys? How different would the school be if they were as afraid as I am, if there were actual consequences for their actions, if they were somehow kept in line?"

When Stevie's best friend turns on her and everyone in school follows, school becomes a nightmare for her. In her new found isolation and loneliness, she meets the confidently individual Dee, and together they decide to take revenge on the bullies who are making her life hell.

For anyone who's ever been the victim of bullying, this book will resonate. It is an incredibly honest and insightful story, and at times uncomfortable to read. The book addresses so many issues that young people today face - bullying on social media, mental health, rape culture, gender identity etc. - and it does this with intelligence and respect.

I would recommend this to anyone who is a fan of YA contemporary novels. It was genuinely fantastic and I can't wait to read more by Laurie Petrou.

As an 80s / 90s movie lover, I was excited for this read. I loved Stevie's passion for movies and her YouTube channel. The premise of the book was so good, but there were parts that fell short for me. Dee was so interesting but her character was rushed at the end and could have been fleshed out so much more. I feel like there was so much "extra" in the middle that made the ending rushed and a bit forced. I struggled to get through the middle of the book - it felt long. I did enjoy the beginning and the ending. There were so many big topics in the book, bullying, rape, transgender identity and mental illness. It was a lot, but for the most part, worked well together.