LitPick Review
In How to Stand Up to Bullying, author M.C. Ryder shares her own experiences of dealing with past bullies and her understanding of those childhood scourges, what to expect, and how to react to their behavior. She explains the psychology of a bully, their motivations and desires, the lack of love, and a parent’s choices needed to shape a spiteful, manipulative person. What fuels a bully’s hunger for power? What would they perceive as a threat? Strong with themes of kindness and anti-bullying, How to Stand Up to Bullying answers all these questions by presenting to us the intricate network of a bully’s brain.
Opinion:
Author M.C. Ryder is very firm and clear about the message of the book, telling us how small acts of kindness can make someone’s day, and maybe even make someone reflect on their actions. It was well-paced and the chapters weren’t very long. I gained a lot of insightful knowledge from this book and from now on, if I ever come across someone deliberately manipulating, lashing out, or getting physical with me, I’ll know how I should act. The book is not just appropriate for children, but also for adults, because believe it or not, they get their fair share of hatred too. The only thing I think the author could’ve added to make the novel better is more accounts of getting bullied. Her own stories, I found, were a crucial part of empathising with the bullies and they were interesting and a little bit scary, especially that kid who threatened to pour a chemical into the author’s eyes. I would definitely read a sequel written by Ryder that included perhaps interviews of victims of bullying and an even more thorough elaboration and analysis of bullies.
