Anna, Rae-Rae, Piper, Sunny, Dareen, Jade, Charity – these teenage women could be your own friends. The difficulties they face are hauntingly familiar. With the shared strength that true family of choice gift each other, they set out to take on bullies … only reluctantly recognizing that the worst bully of all is their teacher. Ultimately, fighting him means squaring up against the bullies in their own lives. This is their story of coming of age, of learning not to be powerless, and of healing each other’s hearts.
from Goodreads:
“OBaat (One Bully at a Time). This young adult novel uses a narrative about a group of high school friends to impart to the reader insightful, expert advice on how to respond to abusers of power. It’s intended audience may be young adults, but any reader who take notes as they read will finish this beautiful story (of friendship, courage, connection and justice) empowered with clear and powerful understanding and expert advice from the former Chief of the Special Victims Bureau of the Queens DA’s Office.
OBaaT is the first work of “fiction” from the author of Sex Crimes: Then and Now: My Years on the Front Lines.
OBaaT was a joy to read! I took my own notes as I read it, and feel empowered for doing so. Highly recommend for any reader.
from Amazon:
“Riveting Read!: This book was recommended by one of my favourite authors so I thought I’d have a look at it. I was unexpectedly drawn in so deeply that I couldn’t stop reading it. Such an eye opener about the subject of bullies, such a huge part of life now, and how a group of teens, with problems of their own, can rise up and make a difference . Such a fantastic lesson in kindness and humanity . The characters made you care about each of them. Congratulations to Alice Vachss on OBaaT .
“This Librarian Recommends: What a wonderful book! As a librarian, I often struggle to find books for teens that explore family situations differently than a nuclear family or a single parent. The main protagonist is a foster child. That dynamic is explored as well as her friends’ family situations, but the book’s main focus is bullying. I think this book will appeal to teens, as it discusses many of the experiences they are confronting daily. I’ve already ordered a copy for my library, and I’ll be proud to recommend it to teens and adults alike.”
Targeted Age Group: 13-adult
Written by: Alice Vachss
How to buy the book:
Buy the Book Here
Author Bio:
With a debut young adult fiction novel, OBaaT, Alice Vachss shares a sweeter side than the fierce prosecutor in her autobiographies. She explains, "People tend only to think about the hardship of testifying as a victim in a criminal case. But it is also a life-affirming opportunity for justice. Teenagers, more than anyone, want to believe in justice. Their friends show up to help them get there. I wrote OBaaT about them. The setting is far from a criminal court. The enemy they face is bullying. But that belief in justice and their true, loyal friendships — that's the same."
About her prior books:
From “The Rapists’ Enemy, The Guardian, June 1, 2007: “Alice Vachss was once described by a judge as "a woman who drinks blood for breakfast", but with her soft voice, small frame, and infectious laugh she initially seems anything but. It's only when she starts talking about putting rapists behind bars that the description begins to make sense.”
Admitted as an attorney in New York in 1975, Alice Vachss was one of the first women criminal trial lawyers of the era. From the rough-and-tumble of Manhattan's Night Court, to the gallery at the Old Bailey, in New York City as a sex crimes prosecutor and as a special victims bureau chief, as an educator and trainer at podiums, on paper, in classrooms and courtrooms, and in the Pacific Northwest as a special prosecutor, she has spent the past 41 years fighting for what she believes in.
Already famous in New York for convicting notorious rapists, Alice Vachss rose to prominence as the Chief of the Special Victims Bureau of the Queens (NYC) District Attorney's Office. During her tenure, she tried more than 100 felony cases to verdict, including rape, child sexual assault, elder abuse, domestic violence, cult abuse, and homicide. Under her leadership, the Special Victims Bureau innovated new approaches and techniques in sex-crimes prosecution which ranged from trail-blazing the use of DNA evidence in New York courts, to firing the first shots in the still-current battle to modernize statutes of limitations for sexual assault. As author of Sex Crimes (Random House, 1993), she coined the term "collaborator" to describe those within the criminal-justice system who provide aid and comfort to perpetrators. Publication of that book provided the platform for the work to come: from the revolution in campus sexual assault response to authoring articles such as "All Rape Is Real Rape" (New York Times Op-Ed). Sex Crimes Now finds Alice Vachss, still the same, back in the trenches insisting to a jury: "I don't have to prove motive. The motive for rape is rape." She takes on a system hell-bent on freeing a monster, culminating in the true crime drama of her final trial as special prosecutor for sex crimes in a county of 50,000 people confronted with enormous villainy.
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