Just Don't Mention It By Estelle Maskame

This book is told from Tyler's perspective from his past self at the time of the first book.

Told between the past, five years ago and present day, we learn of how Tyler was treated by his abusive father in graphic accounts and how it caused Tyler's behaviour to change from happy to angry as well as his memories about his father, we see how he met Tiffani and Dean and him attending games together to watch and how well his father and him managed to hide everything as their family let alone anyone else never spotted the signs even when Tyler's wrist got broken three times in a year due to his aggressive father and him blame himself for his father's horrific actions.

Dean and Tyler are the first best friends then Jake joins them late on and so does Tiffani as the new girl at their school before she was 'queen' of the school.

Partying, kissing girls and him and Tiffani using each other for sex really shows the extent of their relationship as they clash and Tiffani is super high maintenance and crazy with manipulating Tyler and using his secrets to blackmail him to stay with her despite his stronger feelings for Eden which are true and not just out to use her like he does Tiffani.

The pull for him toward Eden shows just how much their attraction worked both ways as he can't ignore his true feelings he never had for Tiffani ever and finds himself wanting to be better to be with Eden.

This was a good book and addition to the series rehashing the first book from Eden's perspective into Tyler's as we see his feelings and hurt he suffered through in his childhood and how it stayed with him affecting him to now. It raises the subject of violence and domestic abuse happening to boys too and not just girls. Tyler was a brave young character and so was his brother for eventually discovering it and helping him, there's always a way to stop abuse.

This book might just be the most powerful one of the whole DIMILY series yet!

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Set in a diary format, we see into the life of her as she moves home from the set day to day life and finds herself on a downward spiral very rapidly.

After going to a party and being given a drink spiked with drugs the effects influence her to love the thrill and atmosphere which spur her on to leave home and live with her friend as they try to find the next fix day to day. They look out for each other until they decide to go home and get back to normal if they can.

However upon returning to school she faces the drug users turning on her as she becomes a quiet studious girl again breaking away from the drug crowd and choosing to hang out with her boyfriend in the library instead despite all the bulling she's facing from the drug users.

After losing her grandparents merely weeks apart, she winds up in a mental institute against her wishes after she was drugged unknowingly and the police take statements from the drug crowd at her school who convince the police she was pushing drugs onto them.

After getting out, life looks up as her boyfriend returns. Yet apparently as the diary ends, we learn the subject of the book died only three weeks after stopping keeping a diary.

This book shows the dangers of drugs firsthand and the pressure peer's can put on each other creating a stressful environment which may have attributed to her final drug use if it was self inflicted.

7 days by Eve Ainsworth

As the title suggests, this book is set over seven miserable days for Jessica who lives with her mum and younger sister Hollie on an estate. Their mum works as a cleaner and they can't afford new clothes and food etc is sparse. Not just because Jessica eats a lot of the wrong foods choosing a packet of biscuits over toast etc as a meal.
Her dad isn't around but instead is off living a new life with his girlfriend and new baby.
But poor Jessica is in a living nightmare at school, aware of the bullies, Kez, Marnie, Lois and Hannah.
They belittle her and call her fat, Stig because of the state of her, push her and talk about her online in mean ways. At her school, Philip is her friend, Hannah is an old friend from primary days and Lyn knows her from where she used to live. Yet Hannah and Lyn are friends with her bullies too and can't risk being seen with her.

We also see Kez's point of view on the situation and we see how she thinks digs about Marnie. She also doesn't want to he like her mum whom has a drunk abusive husband and loves Marnie and her mum's relationship wishing her and her mum were like that. She's jealous and angry at her life but bullying gives her power.

An upcoming party at Lyn's means the girls hatch a plan against Jessica after Kez sees Lyn and Jess together which results in dangerous situations for both girls.

This is an essential read about the heartbreaking way school can be for some pupils and how bullying can break someone and how they can overcome it.