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Though this was a good book, it was heart-breaking to read at some points. Jodee Blanco suffered merciless teasing and abuse from elementary through high school just because she dared to be something the popular crowd considered "uncool": she was herself, i.e., she was kind, caring, principled, and smart. In her memoir, Ms. Blanco points out a most painful truth, a truth she suffered on a daily basis--if you pick on someone and make his/her life miserable or if you goof up in your studies, you are "cool" to the popular crowd. If you dare to be yourself (i.e.,you hang out with and defend "uncool" people, you actually enjoy school, etc.), you are "uncool" and pay the price for it. Well, if being "cool" means getting poor grades, getting into trouble, losing the respect of adults, and making somebody's life miserable, then I'd rather not be. Ms. Blanco's story points out that bullying is no laughing matter and how it causes long-lasting damage in some people. The bottom line: bullying is UNCOOL.

This was a good historical account of one woman's traumatic experience going through the school system while being tormented at the hands of the "cool kids". That is not, however, what this book purported itself to be ("inspirational"). It was a sad story, but there was nothing particularly striking about it. The author never shares with her readers what exactly helped her to "rise above it all", what inspired her to become ultra-successful, or for that matter WHY she truly wanted to attend her high school reunion. It's hard for me to be critical of this book considering the subject matter, but I'm unsure as to the point of Blanco actually publishing this. I agree it's important that the topic of bullying be kept in the forefront of social concerns, but books such as this that offer virtually no critical analysis of the situation seem to be merely spinning their wheels.

This is a wonderful book. I am a victim of bullying also. I found this book very interesting. I found that Jodee had a lot of the same feelings I had when my problem was at its peak. The bad reviewers did have some good points. But all in all I think most of them didn't have the experiance and knowledge to say what they had to say. For one, yes it is very believable that that Jodee was picked on because of the dissabled people she helped. I was! And it was inspriring because it taught me that I really can do whatever I want, and Jodee is a very nice person I have emailed her before and got very nice replies from her more than once. Like I said, the people that gave it bad reviews did have some good points, but all in all I think that it was an awsome book.