Review: Until It Hurts to Stop by Jennifer R. Hubbard

Until It Hurts to Stop by Jennifer R. Hubbard

When you can’t trust anyone, how can you ever feel safe?
In seventh grade, Maggie Camden was the class outcast. Every day, the other girls tripped her, pinched her, trapped her in the bathroom, told her she would be better off dead. Four years have passed since then, and Maggie’s tormentors seem to have moved on. The ringleader of them all, Raleigh Barringer, even moved out of town. But Maggie has never stopped watching for attacks, and every laugh still sounds like it’s at her expense. The only time Maggie feels at peace is when she’s hiking up in the mountains with her best friend, Nick. Lately, though, there’s a new sort of tension between the two of them—a tension both dangerous and delicious. But how can Maggie expect anything more out of Nick when all she’s ever been told is that she’s ugly, she’s pathetic, she’s unworthy of love? And how can she ever feel safe, now that Raleigh Barringer is suddenly—terrifyingly—back in town?

Publishes in US: September 12th 2013 by Viking Juvenile
Genre: ya contemp
Source: library
Series? no

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      I wanted to read this one because of the bullying set up. That emotional kick draws me right to it. With the premise of her bullier coming back in town, there is the possibility of huge character growth.

    I liked her friendship with Nick. He seems to be a solid guy and the synopsis hints at attraction blossoming there so that endeared him to me even more.

   It was heart breaking to see the insecurity creep back in with Maggie. I feel her on some level because I suffer from social anxiety. Mine doesn't stem from bullied but rather has gotten worse with age. She is on edge, fearful that each day or encounter will be negative or an attack.

    The earlier mentioned attraction with Nick and her hits some road bumps. She doesn't want their easy friendship to change so she backs off and then to complicate the dynamics even more, a friend is interested in Nick. I wonder right along with her if he is backing off because she did or if he is now interested in someone else. They still hang out and hike together which has been their thing, living to be outside and Maggie loves the adrenaline and pushing herself and the satisfaction.

   I liked the family aspect as well. Maggie and her dad have A comfortable relationship. They don't talk a lot which is important to show because that can be the reality of family dynamics. They are close though and he knows when something is up with her and will talk to her and ask about things but never pushes too hard.

    Also with nicks stepdad Perry who used tho hike with the two and is still a constant in his life, supportive but not pushy like his biological dad.  He has a phd and pushes Nick towards ivy league despite Nick s protests. Now I get that parents need to motivate teens in regards to grades and college decisions but there is a right.and wrong way to go about it and also the intent of the parent which needs to be for best interest and supportive of which his dad is not.

    Both of them went through quite the ordeal and challenges before they figured it out. Maggie had to figure out a lot about how she was carrying around junior high and the pain. Although she was rightfully hurt, she couldn't still judge everyone based on how immature kids treated her. She talked with one of her tormentors--and realized that some felt horrible about it, and were different people. She had to change how she saw herself, and not let it cloud how she thought of everyone else. She thought that others, everything just went right for them, and she was always the victim. There was so much character growth in her, and she was also able to help Nick in some of the negative thought patterns he had-how he was letting the negative talk from his dad effect his choices and how he thought of himself.

     The ending was nice and I liked how everything resolved. I liked the changes in Maggie and how her future was shaping up.

Bottom Line: Emotional and character driven.

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Do you like to hike?