Just End It
Donna Blaber
Light House
Pub. 2020

December 8, 2021

Just by reading the blurb, I knew this was going to be my kind of book and I was right.

Just End It is about a girl called Jessie, who gets bullied by her own best friend. She blames it on a mysterious rock she found at Whale Bay. Then her ex-best friend starts cyberbullying her, and everything goes downhill.

I really loved how the author Donna Blaber put a little bit of fantasy in the story. There’s just enough so you get a clear image of what is going on. She also teaches the readers a lot about Māori mythology and traditions.

I think the author’s aim was to tell people how bad bullying is and how to deal with it. I think a lot of teenagers will relate to the story.

I really like how Jessie dealt with the bullying and found a way to get over it. It gives you confidence in your own friendships.

I loved this book – it was an amazing yet realistic adventure. It was so cool how Jessie got along with her sister also, and how when she was getting bullied, she never gave up. She found a way to fight against it.

The story of the stone brought it all together. I learned so much by reading this book. Everyone in this book learns a lesson and so do the people reading it.

I did find the title and cover a little bit off-putting. In the end, everything turns out ok, but the title and pictures make you think otherwise. I just think the title and pictures do not go with the storyline, because in the end everything turns out to be better again.

Jessica Dowling is 13 and lives in Hamilton