Gone Too Far by Natalie D.Richards

Published: January 15th 2015

Review copy provided by NetGalley

Keeping secrets ruined her life. But the truth might just kill her.

Piper Woods can’t wait for the purgatory of senior year to end. She skirts the fringes of high school like a pro until the morning she finds a notebook with mutilated photographs and a list of student sins. She’s sure the book is too gruesome to be true, until pretty, popular Stella dies after a sex-tape goes viral. Everyone’s sure it’s suicide, but Piper remembers Stella’s name from the book and begins to suspect something much worse.

Drowning in secrets she doesn’t want to keep, Piper’s fears are confirmed when she receives an anonymous text message daring her to make things right. All she needs to do is choose a name, the name of someone who deserves to be punished…

This story disturbed me. Teenagers can be such evil creatures. Well, any human being can, but especially teenagers. Crammed into high school walls like angry sardines…urk….

Went Too Far was very Mean Girls-ish. Piper finds a book, similar to the Burn Book showcased in Mean Girls. This book holds shocking and horrifying secrets about all of her classmates, and most importantly–her best friend.

Someone knows she has the book…

Piper teams up with a mystery avenger to seek justice for those bullied, and exposure for those who have sinned. Vigilante justice for the bad seeds of high school.

Revenge against bullies/outing secrets seem to be a trend in YA in the past year. The message is strong and applauded because it does make you think twice before uttering a snide remark or giggling at someone else’s expense.

Morally, these books can influence us to be better to one another. On the same note–these books can also trigger serious bouts of anger and ideas for revenge for those whom have wronged us.

The measures to which Piper and the mystery avenger exert themselves is frankly disturbing. This is a story that will stay with you long after the last page has been turned.