Kiara Fights Back

By: Jamie Steinberg

So many of us have been bullied in our lifetime. As much as there are rules in place in schools and on social media, bullying still happens. Well, Kiara won’t stand for it. In the continuation of Marilyn Kaye’s “The Spyglass Sisterhood” series, the latest book Kiara Fights Back has our heroine standing up for herself and her fellow classmates. With Kiara’s ingenuity and a little help from her new friends, Kiara fights for what’s right and learns it’s okay to open up.

Kiara was being bullied at her previous school. In order to solve the situation, her father thought it best to take a new job and move the family to a new city. At her new school Kiara struggles as she is a bright and intelligent young woman but is lacking when it comes to social skills. Thankfully, she is able to make some friends and the four of them bond over a spyglass that is magically able to show them visions about themselves and others. The girls have a pact not to join social media, but when Kiara is slipped a notice in her backpack about a schoolwide app “The Nooz” she decides to join. What she finds there is startling – someone is saying hurtful and cruel things about a classmate. Having been bullied herself, she is determined to find out who is responsible for these mean posts.

I can’t tell you how the rest of the tale plays out so as not to spoil the plot; however, I must say how proud I am of Kiara for stepping out of her comfort zone in order to try and figure out who is behind these hurtful comments and for opening about her own past to her friends. I am also happy that Kiara’s friends understood and worked together to help handle the situation. Kiara has always been a loner, so it really was nice to see her leaning on her new pals to put this person in their place. And the solution is pretty darn unique!

Author Kaye does a great job at coming up with a creative solution to the bullying problem. Plus, each character is quite lovable and easy to get behind. For those being bullied or those who have experienced bullying, Kiara Fights Back is worth the read. I hope it becomes a staple in middle schools around the globe.