Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms

Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms by D. K. Smith  336 pages

 I won this YA novel in a contest on Shelf Awareness (I just love that newsletter).  I’ve picked it up several times to start reading and put it down several times. I could never get past page 40.  Yet, there was something compelling about the story line that kept pulling me back. After reviewing some of the remarks on Goodreads and Amazon, I was determined to give read this book.

I didn’t buy the opening car chase scene that involved two teenagers as part of a larger counterfeiting ring where the police not only pursue them in a high-speed chase, but actually send a helicopter. Maybe it’s because I’m not a tween or teen, but to me it didn’t seem plausible.

There are several things I like about this novel:

• ·        Strong female protagonist and antagonists.
• ·        The main plot is bullying and the willingness to combat it.
• ·        The diversity of the characters.
• ·        It has GREAT bones.

The things I didn’t like are:

• ·        Too many plot lines. The one about Ellis in London should be deleted; it’s irrelevant and confuses the reader. I had to keep going back to figure out what that was going on with those characters. The plot line about the anti-aging drug/terrorism that comes up in the last third is confusing. The counterfeit ring and the bullying are enough. 
• ·        Too many characters that are not truly defined. Yes, Margo and Kat are distinguishable, but the rest all blur together. I can’t remember reading any physical descriptions about the characters that would set them apart. 
• ·        The cover is unappealing. 
• ·        I saw MOB and thought Mafia.

As I stated earlier, this book has GREAT bones. I think another re-write is in order if there is a second printing. The ending gives the allusion that this is the first book in a series. I believe that Smith’s writing will get better as he or she continues to write.

I give Mind Over Bullies: A MOB Forms 2 out of 5 stars.