My Never Ending List

I have to say I was a bit reserved about this book. It seemed a bit far-reaching but I loved the message it would relay if all the elements were aligned but I was open for anything when I opened The Red Sheet.  Just thinking about the title and looking at the cover I thought I was opening a hot romance but the synopsis was far from that.  A superstar jock wakes up one morning a totally different person and requires a red sheet. No longer the bully, this jock has become a thoughtful person who is attracted to the person he used to bully. Yes, a total 360 degree turn overnight. Such extreme measures, the why and where does the sheet come into play had me searching for answers.

Bryan is a seventeen-year old junior and he wakes up on a Monday morning longing for his red sheet that he possessed when he was nine.  He feels like he is Superman and he “somehow developed a compelling urge to protect the innocent.”  Telling his mother that he needs it for a school project, she stops off to buy him another one since his previous one has been disposed of.  No, he is not going to wear the sheet as a cape but yes, he does consider it and that is where I start to wonder about this book and whether I am going to like it.  Bryan decides to sleep with the sheets and carry the pillowcase in his backpack (like a security blanket). At school, Bryan acts different and his friends notice immediately his change. Bryan is trying to figure out his past based on individual’s comments and he can’t believe the life that he has lead. The caring Bryan of today is not the self-centered Bryan of yesterday.  His mother notices the changes in Bryan and everyone is concerned.  Bryan finally gets to see the other side of bullying when his friends can’t take Bryan’s actions any longer.  A party last Saturday and an incident with Scott there, has left Bryan trying to figure out what happened.  Scott, a gay teen who is also a geek is partnered with Bryan in English but this partnership is more like a battle.  What really happened at the party on Saturday night with Scott?  Bryan now feels like an outcast but when one person stands up, it seems that others follow.

I was surprised at how much I loved this book.  A few parts were over the edge but the foundation is there and I loved the idea of others joining behind Bryan and Bryan standing up for himself.  Bryan got to see what it was like to be on both sides of bullying and Scott…. the character of Scott, so realistic and true to his words.  I saw Scott, I felt Scott, as the author did an excellent job giving us Scott. To add Brandon to the mix, I felt tears come to my eyes for the frustration and confusion these characters were battling.   I am so glad I gave this book a go.

“Who the hell is this Gandhi dude, anyhow? Is he on YouTube?”

“I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.”