No one is born evil

This book was released in 1996, during my transition from primary to high school and it was probably a book that was in the high school library, as the cover feels very familiar. But I don't remember reading it, at least the story did not feel familiar, as I certainly would not have kept reading.

This is essentially a book about bullying or a very toxic friendship. The toxicity of Tulip's words and attitude most of the time astounded me and the way she manipulated Natalie to do her bidding. But who was at fault really? I couldn't decide by the end. It did seem that Natalie allowed herself to be caught up in Tulip's world, and all the nastiness that came with it. (From their silly little games, to being nasty to the adults, to asking a mother if her dead daughter can come out to play.) But she also managed to cut Tulip out of her life after one particularly nasty incident. But not before what feels like a couple of years have gone by.

I don't know how I would have felt reading this book at the intended age, rather than as an adult. When I was around about Tulip's/Natalie's age, I was already caught up in being bullied at high school, and I think this book would have made me feel a lot worse. But having come out the other side, and reading this through the eyes of an adult, I'm shocked that more wasn't done for Tulip. Now, she would have possibly been on the spectrum somewhere, rather than being brushed off as a problem child, or social services would have got involved. But the way Anne Fine writes (she also wrote Madame Doubtfire), it seems like the adults are powerless to do anything. Certainly, it's implied that Natalie's parents think about trying to cut the hold that Tulip has on their daughter, but they certainly don't try too hard. Or they would rather she make her own mistakes/choices.

I was close to finishing this book and took a quick look at the other reviews, to see if there were similar reviews to how I felt reading this, but they're mostly good reviews. Perhaps I have just read this at the wrong age or perhaps I just read a completely different book to everyone else. I do feel like there is a lesson at the end of it, with Natalie mentioning that she has no regrets about her "friendship" with Tulip.

But it also just ends. There doesn't really feel like there's much closure to the story, and it's almost like the author was unsure how to end it. I know that Natalie was good progress in school, but it does just stop, rather frustratingly so. There's no real feeling of comeuppance for Tulip, or what will happen to her from here. I also got the impression at the beginning of the book that it was Natalie looking back on her life, perhaps a few years older (and wiser). As she says at the beginning "You shouldn't tell a story till it's over, and I'm not sure this one is." Perhaps that's the reason for the abrupt finish. There's also no sequel/follow up, which I was expecting to see - not that I would have read it!

I really wouldn't recommend this book, and it's definitely not one I will be keeping in my collection. I would be reluctant to let children read this also, perhaps without reading it first, particularly for younger children, as some of the themes are quite dark.