If you missed it,  a week ago Goodreads hosted an anti-bullying Readathon from the 17th-23rd. One of my Goodreads friends and BookTuber Sarah Churchill started this amazing group to bring a spotlight on, you guessed it, bullying.

After a week of people reading books on the theme of anti-bullying, engaging in important discussions, and raising awareness about the prominence of bullying, a lot of important strides were made in the Goodreads community. This is important because bullying, as you may be aware, is a major problem, and I think it is something we need to talk about a lot. This encompasses psychological bullying as well as physical bullying because harsh words, stares, and impossible expectations can hurt just as much as actual physical abuse.

When I heard about this readathon, the first book that popped into my mind was by our own, amazing Jennifer Niven: All the Bright Places. This is because the male lead, Theodore Finch, is a definite victim of bullying and perceived stereotypes. What I love about All the Bright Places is that it speaks about such complicated — but still important — questions related to bullying: Am I the victim, or am I on the other side of bullying? Am I good enough to be someone’s judge? Do I need to fit into a box? How do I heal my wounds, and is it even possible to heal them?

If you have ever been bullied, you understand how much it means when someone is there to help you. What’s so great about movements like Sarah Churchill’s Goodread’s Anti-Bullying Readathon is that people have the opportunity to be the person that helps; to be the person who shows the true meaning of friendship; to be the one who does something to stop the bullying.

Let’s raise the world’s attention. Read about bullying, tell your own story, join the Goodreads group, and learn from the amazing discussions that took place. I honestly believe that if we all raise our voice, the world will hear us. Let’s be there for each other and stand by those who need help. Let’s help them off that ledge.

Below is the wrap-up video of the whole event, and a list of book suggestions sampled during the readathon can be found here.

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