Danny's Mom

A Novel

By: Elaine Wolf

Narrated by: Lameece Issaq

Length: 6 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

A bully primed for battle. A high school ready to explode. A must-listen for every parent. "You think only students have to deal with backstabbing and bullying in high school? Think again. Wolf's heroine, a high school guidance counselor, fights back." (The Denver Post) Friday Night Lights meets Ordinary People when Beth Maller returns to her job as a high school guidance counselor shortly after her teenage son Danny is killed in a car accident. Now back at work, Beth rails against the everyday injustices she had overlooked until her world cracked open. Her new circumstances cause Beth to become a major player in the moral battles being waged at Meadow Brook High - where homophobia snakes through the halls, administrators cling to don't-rock-the-boat policies, and mean girls practice bullying as if it were a sport. While Beth struggles to find her "new normal", she learns to speak out, risking her career, her marriage, and the very life she's embraced.

Danny's Mom illustrates what really goes on behind the closed doors of our schools from the perspective of the adults who are charged with keeping our children safe. It's a powerful novel that will appeal to all readers, especially parents, everyone who works in schools, and the LGBT community.

©2012 Elaine Wolf (P)2014 Audible Inc.

A little bit of everything

Great story about grief, death of a son, resuming life, coping with stress, dealing with teenagers, bullying, and work place violence/harassment.

Not in our schools

I truly hope that this behavior by school administrators has been exaggerated for the sake of shock value. Recently, a teen was pushed into and accosted in a bathroom at our high school. You can bet the public came down hard on the Superintendent on down to the teachers. Students demanded safety in the school and the administrators are reacting.

Couldn’t that Vice Principle have a car accident?

I really did enjoy this book for the most part. But I am left with that feeling I get when a book leaves me hanging. And it’s because of the author’s decision to allow that Peter douchebag to live and prosper!? I mean, really? After all that Beth had put up with, couldn’t she have won for once?! Bob could have fired Peter and apologized to Beth!? Just sayin’

No you don't know !!!

Very good story, A story that made my heart cry. I've been there. it was a great book.

Missing a backbone

The main character of this book is a school guidance counsellor with absolutely no gumption.
She is bullied and disparaged by her superiors, her colleagues and students. Her son died in a car accident, so you have to give her a bit of leeway - but she watches a traumatised young girl being bullied by an overbearing school administrator and does nothing. I listened to the end because I wanted to know what happened to her, but I found myself shouting at her (my husband came in to see whom I was talking to) throughout.

Just okay. Great concept, dull writing.

Good concept, had the potential to be amazing but not well-executed, and makes for a boring read.

3 stars.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️



Audiobook:
Just okay. Narrator sounds a bit robotic.

ok but.....

*spoiler* so why didn't that story end with her winning a lawsuit, Peter getting fired or kids going to jail? the ending was too rushed and was a huge let down. there was zero closure for Liz who just changed schools as if that makes her trauma go away. The author missed an excellent opportunity. All she did was show yet another bully winning the day and getting to go on to create more trauma for other people. sad.

Review

There were too many story lines left unfinished and without any closure. Average book at best.

Danny's Mom

This audio book was certainly good and dealt with important issues. I became irritated with the counselor for not opening her mouth and fighting back against all the abusers. you have to fight back, especially when young people need to be protected.

Hard to get through !!!

The only adult in this novel was Danny’s grandfather. I had to skip some chapters to get through this.