Jerk Bait Review
Book: Jerk Bait by Mia Siegert
Genre: Young Adult
Jerk Bait depicts the lives of two young brothers in high school that are trying to find themselves. Like any teenagers, they are discovering who they are and exactly what they want in life, all while trying to live up to their parent’s standards. The story is told in the ‘younger’ twin brother’s point of view, Tristan. We learn about his troubled past with his twin brother Robbie and how there is a misconception with the idea that twins have a unique bond. While they both play ice hockey, Robbie is the star and Tristan is just, there. Throughout the story the relationship between Robbie and Tristan shifts and they begin to form a bond after Robbie tries to commit suicide and Tristan is forced to babysit him. All the while, their parents try to cover it up so as not to ruin Robbie’s chances at being drafted into the NHL.
This story goes through the emotional roller-coaster of a sibling dealing with a mentally unstable brother and having nowhere to turn to about it all while trying to figure out a motive. The story allows the reader to learn to look for signs in a person whom you didn’t know was struggling. The realism that depression and mental health can affect anyone and that it doesn’t matter what your social status is driven home and allows the reader to see that metal health doesn’t discriminate, it can affect even the most endearing and popular people. The message of “you truly never know what a person is going through no matter how close you are to them’ is driven home right until the very end of this story.
For me this book was a real page-turner and I didn’t want to put it down. I was captivated and felt my own emotions pairing with Tristan’s as a bystander to his own brother’s mishaps. This book easily gets 5 out of 5 stars from me. For a young adult novel, it carries a strong message and portrays real-life scenarios for upcoming athletes and the pressures they may face. In an era where sexual equality and mental health in sports are just being brought to light, this is a must read.
