Reviewed by Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen for TeensReadToo.com

Who knew that in the course of one day so much could happen, not only to you but to everyone around you. But of course in real life, we only witness what happens to ourselves. Laurie Faria Stolarz takes the lives of ten teenagers who are all connected somehow, and shows how their lives can become so complicated in just one single day.

There's Nicole Bouchard, who is tired of her reputation as being the good girl and wants to change that by acting on feelings that she has had for quite some time. It won't only shock people but can hurt her best friend, Kelly Pickerel, who is in California, not only to visit her father, but her convict friend, Robby Mardonia, the guy she has been writing to. She desperately wants to be with him even though she already has a boyfriend, Sean O'Connell.

Sean, the guy who seems to be second-guessing all the choices he's made and now wants to change them. Then there's Maria Krito, who soon discovers that a best friend may not necessarily be someone who is willing to cut her, even though that's the only way for Sadie Dubinsky to finally become her friend. Sadie, the eleven-year-old who isn't the ideal size or weight or even the girl that her mother wants her to be, and the one that has to be constantly compared to her older, meaner sister, Ginger. Ginger Dubinsky, who has the chance to get back at Kelly for embarrassing her.

There's also Derek LaPointe, who soon finds out that looks can't get him the girl he wants, Mearl Aremian. Her odd nature may not be for Derek, but it can help others figure out their lives. Last but not least there's Joy Ryder, a fifteen-year-old waitress who is sick of all the childish boys that she has to deal with, and will learn a dark secret when she tries to get back at the one boy who made her life miserable.

Ten teens, ten stories full of complications and problems that will leave the reader wondering what happens to the lives around them.

BLEED is a very entertaining read that is much different from the other works of Laurie Faria Stolarz. Its deep messages and risqué language will make the reader feel pain, sorrow, and happiness for the characters, which are all well-developed. Readers will be pulled into every story, even if they don't like the person the story is about. Stolarz does her best to capture the hidden feelings that are felt by the person themselves. As a warning, though, the language used is most definitely not suitable for kids in eighth-grade and below. ( )

In this book ten teenage lives connect to each other in more ways they can never possibly know. Freinds betray freinds. Boyfriend betrays girlfriend only to be betrayed by the girlfriend. Ten lives intersect in the best ways ever. I really enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. ( )

This book included a series of opinions about idfferent topics from characters who were all connected in some way. Popular topics such as murder, sex, lies, and betrayal were included. I did like this book as it kept my attention well and left me hanging at the end of every chapter. ( )

You are warned: BLEED is not your typical short story collection. The ten characters are connected to each other in some way. Their stories intersect one another’s ever so slightly, and yet each one can stand alone. Stolarz tells ten different stories that happen in different locations but all on the same day. Some of the characters face questions concerning love and lust, while other stories talk about mental or family problems. Some situations the characters go through are mostly likely not appropriate for readers under 14 years old. However, BLEED is a collection of short stories that can horrify and empathize at the same time. ( )

I am not a big short story fan, but these are all intertwined to make a larger story. While there are some fairly major events that are disclosed throughout the narratives, for the most part, it is just one day in the life of 10 teenagers and shows just how much can happen. It is definitely for the older YA crowd as it does have some fairly graphic scenes.