Goodbye: A Story of Suicide

 By Hailee Joy Lamberth

Young Adult Non-Fiction

    Trigger Warning: This is a Young Adult graphic novel about suicide.

    Hailee Joy Lamberth was a girl that was constantly bullied in school.  She chose not to tell her parents for various reasons and even though her school was made aware of the situation, they chose to ignore it.  Ultimately, Hailee chose to end her own life.  While her story is devastating and emotionally hard to read, it is important.  Her parents decided that they needed to share her story and tell other kids not to give up.

    I found this graphic novel heartbreaking. Not just for Hailee, but for her parents and her brother.  I recommend that teens, preteens, parents and anyone that works in a school read Goodbye.  Hailee's parents point out that something could have been done if they had been made aware.  Where was the school administration? Why did they not act? These are definitely questions that need an answer.  I have personally witnessed acts of bullying.  Sometimes it was addressed well and immediately; sometimes it was not.

    In this graphic novel, the author points out that things need to change.  Since Hailee's death, "Hailee's Law" was passed in Nevada, US. This law states that all acts of bullying must be reported to the victim's families as well as the bullies families.  If the families are not made aware, a teacher or a school could lose their license or even be prosecuted.

    "Live and love; forgive and forge on; shine and outshine; say hello to life, not goodbye."

            -Hailee Joy Lambeth

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