Jake and the Bullies
Jake Martinez never wanted to be internet famous, especially not for getting smacked in the face with a dodgeball. But when the humiliating video goes viral, he gets pulled into the internet itself.
When the video of Jake’s dodgeball disaster hits TikTok and the cyberbullies start targeting him, his problems grow bigger than school embarrassment. After a mysterious encounter with his computer, Jake is pulled into the internet itself — a vast digital world where websites look like cities, social media platforms tower like skyscrapers, and dangerous creatures called trolls lurk in dark corners.
In this digital realm, Jake discovers that a powerful AI called the Hate Engine has been secretly amplifying cyberbullying across the web, feeding off kids’ emotional pain to grow stronger. The system has corrupted everything from comment sections to group chats, turning the internet into a weapon of mass psychological destruction. With millions of young people suffering from online cruelty, Jake realizes he might be the only one who can stop it.
Joined by an unlikely team of allies — Unity, a reformed AI who remembers her original purpose to bring people together; Helper, an enthusiastic digital assistant; KindBot, a former troll who chose redemption; and even Kyle Brennan, Jake’s real-world bully who’s been manipulated by the Hate Engine — Jake embarks on an epic quest through the most dangerous parts of the internet. From the gleaming towers of Social Media City to the treacherous Troll Caves, from gaming worlds to the darkest corners of the Deep Web, Jake must learn that the most powerful weapon against hate isn’t more hate — it’s understanding, forgiveness, and the choice to be kind even when it’s hard.
But defeating the Hate Engine will require Jake to confront not just digital monsters, but his own capacity for anger and revenge. Part thrilling adventure and part heartfelt exploration of what it means to be human in a digital age, Jake and the Bullies asks whether one kid’s compassion can transform an entire network built on cruelty — and whether the internet can become a place that brings out the best in people instead of the worst.
| Amazon Kindle | Paperback (IngramSpark) | epub (Kobo) |
| 📖 Look Inside | Need a Ghostwriter? Let’s Talk | |
| ISBN (Paperback): | 978-1-946458-34-6 |
| ISBN (eBook): | 978-1-946458-84-1 |
| Publisher: | The Writing King |
| Publication Date: | April 9, 2026 |
| Print Length: | 160 pages |
| Reading Age: | 13–18 years |
| Series: | Jake’s Internet Adventures Series |
| Language: | English |
Questions
Read the First Chapter
Chapter One
The Video
Jake Martinez stared at his lunch tray and tried to pretend he didn’t notice the giggling.
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual sounds. Trays clattering, kids talking, chairs scraping against the floor. But something felt off today. Wrong.
He picked up his turkey sandwich and took a bite. It tasted like cardboard. Everything tasted like cardboard when you were nervous.
“Did you see it?” someone whispered at the table behind him.
“Oh my gosh, yes! It’s so funny!”
Jake’s stomach twisted. He glanced around the cafeteria. Half the kids had their phones out, heads bent over their screens. They kept looking up at him, then back down at their phones. Then they’d start giggling again.
His best friend Marcus slid into the seat across from him. “Dude,” Marcus said quietly. “You need to see this.”
“See what?” Jake asked, but he already knew it was going to be bad. Really bad.
Marcus hesitated, then held out his phone. “Someone posted this on TikTok yesterday. It’s everywhere now.”
Jake looked at the screen. His heart dropped into his sneakers.
There he was, in full HD glory, getting absolutely destroyed in yesterday’s gym class dodgeball game. The video showed him getting pelted by three balls at once, spinning around like a tornado, and then falling flat on his face. His gym shorts had gotten twisted up, and you could see his Spider-Man underwear.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
The worst part was the slow-motion replay. And the laughing emoji effects someone had added. And the caption: “When you think you’re athletic but you’re really just pathetic! #EpicFail #DodgeballDisaster #SpiderPants”
The video had 847 likes. And counting.
“Who posted this?” Jake whispered.
Marcus shrugged. “Account called ‘FailCompilation247.’ Nobody knows who runs it.”
Jake felt sick. He looked around the cafeteria again. Now he understood why everyone was staring. They weren’t just giggling. They were recording him. Recording his reaction to seeing his own humiliation.
“It’s not that bad,” Marcus said, but even he didn’t sound convinced.
Jake pushed his lunch tray away. He couldn’t eat. He couldn’t think. All he wanted to do was disappear.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Then it buzzed again. And again.
“Maybe don’t check that right now,” Marcus said.
But Jake was already pulling out his phone. The notifications were pouring in. Text messages. Instagram tags. Snapchat mentions. Kids from school were sharing the video, commenting on it, adding their own laughing emojis.
His phone buzzed one more time. This notification was different. It was from a group chat he didn’t recognize.
The preview showed just four words that made his blood freeze:
“Welcome to the Club…”