This thrilling coming-of-age fiction debut from Buckingham (author of The Modern Girl's Guide to Life) pulses with teen angst, high school drama, and severed friendships, with a swift-moving plot centered on the perils of social media misuse. The story unfolds within the confines of stereotypical cliques: the athletic elite, the popular crowd (the OGs), and the marginalized misfits (nerds, cast-outs, weirdos)—among whom the well-drawn leads, Sabrina, Emily, and Brooke find themselves. Sabrina, driven since the death of her mother by an intense ambition to attend Harvard, is grappling with the weight of her aspirations, so when Emily and Brooke make the surprising choice to attend a school party, she only agrees with reluctance, unwittingly setting in motion a chain of events that threatens their friendship. As lies accumulate and tensions escalate, Milford High becomes a battleground for the intensifying acts of @Revenge—an anonymous social media account claiming to play hero by exacting justice through clandestine pranks that blur the lines between right and wrong, like public shaming a cheating boyfriend, planting adult magazines in a teacher's desk, vandalizing someone's car, and getting someone suspended. "You get what you give," Revenge is fond of declaring. Sabrina gets caught up in the fiasco by becoming an unwilling accomplice after facing a wrenching setback. Buckingham deftly raises the stakes as Sabrina faces a new challenge: discover and reveal Revenge's true identity with the help of newfound ally, Jake, to save her only remaining best friend.
Penned with brisk power and insights into gossip, dish, and social media, the novel’s depth lies in commanding empathy, encouraging readers to let go of prejudiced assumptions and look past the stereotypical roles of people to see them for their humanity. The characters are flawed in all the right ways to emphasize this point, and self-centeredness is a key theme—the root of all lies, neglect, and miscommunications in a friendship. A tantalizing conclusion will leave readers in anticipation for the next installment of the trilogy.
Takeaway: Gripping high school drama of friendship, betrayal, and redemption.
Comparable Titles: Karen M. McManus's One of Us is Lying, E. Lockhart's We Were Liars
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
