Contemporary YA is not really my thing. I like cults, I like thrillers, I like mysteries, I like boarding schools and treatment clinics. So a book set in a normal high school with normal people doing normal things, isn’t REALLY where I hang out most of the time.

But I’m glad I did.

I won’t lie, it was the title that got me. And this book wasn’t what I expected. I wasn’t expecting a well written, mostly romance free, day-in-the-life story about an American teen who works on the newspaper for her private school. When an email filled with intimate pictures of seven high school girls is sent to the entire school population, Eden finds herself sucked in to fight on the side of the girls. As a newspaper reporter, the truth is important to her. When the school fights back with the argument of “well, they shouldn’t have sent the pictures in the first place, so it’s their own fault”, and refuses to let the newspaper tell the full story, Eden and the staff have to decide if standing up to something that is obviously wrong is worth potentially jeopardising their own futures.

There’s A LOT in this book. The school is atrocious - a response like that on such a topic is just awful, and what makes it worse is that it’s a situation that plays out regularly in the real world, not just in YA novels. I loved that the author not only acknowledged that the school was wrong, but also offered her characters (and thus us, as readers), the ability to find support and recourse from a different place. It’s super important that we don’t just tell our youth “yes, there are things you can do….” and tail off to nothing.

I also LOVE that the author doesn’t have the girls be ashamed of having taken the pictures in the first place. There is a strong sex positive vibe going on here (not from the school, obvi, but from a lot of the supporters). Helping teens to understand how to keep themselves safe is a much better, safer and more healthy tactic than simply casting blame after the fact. Sex is good. Nudes can be a fun part of a healthy sex life. Teens especially just need to understand that there are laws that can come into play (child pornography laws can apply to photos you take and send of YOURSELF, at least in the USA), and that once something has been sent, there is no way to make sure it stays with the intended recipient, and often no formal punishment if it doesn’t.

I can’t say much more about the plot. The writing was good, easy to read, flowed well. I felt we got to know the MC well, and a few of our secondary characters. I would have liked to see more of the rest of the Sluts (yes, they call themselves this, I’m not being judgemental), but I think with the book flowing the way it did, that may have felt like waffle and pointless noise.

Content warnings: sex, nudity (in the abstract not graphic for the most part), slut shaming, emotional abuse, unlawful sharing of nudes, bullying.
Overall Rating: 5 Stars

First of all, if this a road Wattpad is taking now, I’m all in. This book tackles slut-shaming and revenge porn. It’s sole mission is to talk about it and discuss it pulling no stops and pocking its finger in uncomfortable places. I really appreciate that. The book has a message and carries it through with all its strenght. Sometimes other characters won’t get it as easily and the book goes and reprimands them for it. And this goes for our main protagonist sometimes.

At the end of the novel there’s this sort of twist where I thought we were falling a bit into girl-hate territory. Unfortunately, that scene turned the book in what it was denouncing. However, in that scene the fight actually leads to a character basically yelling at slut-shaming and why it’s wrong. That’s the thing about this book, even though sometimes the dialogue in this brand of stories can be very unrealistic, I’ve heard people say what some of these characters say. Even word for word, I’ve read people on Twitter say the things some of these characters say, as a spicy take, dishing out truth, when what the only thing they are doing is exposing the fact that they can’t stand the idea of women just existing. Some other interesting ideas were presented as well, like how one of the boys tries to spin the whole situation, completely not understanding, saying that it’s like boys aren’t allowed to casually have sex. This character missing entirely the point, made a strong point for the book.

Furthermore, the whole vibe of girls sticking up for each other was amazing. Yes, give me more. Keep doing that thing, thanks.

Secondly, even though on one hand I feel like I cannot talk a lot about the pacing because I sat down and finished the book in three hours, on the other hand I do think the middle chunk of the book was a bit slow for what it was trying to do. The investigation maybe got stuck, we were repeting information we, the readers, already knew. Maybe we were supposed to spend time with a lot of characters in order to get to know and develop them. However, that leads me to my next point.

Lastly, although it surprinsingly succeeds at dialogue and dynamics between characters, they feel very grounded, the book still lacks a lot of character-development. I cannot accurately describe any of them, and that may be on me, but also, it still could have been a lot better if we got to know these characters and really feel for them. The reader might leave invested, not for their love for the characters, but because of the message and how these characters are treated unfairly.

In conclusion, I would recommend this book despites its flaws. It has a lot going for. I love what it tires to do, despite me not fully loving the execution. I still think everyone should give it a try and question themselves. If there weren’t that much swear words, I would even say it would be cool for a high school class to read it.

I enjoyed this book, and feel that the topics covered are really important. When reflecting on the story I wanted more fight from the girls involved. Even more passion and fight for change.

This was actually more interesting and likable than i thought it would be. I was very unsure if i would like it at all. But i actually got some Veronica Mars Vibe going on here and i dig that show even though it ended some years ago and the 4th season i haven`t seen because i`ve spoiled it to myself and i do not wanna watch THAT particular happening. If you have seen it, you know. Anyway, it was really interesting to follow. I kind of suspected a couple of people after a while - but the author also made me sort of frame a certain asshole. It kept me intruiged and entertained for all the pages. So i was wrong. I really really liked it!

Revenge of the Sluts is a relevant story in todays world and I applaud the author for writing it. I suppose it won't be a winner for everyone despite its relevance but many like myself are going to love it. In all honesty, I've never dealt with the issues plaguing these characters but I know that now a days girls everywhere DO. So I recommend mothers and daughters give this one a try. It's an empowering and insightful read.

I really enjoyed reading Revenge Of The Sluts! One of my good friends had this happen to her in high school, not as extreme as what happened in the book but it still should have never happened. I loved that Atticus was constantly there for his friend Sloane and even Eden. I did find myself rooting for him and Eden, wish there was more of that relationship in the hook! I’m giving this 4.5 stars!

Thank you to the author, publisher and netgalley for this ARC for an honest review!

Nancy Drew becomes a journalist!

Eden Jeong is a senior at St. Joe’s private high school when an email containing the nudes of other seniors is sent out one day with the threat of more to come. Eden, the executive editor for the Warrior Weekly school newspaper, is assigned to investigate and cover the story. While digging for the truth behind the anonymous email, she faces censorship and threats of shutting down the newspaper for good. But—with determination to bring the mysterious Eros to justice and get closure for the Slut Squad—she prevails, with the help from the Sluts themselves.

I really enjoyed this book. It was a quick read with a descriptive, but light voice and each character had their own distinct voice and depth. I was drawn to it by the concept—especially when we see so many people having had their nudes leaked online everyday—and Natalie Walton certainly delivered. I would definitely recommend this for YA because the themes in ROTS are so important. The main theme being that women are people too! Unfortunately, we live in a society where women are objectified and made to feel self-conscious or ashamed of their bodies and sexuality. We live in a society where men (not all men) have a caveman tendency to view women more like objects and playthings rather that humans, and Walton truly brings that theme to fruition. Never be ashamed of yourself, and never be ashamed to ask for the basic respect you deserve.

Revenge of the Sluts is a Y/A contemporary which explores a lot of relevant issues and does so in an engaging way which feels authentic and conveys a powerful message.

The novel follows Eden, a high school student and editor on the school newspaper and her friend and fellow editor Ronnie as they try and report on an event which has rocked the entire school. Namely, the sharing of seven girls nude pictures to the entire student body via email, by an unidentified person who has dubbed themselves 'Eros'. The story is centered around Eden and her fellow writers as she battles censorship by the principal and school board and shines a light on how poorly schools are equipped and how unwilling they can be to support students who are victims of bullying and harassment of this kind. In this book Natalie Walton has depicted the realities of slut shaming, of victim blaming and revenge porn and the flawed ways the justice system deals with these cases.

I liked how Walton centered the voices of the girls affected, and how they were given agency and all had a range of emotions and reactions. I felt like these parts were well written, and were true to life in many ways. I liked that all the girls were supporting each other and banded together and reclaimed a word that was used against them, I can see the title potentially raising some eyebrows but it makes sense in the context of the novel. I also appreciated that Eden had integrity and centers their feelings despite also wanting to get a story and do the best job possible, but not at the expense of the victims.

I will say, I didn't really believe in one element of the book which was how seriously Eden and her friends took the school paper and it appears like that's all they ever do, ie; eat, breathe and sleep the school newspaper. It just felt a bit heavy handed at times, and I feel like there are more natural ways of showing that they're committed to their roles without it being this deep. Eden doesn't have much of a personality outside being a reporter, she's a perfectly inoffensive protagonist but nothing about her really stood out to me. I wish she had more of a draw, or more character because this would have helped me be more invested in her journey as a character. I also felt like the ending was tied up pretty quickly and felt a tad rushed, which again could have been avoided had there been less slow pacing in the first half of the novel. There's a large portion where not much happens and it begins to feel repetitive.

Overall, Revenge of the Sluts has some important empowering messages and was an engaging read, despite having certain issues when it comes to the execution of the actual story. With some tweaking this would have been a higher rated read, but I do believe it's an important addition to the Y/A Contemporary genre and feel like readers will be able to relate and connect with themes in the story.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Revenge of the Sluts was pretty interesting. In a world of double standards.. oh wait, we live in that world currently. Scratch that. Whether we've lived through this or knew someone that went through it, this book revolved around compromising pictures being leaked.

Now me? Never been through this and it didn't happen to anyone that I know of when I was in school. YET, I do know that this happens a lot to celebrities. So, I was trying to picture how they felt when it happened while reading this book.

Honestly, I felt so bad for these girls that were being slut shamed throughout the book. Of course people talk and the people talking were the guys bragging about all the action that they get. Oh man, so many characters made me angry and I just wanted them to be slapped around for a little bit.

The whole mystery part wasn't that hard to solve and trust me - I am a HORRIBLE detective. I will admit that I'm pretty happy that I started to figure everything out before the big reveal. I will also state that I am damn proud that they girls got their revenge. Yeah, it sucked that the whole world basically knew their business but this school sucked ass. It was like they didn't care what the girls were going through.

Don't even get me started on some of the parents either.

Long story short, people suck and if you are sending something private to a loved one - don't share it. Please don't be a dick and talk about it or show other people. It is for your eyes only. Or maybe - don't ask for any compromising photos in general.

An inspiring story of a group standing together for each other! Amazing and moving with a well thought out plot.

2.5 stars

The idea behind this story is great, girls have compromising pictures leaked at school then decide to stand up to their bullies. I love stories where girls are strong and fight against their oppressors. The issue I had was that it didn't feel like the girls fought back that much, I think they had two protests and that's about it. The story focused on reporter Eden as she tried to tell the story and stand up to her principal. I was hoping to see more girls band together, more guys getting what they deserved for sharing nude pictures, more policy changes at school but that didn't really happen.

There's the hint that there could be romance, but nothing comes of it and I was a bit sad. Eden and Atticus would make a good couple, he's a guy who actually stands up to his friends and doesn't let them treat girls like crap. The world needs more good guys like him.

Eden does go through some changes, she realizes that she and other girls don't deserve to be shamed and stands up for her principles. I liked the articles and that she befriended some of the girls who were singled out. The story had good bones, just didn't execute well.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This book... I want it turned into a series. The storyline is gripping and the writing is absolutely captivating. The main character is relatable in her hunt for justice and although this story doesn't seem to follow the conventional 'downfall of the hero' storyline, it still kept me on the edge of my seat.

I think the concept is what makes this book. Revenge porn happens all over the country but to read a full-length novel about it and not just a short newspaper article about it is something else--the take on why the perpetrator did it as well is something I never thought about. This book has definitely left me with some things to think about and how sex is written about in our culture.

The characterization is great without needing too much of a romance element. I would deffo recommend this to everyone!

Perfect for fans of Karen M McManus

I received this as an ARC on netgalley and read it in one sitting. This book has the perfect balance of mystery, friendship, romance, scandal and much more. The author addresses many different high school experiences and deals with them brilliantly and respectively. The characters are well-developed and the storyline/plot is written very effectively. This book is perfect for raising awareness of issues like revenge porn and slut shaming and may become a great form of support for people who have been a victim of these things. A brilliant book as a whole. I will definitely be recommending this to other people.

This book was incredible. It was so important and I think everyone needs to read it. Eden was such an amazing journalist and I thoroughly enjoyed the way she moved from just wanting an article to truly wanting justice for the girls. Something that hurt me deeply was to see Sloane go from such a character to truly broken once the video was sent.

The book was fast paced and there wasn’t a single moment when I want invested in the plot. I also appreciated that the potential romance was only a small subplot and did not affect the journey to justice for the girls.

I want to thank Natalie Walton for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. Revenge of the Sluts covers especially important unspoken topics it covers schools caring more about their reputation then their students, sexual harassment and cyber bullying. I have never seen such a beautifully written mystery/contemporary while also covering some of the most difficult subjects that are not covered and discussed as much as they should be. Natalie Walton makes sure to highlight just how important these topics are .A huge plus for me is the fact that this has little to no romance. Romance usually takes away from the point and the fact that this book does not spend time on romance and rather on characters fighting for their voice, rights and justice. I truly believe that this book will do a lot of good it sends teens/young adults the message that this is not okay. It teaches us how to fight speak and it also highlights the psychological part of all of it while being beautiful intertwined into a mystery with a plot that you won’t see coming. In a short summery this book is truly revolutionary.
you can find my goodreads review under Azra Benic and the tik tok also under Azra Benic

"The video felt inherently sinister and I felt dirty watching something so exploitative".

This is such a strong and powerful book (girl power whoot whoot) about giving power to the girls labeled "sluts" and all the other girls in between. This is a young adult book but there is nothing juvenile about the topics - sexual abuse, pornography, double standards, censorship & more.

The story follows the story of St. Joes senior girls, specifically Eden the school reporter, in a huge sexual misconduct scandal: nudes of girls are sent around the entire school. This is a mystery to find out who did it and why. Facing many real problems about slut-shaming and "the system" in between.

This is Natalie Walton's debut novel and I am very impressed. I was immediately captivated and could not put this book down! I love her writing style and was wrapped up into this story and her powerful characters. Characters that had depth and real relationships not the "trope-y" characters you can sometimes get with YA. Overall this was a really fantastic novel which I really enjoyed. I did feel like the ending fell a bit flat and was resolved a tad too quickly but it's ok.

* I recieved an arc in exchange for my honest review*.

I really enjoyed this - looking at things like victim shaming, revenge “porn”, and the scary realities that come along with living in modern life - EVERYTHING is digital, accessible and no longer private.

I loved the cast of strong, and interesting female characters and their interactions.

I always enjoy a high school whodunnit and this one did not disappoint.

I think fans of Karen M. McManus One Of Us Is Lying would really enjoy this book.

A solid 4 stars and a very promising debut!

This book was absolutely amazing. I honestly wish I had a book like this growing up in high school. There were so many topics that got brushed on while still being a “whodunnit” type of book. Not to mention there is diversity in this which makes it even more awesome. 100% recommend!

What a powerful, relevant story. Revenge Porn. It seems to be the dirty words no one wants to talk about, adults and high school students alike. And too often, we wrong and get mad at the person who is "sending" the photo and don't think about the words like consent and adults and the agreement made when you send them. This book shines a light on this and makes the reader weigh it, like the MC does. You have to grapple with the pain and frustration of the girls who have been betrayed and yet, feel guilty. The adults in their worlds also have to struggle with the appropriate response and what, legally, anyone can do. It was such an eye opening story, one with so much insight into the students and the ever-changing digital world we live in. So well done, I'm really glad I read it.

*ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review*

“We should do private things only with people we trust to keep it private. But why should I have to demand privacy when it should be the natural human response?”

Okay, so this book turned out amazing. Honestly, at one point I felt it dragged a tiny bit, but the end picked it up for me so much I couldn’t not give it 5 stars.

Basically, a mass email goes out to the entire student body with 7 random girls nude photos. Eden, the MC, is a student journalist assigned to help cover the story. Along the way, she learns how important it is for victims to be heard, makes new friends, and helps solve the “mystery” of who sent the email and why.

I think this is an important story for young people to read because we are living in an age where everything has gone digital and can live on the internet. While yes, pieces of the story show the regrets the girls have of sending their photos out, the story as a whole is that the person receiving private pictures should be held responsible for sharing - whether it be for bragging rights or as revenge porn.

The story was fantastic. Read it.