Important book about rumors, social media, influence, power, and assault. Cora, Bryn, Georgie, Jase, and Baez are all seniors at a prestigious Washington, DC academy. When rumors start swirling about Georgie and the boyfriends of the other girls, finding out the truth turns dangerous. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to be an early reader in exchange for my review.

SO good. I could not put it down! The Rumor Game is a compelling read with a real-life lesson on the dangers of unchecked social media for our daily lives. Highly recommend!!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my advanced copy of this book.

The Rumor Game is a well-written book with a multitude of very serious topics. It is not an 'easy' or "light" read whatsoever and I am not sure the plot description sets up the reader for the general tone of the book. It covers a multitude of very serious topics; cyber-bullying, harassment, racism, sexism, sexual assault, body image, self-harm, etc. It is an intriguing read that definitely portrays the severity and consequences of rumors, especially in an era of social media.

Thank you to the publisher, Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this early!

I am soooooo glad I went to high school way before the age of social media. When I was in school a rumor spread the old fashioned way like a game of telephone, it didn’t make them any less painful or hurtful, but social media has changed that game. Now rumors for “viral” and they ruin people’s lives and their futures. Everyone feels comfortable being mean and spreading lies through a computer screen or a phone.
Bryn’s rumor and story has been following her for too long so she knows she has to do something to get her old life and friends back. Georgie is coming back to school 40lbs lighter and enjoying the attention it is getting her. Cora is the queen of the school and in e perfect relationship. But when online rumors begin all three will have their lives changed forever.
An important look at body image, bullying, social media and parental/cultural expectations. There is a lot to unpack in this book.

Bryn, Cora, and Georgie are all seniors at the exclusive Foxham Prep, a school for the children of the political elite. All three have been raised to be the ideal children in their families and make their powerful parents look good.

But Bryn had a very bad summer, which lead to her be essentially blacklisted at school and online. She has gone from the most popular and powerful girl at school to the bottom of every list. She's no longer invited to the best parties and she worries about how she will ever get back to the top.

Georgie is Bryn's next door neighbor and she's had her own change in status since last spring. She went to a "fat camp" over the summer, lost 40 pounds, got a whole new wardrobe, and now is the "IT" girl of the school. She's also gone from unseen and ignored to one of the most talked about girls on social media at their school.

Cora used to be Bryn's best friend before that insane summer, but now she just wants to captain the cheer squad, get ready for college, and spend time with her boyfriend.

These three girls will have a fall semester that they will never forget... and the Internet wouldn't let them forget even if they wanted to.

Final thoughts: The premise and the timeliness of the story are great, but the story itself is a little messy. Bryn is completely unsympathetic as a character, despite occasional efforts to make her seem like she's lost control of things. Cora is ok, but her actions at the end are highly questionable and even a little mean. Georgie is the most sympathetic, but things still aren't quite right there. The online events are completely realistic and sad since people can be so cruel. The offline events get a little weird and unbelievable. Overall, this is probably best avoided.

Rating: 2/5 (maaaayyybbbeeee 2.5)

ARC from NetGalley

This book is filled with twists and turns to keep readers guessing. Very strong theme about social media, society, and bullying that everyone needs to read.