I think I might have liked this more if I read it when I was younger. It feels like something that would have been written around 2010. If you like petty, ridiculous, teenage drama then you might like this.

If you're looking for a book which details the savage world of an elite high school, this is it. The back-biting, distrust, jealousy, and competitiveness displayed by most of the characters is not tempered by the occasional bits of kindness and humility shown by some of them. I deeply felt the urgency and secretiveness shown by both the perpetrators and the victims in the use of social media, and the text and messaging conversations were sadly on-point. And, although the extreme displays of wealth, power, and influence were accurate, it was a bit hard to relate to those characters and automatically made me dislike them. Well written, and a bit frightening to think this is the ruthless world some of our teens inhabit.

I loved the different uses of texting, post its, articles to tell the story, but the articles were all jumbled and difficult to read (not sure if it’s a digital glitch). Found the characters to be unlikeable, although they did have qualities that most high school kids have. I feel like it would have been better if they were normal everyday kids and not ‘Washington Elite.’ I feel like until the end so much of this horrible treatment was promoted and endorsed by all the other kids as well. The message was loud and clear as to how quickly words can gain wind and turn into an inferno.

There's so much I want to say about this book, but let me start with the content warnings. This book may trigger readers who have difficulty with cyber bullying and sexual assault. With that said, I will say there's no on-page sexual assault and the topic is dealt with not only with delicate hands but in exactly the right tone (in my opinion) to convey the horrors and "wrongness" of victim blaming in today's society without being preachy.

Written in third person in the voices of three girls, The Rumor Game opens with "the outcast"--a character who has done something the entire school finds so reprehensible she's not only the focal point of rumors but also of scorn and derision...most of which targets her through social media. The reader is pulled into her world, reading as she reads, the hateful things her former friends and classmates say about her behind the quasi-anonymity of a computer or smartphone buffer.

As the story progresses, we meet the outcast's former best friend and new best friend, both of whom are soon pulled into their own version of cyber bullying hell as rumors about their relationships and characters are passed around on social media like breath mints at a kissing booth.

To get to the bottom of the rumors and who's behind them, the girls will join forces and play their own rumor game--a game that has consequences none of them anticipated. But isn't that the whole problem with social media and the vitriol spewed in quasi anonymity--the very fact we never anticipate the potential consequences?

This book was so well-done, I think it needs to be in every high school library and in the hands of every kid with access to social media. There were moments I gasped out loud, and other moments when I cried. There were characters I enjoyed, and other characters I hated s completely I wanted to crawl into the page and physically hurt them for the complete reprehensible human beings they were. And there's nothing better than a book that evokes these types of strong, honest emotions.

For these reasons, I give this book a solid 5-stars and recommend it to those who enjoy books that make you think and consider perspectives that may not have occurred to you before. Kudos to the authors for a job well done.

(This review will go live on my website on March 1, 2022: http://charmstrongbooks.com/?p=14947)

Sadly, I had to add this one to my DNF list. I still gave it 2 stars because I can see the appeal for some readers (teens especially), but I gave it until the halfway point and still wasn't invested in any of the characters, so I decided to call it quits and move on. I still think this would be a good addition to a high school library though.
This is the story of (mainly) 3 teenage girls from the same school, all dealing with cyberbullying in their own way. It is a timely plot with very realistic situations...slut-shaming, name-calling, etc. The characters are all wealthy and in the elite Washington, DC political circles, which adds an interesting element. This would be great for the right readers.

I liked the concept of this book, but I saw the twists coming, which was disappointing. I will probably purchase this because it fits in with what my students are looking for right now.

If you are craving high school drama and conflict, read this book instead of creating your own. This book is filled with relentless rumors and the fallout that is bound to occur. When the high school drama reaches a level to be reported on in the newspaper, you know it's bad.

In the beginning, I didn't think I would like this book because I was unfamiliar with many of the foods that were mentioned and the lifestyle of many of the characters in the story. There is a blend of several cultures and the characters have family in politics as the book is set in Washington D.C. I am glad that I kept reading. The storyline has a few twists and was unpredictable, without your typical happy ending.

This book releases on March 1st and is a powerful story about the damage social media can do in a school culture. This is a story teens need to read-the damage that rumors can cause often lasts years past high school.

Thank you to the publisher, Disney, and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

At Foxham Prep, an elite high school in Washington DC, rumors can make or break a student’s reputation. It is something that former popular girl Bryn Colburn has been experiencing of late after one horrible mistake has made her a social pariah and even her best friend Cora, the cheer captain, won’t talk to her. But it’s a new school year and the latest interest on the rumor mill is Georgie, Bryn’s next door neighbor, newly returned from weight loss camp and a summer makeover. Georgie finds herself suddenly popular, but that comes at a price, namely, placing her at odds with Cora. Day by day, the rumors grow wilder and more damaging, and with most of the students being the children of politicians and powerful people in the capital, such rumors have heavy repercussions well beyond school networks, and the girls will have to uncover the identity of the person responsible for all their troubles before it’s too late.

I had rather high hopes for this book, but unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it at all. I thought it might be something like Ace of Spades, since dark academia is kind of starting to grow on me, but it was quite different. Despite this book not really being to my taste, it does delve into several important topics that are very relevant in today’s world, from cyberbullying, racism, fat shaming, eating disorders and more, focusing on how one small rumor can grow and change over time, turning into something with the potential to ruin lives. The authors have taken a realistic approach to these issues and the book was narrated, also showing what was happening on social media in that format, really drove in the point.

Most of the characters were remarkably unlikeable and I found it really hard to relate to any of them. In my opinion, neither Bryn nor Cora’s POVs were necessary since showing Georgie’s perspective alone, as the sole innocent victim in the whole mess, would have conveyed the point just as well, and it might have even been more impactful that way.

The mystery aspect of this book wasn’t much of one for the reader at all in my opinion, as it’s revealed relatively early on who is behind all the rumors, and all that was left was to see if they would be caught or not. The drama was also a tad too much – with a premise like this, a little drama is to be expected, but this was just over the top. There was so much focus on the various lavish parties thrown by students and the vicious gossip spreading at each event, and it started to feel repetitive after a while. The bottom line is, that this particular brand of drama wasn’t my favorite, and it was a large part of why I didn’t like this book.

Overall, apart from being a great discussion book, I found this a rather underwhelming read and it just didn’t work for me. Still, it was well written and there were a couple of interesting twists and turns too, which kept me engaged enough to finish reading. This wasn’t my type of book, but if the topics interest you, it might be worth a try.

This is definitely a book I will purchase for my classroom. So many of my students have experienced things similar to this and it will help to have a book that they connect with. It will also be a great book for people who loved Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson.

DNF

I really liked the idea of The Rumor Game. However, I just couldn't immerse myself in it as I had thought and hoped I would. I think it was the format for me that was what kept me from liking it.

I’m always down for some messy drama in book form, and this book definitely delivered. Telling the story through Bryn, Cora, and Georgie’s points of view was a great choice, and the writing really took me back to all the big feelings I had in high school. The plot, dialogue, and setting all felt very realistic to me, and it was fascinating to get caught up in this book for a few hours and watch all the drama unfold. It was also great to have a diverse set of characters, not just a bunch of white kids. Setting it in DC was a great idea! Prayers to the counselors, teachers, and principal at this school, because I could not handle it.
My only note is that the digital format didn’t always work for the social media posts and the news articles. I loved that those were included, and I’m sure the kinks will be worked out in the digital version when it’s published, but I ended up having to skip a few articles because the words were all messed up

2.5, rounded up. This feels a bit like Gossip Girl meets Ace of Spades. It's not particularly original, and it's cruel in the trauma it brings up; I also guessed the twist about 60% of the way through the book. Nevertheless, YA readers who are looking for a dark thriller set in the realm of the wealthy will enjoy the pacing and the dramatic reveals.

Did not finish.

It’s times like this that I wonder if I’ve outgrown the YA genre. I just couldn’t get into The Rumor Game. The storyline was slow and boring for me, and I wasn’t interested enough in the characters to continue and see if it picked up.

None of the characters were particularly likable. Maybe it’s because I’m not a trust fund baby, but I didn’t care about these kids and their rich kids’ problems.

And while I think the message was supposed to be anti-bullying and anti-gossiping, it almost felt like it was glorifying it? So no thanks, Imma gonna pass.

It's not that I thought there was anything particularly bad about this book...it's just that I feel like I've read this story a million times before, Teenagers using social media to hurt each other is a pretty old story, and there was no new angle here. Since the story is so familiar, nothing was that interesting to read about. Maybe this would be more interesting to someone who didn't know any teens.

I read this ARC through NetGalley (Thank you!!) There was a lot I liked about it, and I would definitely put this book in my classroom. The book shows a comprehensive picture of rumors and just how powerful they can be (especially in the age of social media). Not only school appropriate, but the kind of book that students would LOVE to devour, while simultaneously having to think through really serious things like rumors, social media, body image, identity, consent, race, etc. Honestly this book does A LOT of amazing things. However, the ending did feel a little rushed, and sometimes I had trouble suspending my disbelief about certain plot points (there were gossip girl vibes for sure). To me, it feels like a very solid 3.5. I’d definitely put it in my classroom library and recommend it to students!

I was definitely intrigued by this novel because I wasn't sure if I was going to like it at first. I will admit it took me a little longer than most books to get into it but once I did I could not put it down! Definitely a page turner and the ending took me by surprise!

Kids can be so cruel!!!! it read like a tv show, the characters are very relatable even though they the elite, this book kept me guessing, I started it in one day and finished it the next. Social media can seriously ruin anyone, it was a wild ride. Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

With the click of a button, your words fly through the air in seconds, landing wherever you sent them. Comments, pictures, tweets, reviews, replies - they’re all out there for public consumption. And they can ruin your life in a second.

Bryn knows how deep the rumor mill can cut someone at a school like Foxham Prep. Previously popular with a gorgeous, lacrosse playing boyfriend, Bryn had it all. Until an unfortunate car accident and some slashed tires. Now, she’s a social outcast that is constantly ridiculed online and in school.

Georgie has no idea what it’s like to be popular. But a summer at weight loss camp puts her on everyone’s radar after she shows up to the first party of the year 40 pounds lighter and impeccably styled by Bryn. Suddenly she has social media followers! Unfortunately, an innocent encounter with Baez, the most popular girl in school’s boyfriend, has her getting some hate online. But she’ll roll with the punches. I mean, none of it’s true, right?

<i>The Rumor Game</i> could literally be any teenagers worst nightmare. Or current plight. Because the novel is brutally honest about the day-to-day torment and cyber bullying that occurs to thousands of children and teens regularly. As a parent, this would be my worst nightmare for my child, as we see many children and teens take their own lives due to bullying both online and in person. Thankfully, this novel does not include this situation - but there are trigger warnings for sexual assault, child pornography as well as the cyber and in person bullying.

I found this novel to be well thought out, fitting for the audience and hard to put down. 4.5 ⭐️

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was tough to read because of the subject matter. The effect of rumors and social media was really well done. Bryn, Cora, and Georgie were realistic characters. The digital formatting of some of the texts, articles, was a bit off. Well written but not a pleasant.