All it takes is one spark to start a blaze and The Rumor Game reveals just how fast – and how far – the fire can travel.
Bryn Colburn, Cora Davidson and Jashan “Georgie” Khalra are students at Foxham Prep, a posh private school for the children of DC’s elite. Nobody knows better than Bryn that a single rumor can change the course of one’s life. She used to have it all – the popular boyfriend, a bright future in politics and fashionable friends, thanks to her best friend and cheer captain Cora. Then one mistake sparked a scandal that burned it all to the ground. School has started anew for the year and the spotlight has now shifted to geeky-but-reinvented Georgie, fresh back from a summer makeover and constantly turning heads. When a rumor ignites, Georgie climbs the social ladder at rapid speed, becoming the most popular albeit controversial girl at school, pitting her against Cora. It grants her Foxham stardom… while also making her a target.
As various rumors grow and morph, blazing like wildfire across social media, the three girls’ lives begin to spiral in ways none of them can control. One mystery person close to the drama has the power to stop the gossip and put an end to the ongoing damage, but do they even want to?
The Rumor Game is a fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, young adult social thriller. Written by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra, authors of the Tiny Pretty Things duology (now a Netflix series), the story explores bullying and cyberbullying, sexual abuse, assault, weight loss, body image and fatphobia, and racism. It sheds light on one of the most formative periods in a young person’s life – high school. It unravels the power of secrets, whispers, passed notes, party invites, school politics, and reveals how gossip – which can start out as seemingly trivial, throw-away conversations or even blatant lies in the beginning – can have real and destructive consequences which make everyone question everything.
This book is extremely well-written from language, style, formatting and thematic standpoints. The language is simple and straight-to-the-point which makes getting swept up in the story easy. Readers will impatiently want to uncover more of the story in an eager attempt to obtain the elusive “truth” behind it all. The style and formatting is brilliant. Not only are the chapters broken down into first person accounts from Bryn’s, Cora’s, and Georgie’s perspectives, but parts of the book are written in different styles: newspaper articles, social media follower counts, the dreaded social media “Comments” sections, online polls, text messages, emails, party invitations, post-it notes, dictionary definitions, and even police reports and legal statements.
While the cover of the book is striking in both color and layout, the text message bubbles on the front did deter me initially and made me question whether this would be just another cheesy teen drama. This book transcends trivial teen drama and digs deep. The writing, story trajectory and hard-learned lessons therein are communicated in a powerful, sophisticated, and captivating way. The mystery of who is fanning the flames behind the blazing rumors is revealed slowly and thoughtfully; taking the time to encourage readers to meaningfully reflect on truth, lies and justice.
I recommend this book to all young readers, though some events encountered may be triggering. Approach with care and do not hesitate to seek help by talking to someone you trust and/or by consulting the resources listed at the back of the book (also listed below) if you ever feel like you are in a situation like Georgie, Cora or Bryn.
Resources
National Sexual Violence Resource Center – www.nsvrc.com
RAINN – www.rainn.org
RAINN’S National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or hotline.rainn.org/online
The Body Is Not An Apology – www.thebodyisnotanapology.com
The Rumor Game was released on March 1st, 2022.