Will no longer be reading or reviewing this book due to lack of interest in the title, and the fact that the title has been archived.

I enjoyed this book's cuteness, fluffiness and cruelness from the very beginning till the last page.
It was one of those books that make you excited to go home so you could read.
Oh, I've been secretly reading it at work, for God's sake!
And according to this site only 17 other people did too.

So there's not really much to say other then:
If you know Mean Girls by heart and been hoping to come across a story that resembles it by entrainment level and quality, GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS NOVEL and thank me later.

A good read! I have never read Alex Everwood but after this I would definitely read more in the future.

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Something for lovers of Pretty Little Liars and the new Dynasty.

Not my usual type of story, I generally prefer darker reads but it was a good, quick read!

I had a hard time getting into this book and ended up only reading about 1/4 of the way into it.
It wasn't anything wrong with the book, I thought the writing itself was lovely, I'm just not so fond of all the college slang and I don't understand a lot about sororities either so I found it hard to follow along.

I hate leaving bad reviews and I usually don't. It's rare that I don't like a book even a little bit and its even more rare that I don't finish a book. With that being said, I got good part way through this book and I couldn't keep reading. I kept hoping it'd catch my interest but nothing. I feel like it was all over the place and a bit confusing. I had a hard time seeing the storyline.

This book was exactly what I was needing when I went through a rough reading slump. It felt like a Mean Girls meets Gossip girl, but in a college setting. This book was funny, cute and somewhat realistic when depicting Freshman year of college. If you are wanting to get your hands on a great guilty pleasure read, be sure to check out this one.

I personally did not enjoy this book. I thought there was very little character development involved throughout the story, so I did not get into reading it at all. It did remind me a lot of Gossip Girl meets Mean girls, so there will be teens out there who will love it. Katie was overall the character I related the most with in the end.

"Schöne Geschichte über das Erwachsenwerden und seinen Weg finden"
Katie, Jill, Helen, und Beatrice sind neu am Somerville College und müssen nun ihr erstes Jahr als Studienanfänger (freshman) bestehen. Katie möchte Journalistin werden; sie ist ein eher stiller, in sich gekehrter Typ, aber wohl sehr talentiert. Direkt am ersten Tag begegnet sie Brandon, der sehr hilfsbereit und herzlich für sie da ist. Er hat ein Stipendium bekommen, das aber längst nicht alle Kosten deckt, so dass er nebenher noch diverse Jobs hat. Katies Studium wird hingegen von ihrer Tante finanziert, unter der Bedingung, dass sie sich einer bestimmten Studentinnenvereinigung (sorority) anschließen muss. Das ist ihr zuwider, aber als ihre neue Freundin Jill mit Katies alter Feindin Beatrice aneinander gerät - und Jill ist quasi besessen, einer bestimmten Vereinigung beitreten zu können - setzt Katie alle Hebel in Bewegung um mit Jill in „ihrer“ Vereinigung aufgenommen zu werden. So rufen sie z.B. anonym eine inoffizielle Klatsch-Internetseite („Talk of Shame“) ins Leben, um ihre Gegner in Verruf zu bringen… Dies zieht natürlich einiges an Konsequenzen nach sich. Aber auch in der Bewerbungsphase um die Studentinnenvereinigung müssen die jungen Frauen zeigen, aus welchem Holz sie geschnitzt sind. Romantische Verwicklungen gibt es zwar auch, aber diese stehen in diesem Buch eher im Hintergrund. Wichtiger sind die Freundschaft zwischen der stillen Katie, der überschwänglichen Jill und der ausgleichenden Helen, sowie deren persönliche Entwicklung. Insbesondere stellt sich Katie nach „Talk of Shame“ die Frage, ob ihr bisher konsequent verfolgte Weg, Journalistin zu werden, wirklich der richtige für sie ist und worauf es im Leben ankommt. Ich mochte besonders Katie, Helen und Brandon. Jill war mir teilweise etwas zu aufgekratzt, aber sie ist durchaus liebenswürdig und passt gut in die Runde der Freundinnen.
„Talk of Shame“ ist eine schöne Geschichte über Freundschaft, das Erwachsenwerden, seinen Weg zu finden und sich durch einen Neuanfang - hier das erste Studienjahr - zu kämpfen, Vertrauen zu neuen Freunden zu finden und Vergangenes hinter sich zu lassen. Dass die Romantik hier im Hintergrund steht, hat mir zwar einerseits gut gefallen, andererseits hätte ich aber gerne etwas über die weitere Entwicklung zwischen Katie und Brandon gelesen.

I had high hopes for this book - I loved the concept behind it, college/with a scandal gossip app, your classic guilty pleasure. However I felt this book didn't live up to what I had hoped for. Firstly I thought it was an okay read, hence the 3 stars, but it left me wanting more. Issues were created and resolved just as quick, and the 'Talk of shame app' was only up and running for 3 chapters or so, which was the whole point of the novel. Maybe because I was expecting such a gossip girl - vibe, with gossip and scandal throughout that I was let down. I also thought it ended a bit abruptly. On a side note, I thought the characters were pleasant, and it had potential good points. It was an okay read.

I really didn't know if I was going to like Talk of Shame, but I loved it. The characters are fun to get to know and they are likable. I liked how it didn't end up being a love story book and was a true book about freshman year in college and the friends you make. You have the sorority obsessed, the drunks, the nerd and so many more personas that you meet that you encounter in your time in college. I will say that one thing I didnt like so much was the fact that there were so many POVs throughout the whole story. I like being able to read what each character is thinking but I think it would have been better to have each POV as its own chapter and not as part of a chapter. I loved how it talks about Greek life, I go to a school that doesn't have Greek life and being in a sorority has always been dream of mine. So to be able to read a book that talks about being in a sorority and also doesn't bash it was really nice. I would 100% recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fun college age read.

Also, thank you so much to Netgalley for providing me with a free e'ARC to read and review!

Overall this was a fun little book that I would say was just ok. It wasn't great, it wasn't awful, it was just ok. It was a fun, quick read. The story changes narrators throughout and I don't know if it was because I read it in ebook format, but I thought it was difficult at times to remember whose story we were reading. I think it would have read smoother if it had just been told from one person's viewpoint. I also struggled to really connect with any of the characters. It just seemed like something was missing.

Talk of Shame has a feel of Gossip Girl and Mean Girls combined with lots of teenage drama on a high school campus. This is an easy fast-paced read that is a fun guilty pleasure kind of drama.

Great books for teens and young adults. The bullying and shaming in this book were revelant to this Times today. I highly recommend it

Talk of Shame was a fun and fantastic read. It was one of those books you want to bring to the beach or long trips. This book for me has all you need for a fun New Adult - Contemporary.

The story is told from the POV of three freshman girls, who are all rushing sororities. The author did a fantastic job of giving the three girls different personalities and voices, I could always tell who was narrating each part of the story. There is some romance, but I appreciated that the romance was not the main focus of this book and that let the friendships and the drama unfold in a more realistic way. The only thing that I wish was different is the climatic action. I would have liked the "Talk of Shame" plot to come to fruition a bit sooner. I think it would have increased the energy in the book, so we could have more of a dramatic finish. That being said, I loved the ending! It answered all leftover questions and by doing so really hit home with the messages of this book.

Mean Girls meets Gossip Girl and let it exploded. If you’re into teen drama, dreaming of (or remembering) those good ol’ college days, sorority rush periods (including the hazing that may or may not happen) and the feeling that all of it will last forever then you are going to love this book. Everwood captured that time of life, or at least what people imagine it to be, perfectly. I went to a private ‘christian’ college and neither my college days or sorority life were like this so I’m still trying to figure out if I missed out or should be glad, lol.

Let’s face it, sometimes you need that ‘junk food’ book that is for pure entertainment because have you seen the state of the world lately? If you don’t get something to chill out for a few hours and take the stress off you’re going to end up on going viral on social media for threatening people over chicken nuggets. McDonalds is just NOT that good to be flipping out over – read a book, it’ll take the edge off those nugget cravings.

Most of what you think the plot is supposed to be about, that juicy “Talk of Shame” bit seems to be held off to the end and feels like forever to get there only because we all know that is exactly why you picked this to read. But fear not, because she does get there so slow your roll! I think I just dated myself.

Anyways –

I honestly think this kind of story would play out better on the screen than on the pages but that could be because I’ve already been conditioned for these kinds of stories in that media. I even had certain actresses popping up in my head in place of the characters written here. It is the character work that really drives this book, not the storyline you were expecting.

Though she provides a tidy ending to wrap it all up I could still see this being carried on to their Sophomore year and so on.

Sadly, this book turned out to be not for me. I was piqued by the first paragraph. Sadly so far I have only seen one grudge, nothing about the TalkOfShame or bad pictures, and I am at freaking 25% of the book.

I couldn't at all relate or care about the characters. Katie is boring and bland + I just don't see what she sees in Brandon. Jill is nice but wayyyyy to focused on that sorority stuff. Beatrice is just a bitch that needs to see that you can't just say sorry and then expect everyone to praise you and love you.

Plus they have been at that college for a few days now and they haven't even started classes? I am 25% in, and I have only heard about one class (that journalism one), and that is it. Wow.

I am just bored out of my mind, and I expected a whole lot more scandals, romance, dirty secrets. Instead it is just a welcome to college, were we don't do shit except try to make friends.

I have so many thoughts on this book - which typically happens when I greatly enjoy a book. First let me say that I loved the plot that I read on the back of the book. That is absolutely what drew me to this book. The plot throughout the whole book was great! It was fast paced and kept me wanting to turn the page and keep reading. The writing style was great, too. The book is told in the point of view of the three girls and the author does a wonderful job at switching between the various voices the characters would have. Going along with that, the cliff hangers were perfectly placed. And then we revisited that girl or her issue in enough time that I didn't forget about it. It was a nice touch.
As for the things I wasn't so hot about: the characters were pretty much all annoying. I didn't get why Beatrice was a main character and not Helen. Beatrice was also, well, a fairly terrible person with hardly any redeeming qualities that have been shown to me yet. Katie was the most likable of the main characters, but ever she was just kind of eh. She was obsessed (which is fine) with schooling, a self professed introvert (at times), and all around fairly awkward of a person/character to follow. I don't know. Maybe I was over thinking it, but it just seemed conflicting that she was this book worm who *had* to read her textbooks before class even started and was so proud to be a freshman in this awesome journalist's class, but then also seemed totally comfortable around this brand spanking new guy. Who - speaking of - is not worth all of the drama and headache that he was causing Katie. Katie, love, it's college. Go find another cute writer and move on from a guy who doesn't come across as worth it. Jill was obsessed (which was fine) with sorority life, but she had no depth other than wanting to be in a sorority. We never heard why she was obsessed or anything else about her other than she wanted to be an Alpha Chi - or was is a Chi Alpha. I DON'T KNOW because the book swapped back and forth between the two nicknames. Same with Kappa Kappa Theta - are they the Thetas or the Kappas? Curious readers just want to keep it straight. Also, for as obsessed as she was, she should have known that Katie wouldn't get to the top of Kappa Kappa Theta's list by having a great letter of rec. She also would have known enough to get her own super awesome letters from people who actually knew her.
The second issue I had with the book was how Rush/Greek Life was portrayed. I won't go into detail, but just know that that is NOT how sorority rush works, and for a reader who knows that, it does impact how the book is read. The book is authored by a male, which might have something to do with this. I guess I was confused by what the plot was going to be because it didn't seem to get into it until well after halfway through the story. Which was fine. I was pleasantly surprised by that and loved how the plot flowed from one drama to the next and really kept me flipping the page. But the title only comes into play in the last 1/4 of the book and seems so minor to the plot of staying alive until rush.
The third thing I liked/didn't like was the ending. That ending!! Ugh! Please tell me that this is setting up to be a series. That could be the only possible explanation for an ending like that. If that's the case, a brilliant ending. If not, ughhhhh!!! So much more story that could be told here!
Overall, would I recommend this book to a friend? Yes - with the asterisk that this is a book about Greek life that does not accurately portray it (and I say this as a graduate of a *very* Southern university with a huge Greek life). Despite the star next to it, despite the fact that I was not a huge fan of most of the characters that are in this book, the plot was just too good to put down! Seriously! If you're looking for a great plot, quick read that you won't be able to put down. This book is definitely worth your time. Be warned - this is not a typical YA (is it still YA if they're in college? This was def not NA). It is not a romance. It's all about the friendships of 2 of the 3 main characters and one of their roommates. That aspect alone makes it worth it to pick up. Such a refreshing plot/lack-of-plot for a genre known for crush worthy boys and steamy kisses. Great reminder that good girlfriends are just as important (if not more!) as potential boyfriends.
But for real, if this is going to be a series, sign me up!

Great story of freshman preparing and going through rush at university, with the stress and pressure of settling in to university life.

The book gives a nod to gossip girl with cosy similarities in some themes. The book gives solid grounding for a series that would lend itself to a tv series with lots of future scandal and drama waiting to be written