I'm a huge fan of the Tiny, Pretty Things duology, so when I saw the authors were teaming up again I was stoked! I felt the authors did a good job tackling the darker side of YA in their previous works, and so expected this one to be heavy but thoughtful. Unfortunately, while well-written, I felt The Rumor Game lacked some of the depth and nuance of their previous novels.

The point of the story is to showcase how out of control social media bullying can be, and how it can spiral so far beyond its original intentions. I appreciated that we had a diverse cast of POV characters, and all of them (especially one of them) could be unreliable narrators and/or just not that likeable- and that's OK! It added realness to the story and reinforced that girls don't have to fit a certain mold to be smart, successful, etc. I think where I struggled, though, was that the vitriol the characters were often spewing- both online and in real life- was so, so incredibly toxic (and over the top, especially toward the end) that I found it a bit emotionally exhausting to read. It felt like Gossip Girl but without the campiness and fun- basically every terrible thing that could happen almost did. There was a LOT of trauma inflicted on the characters (that took place both during and before the course of the novel) and I wish the story had dialed it back a bit and explored a bit more of the serious situations that took place more in depth.

I understand what the book was trying to get across, but I think it was over-saturated and could have benefited by either being a series (so more of the issues could have been explored more in depth) or focusing on a few less things.

Having finally been able to read this book, I actually really enjoyed it. Reminded me of Gossip Girl with a bit of Pretty Little Liars and Secret life of the American teenager with the gossip and everyone trying to hurt the other. This book isn't for the faint of heart but I LOVE the fact that it shares real issues of what teens face on a daily basis. Tanks to netgallery and Disney for the ARC.

Foxham Prep is a posh private school for the children of Washington D.C.'s elite. It's the type of school where rumors run wild and have the power to ruin lives. Bryn used to have the perfect boyfriend, a bring future in politics, and popularity but one mistake leads to her befriending Georgie. Georgie is newly hot after a summer makeover and moves quickly up the school's hierarchy making her instantly popular but also a target for rumors. As the rumors grow and morph, all lives will be affected.

I would give this book a solid 4 stars. The entire book is essentially about teens being terrible to each other. This is not a book that is an easy read - take the trigger warnings seriously because there are quite a number of them to be had. To reiterate, content warnings for the book include bullying/cyberbullying, sexual abuse, sexual assault, weight loss/ED issues, body image, fatphobia, and racism (both in the form of microaggressions and overt displays). While I think the mystery and thriller aspects of the book didn't pan out I do think it does a fantastic job of examining the social pressures that modern teenagers face with social media, online bullying, and the digital rumor mill.

The characters are not likable but they do feel authentic. The cast is diverse with representation from conservative immigrant families, an African-American family, queer kids, and of course a privileged white family.

I received both the audio and galley. The audiobook was fantastic with strong audio performances by Joniece Abbott Pratt, Taylor Meskimen, Deepa Samuel, and Julie Nathanson. The only parts of the audio that were difficult were the social media threads. It was helpful to be able to look at the book copy in Netgally at those times.

I received this and as an eARC to read for free in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Disney Publishing Worldwide, Hyperion for giving me access.

The Rumor Game had all the same vibes as Gossip Girl but with a little less glamor and a lot more diverse characters. — Which I am all for!

This one had me hooked just enough to not put it down. Aside from these characters coming from money, the aspect of rumors/social media/bullying is super relatable.

This is great for those that love a good teen drama like Pretty Little Liars or Gossip Girl.

If you're looking to read Gossip Girl but a little darker, with more diversity, and brought into the 2020s, I think you'll like The Rumor Game! We follow 3 girls: Bryn, who's desperate to get her life back after an accident this summer, Georgie, who's reinventing herself after losing weight over the summer, and Cora, who begins to doubt her boyfriend's loyalty when rumors start to swirl. This story is a mix of drama, trauma, and high school bullshit.

Why you might like this book:
-This book tackles real-world problems like bullying, the effects the internet and social media can have on your reputation, and various social problems like racism, rape culture, and fatphobia. I think many of these are well-handled, especially the fatphobia elements.
-If you are a young adult, this book will especially be relevant for you. For me, now 10 years out of high school, I couldn't connect with many of the themes but I definitely think people currently or recently out of high school would enjoy this book.
-Rich people drama is fun.
-Scenes of sexual assault are well-handled. Dealing with the mixed reactions to being sexually assaulted is well-handled. I also liked the message about how it's okay if you seek charges and if you don't.

Why you might not like this book:
-Many of the messages are a bit heavy-handed and I didn't really vibe with that so much. Also, some of it felt like adults make this seem like a bigger problem than it is. I'll leave that up to real teens though.
-It's pretty long when I don't think it needs to be.
-I think this plot kind of ran away from the writers, because it got a little too messy and complicated for me, in that it made it less believable.

Overall I think the target audience would enjoy this book and I hope it finds its way into their hands!

DNF. Couldn't get into this book, this book just wasn't for me, sadly. Thank you for approving me and I'm sorry I didn't enjoy the book.

Unfortunately wasn't able to get into this one -- the audience is out there for this book and I've enjoyed other books by these authors, but this one just wasn't for me.

This book was really hard to get into. It could of been better had the storyline been more engaging.

Introduction

Bryn, Georgie and Cora are three high school seniors about to find out just how quick rumors spread and spiral out of control, especially in the age of social media.

Bryn made a mistake last summer, and she wants her old life back. It's hard to find her footing again.
Georgie lost weight, and she wants to try on a new personality like she's been trying on new clothes.
Cora thought she had a great relationship, and a great boyfriend, but as rumors fly, is she sure?

Through the good and bad, someone is spreading rumors online about all three of the girls, but who exactly is behind it? Can they figure it out and stop it before all of the girls settle into infamy?

Writing and Characters

I liked all three of the girls and I loved that the authors chose to switch POVs between all three of the girls to make sure that we got a clear view of the interweaving storylines and the rumors surrounding them.

Plot/Pacing

This book moved at a great pace, and there were lots of distinct plot points hit across the way. Also, the authors were great at choosing when to switch POVs so that one side of the story never ran dry.

Social Media/Mixed Media Aspect

I adore when books include other media as storytelling devices. With this book being so social media-centric, the use of screenshots. comments, posts, and emails was extremely effective and made me feel even more immersed in the story than I already would have been.

Themes

There are mature themes in this book, including that of sexual assault, so if that is triggering for you, this novel may not be for you.

Mystery-ish aspect

The discovery of who was feeding the rumor mill new ideas was well done. I didn't figure out who is was absurdly early and everything was tied up and answered by the last page, so I was satisfied.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed this book! I think if you are a fan of books such as One Of Us Is Lying or Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton, I think you would definitely be a fan of this one. Look out for it's release on March 1, 2022 and add it to your Goodreads TBR here!

This book was so much darker than I expected. I could not put it down, because the drama was so much, but I was caught off-guard. I expected it to be levels of outlandish drama along the lines of Pretty Little Liars, Gossip Girl, etc.. This definitely had those levels of drama, but also layers of discussions about anti-fat bias, racism, misogyny, and sexual assault that sometimes made it hard to read, particularly the discussions of Georgie's past experiences and her experiences towards the end of the book. I found the ending unsatisfying, because there was no confrontation scene with Bryn and I felt that plot line was unresolved. There were a lot of really well-done twists and surprises throughout, and I think the multiple POVs was a great choice. Overall, I definitely think this is better than some of the other YA social thrillers I've read, but it was not my personal favorite read.

This book was a lot of fun (full disclosure: I love Clayton's writing and books) - the kind of potato chip you-can't-read-just-one-chapter type of story. Lots of of us will empathize with Georgie (to a point, lol!).

This book had a really interesting synopsis but unfortunately, it fell a little flat for me. Although, this genre may have not been for me, I'm sure it would reach out to others.

Thank you for the opportunity in reading this book.

I truly enjoyed this novel. The story delivered in many forms of media was reflective of the times we live in and kept you engaged with the text. The material was relevant in a way that is unsettling, but it was a story that needs to be told. Tough to digest at times, this is the world our teens are faced with and knowing that there are consequences for one's actions as well as the opportunity for redemption is so important. Thank you to Dhonielle Clayton for attacking the hard stuff head on.

Initial reaction: This was a whole journey of teens being terrible to each other and a steadily unfolding mystery with high stakes, but in a way that I think is meaningful and realistic for what it chooses to explore. The comparisons to "Ace of Spades" and "Tiny Pretty Things" make a lot of sense (of course the latter since the same authors penned this). I followed the characters in this very well and my heart ached for a few of them. Take the trigger warnings seriously, there are quite a bit here and they don't pull punches.

Full review:

"The Rumor Game" is an experience that I'd give a pretty solid 4 stars - immersive, intense, and while I wouldn't say it's necessarily a thriller, it definitely had a driving mystery and emotionally invested moments where you could feel the weight of events for what they were. I received this book as a galley, but I also listened to an audiobook copy of the novel after it was published, so I'm actually rounding this up to about a half-star more because of the strong audio performances by Joniece Abbott Pratt, Taylor Meskimen, Deepa Samuel, and Julie Nathanson.

Granted, this is not a book that is an easy read - take the trigger warnings seriously because there are quite a number of them to be had. To reiterate, content warnings for the book include bullying/cyberbullying, sexual abuse, sexual assault, weight loss/ED issues, body image, fatphobia, and racism (both in the form of microaggressions and overt displays). I do like that there's quite a bit of pushback/emotionally invested dialogue from the characters on these issues, especially when they come up.

This is a stand alone story from both Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipota, authors of the "Tiny Pretty Things" series. I enjoyed that duology for what it offered for the intensely emotional mystery, setting, and the showcase of the cast of characters and their subsequent development through the series, dramatic twists in tow. "The Rumor Game" illuminates yet another competitive environment - Foxham Prep - centering on a group of three very flawed teens embroiled in a rumor scandal that shakes their respective lives in different ways. We have Bryn, former queen bee and political hopeful involved in causing a vehicular accident that put her Student Council presidency on the line, alongside a heavily tarnished reputation. We have Cora, Black cheerleading captain whose social status has improved, but strongly pushed rumors by a mysterious tipster threaten to tarnish her relationships, both with her boyfriend and a new girl. And then there's Georgie (oh Georgie...), an Indian teen who has transformed physically and emotionally with a weight loss journey and tries to strike the balance of navigating those changes while becoming a newfound target for scrutiny.

I think this is a realistic novel to portay the issues of bullying/cyberbullying and how cruel teens can be to each other, though it also has some events that are a little more out there and you can tell it's more for the driving conflict of the novel. Fair point to make: Bryn, Cora, and Georgie alike all are quite flawed characters where their fallibilities are put for full display online and at school. Told in a mixed media format combining prose, simulated text messages, articles, among other features, you follow Bryn, Cora, and Georgie as they navigate past and present events while also trying to determine who might be trying to sabotage their relationships with each other. The answer is a little more closer to home than any of them expect, and the game of trying to add on to the tide of rumors results in some horrible events that spiral out of control as the novel marches to its respective conclusion - revealing all and noting the fallout. I didn't think the consequences of said fallout were evenly handed when it was all said and done, but I did at least appreciate the journey overall.

The novel is a slow-burn in places, establishing the backgrounds of each of the girls and how they navigate some of the bigger conflicts at the center of their lives while also navigating the dialogue spiral the rumors become. I did not expect the twists, did not expect some of the respective players who had their hand in the conflict to be what they were, so it kept me guessing and wanting to find out who had the most to gain and lose. There were times I internally raged at some of the things the characters did, but I also understood emotionally where each of the teens were at the time (Georgie goes through...a lot. Whew. There were times I had to put my book down and re-center with all of her respective body issues and the blows she's dealt with her social reputation.) I think those who are familiar with "Tiny Pretty Things" will see parallels in the kind of dramatic and petty plays the teens make, alongside misunderstandings (*cough* lies, lies, LIES *cough*) the characters engage in.

I think teens will be engaged with this to see what happens and how far it goes, though it falls in line with having moments where its realistic and others are the more drama-style conflict you see in series like PLL, Gossip Girl, Private, etc. I would argue that there aren't as many moments to see the teens really flourish in happier spaces to round them out a little more from the heavier events, but I did like seeing their respective arcs in this.

Overall, I think it was an engaging read and it makes me want to see more collaborations and offerings from both of these authors alike.

Overall score: 4/5 stars.

Unfortunately this one didn't do it for me. I was a huge fan of this author duo's last series but this fell flat. The rumors and stakes never felt big enough and the middle really slogged. It felt like nothing was happening for the longest time, so I ended up quitting on this one sadly.

This was a pretty good book and another hit from the author duo behind Tiny Pretty Things. The characters were all interesting to read about, but Bryn did get a bit insufferable at times. One of the things I enjoyed most about the book was the storytelling through text messages and sticky notes keeping track of the rumours throughout the book. Had that not been included, I would have been much more lost.

WHAT MAKES SOMETHING TRUE?
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I am often grateful, when I look back on my high school and college years, that camera phones took blurry photos, and that social media was completely new. The most damaging thing we could do online was set a passive aggressive, underhandedly inflammatory, away message on AIM. Rumors could still fly around the halls of the high school, or through the dorms in college, but they didn’t take on the same life of their own that they do now with Snapchat, Instagram, and Tik Tok. If you have teenagers in your life, you know how quickly a misunderstanding, or misrepresentation, can be blown out of proportion. The warped version of the story seems to become true to everyone, except the victim, who is left standing on the sidelines trying desperately to convince their community that there is more to the story. And so, teens end up asking themselves: what makes something true? Is it true because it is said by someone influential? Is it true because the majority believes it? Is it true because it is all over social media and/or the Internet? Does the truth need to be backed up by unbiased evidence (sadly, the answer is usually no). The way that rumors seem to become true, and end up ruining lives and reputations, fuels the storyline of Clayton’s and Chariapotra’s The Rumor Game, leaving readers with a realistic view of the challenges and pressures imposed on our teenagers by social media.

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To be clear, I don’t hate social media. It is a great way to keep up with family and friends, since I know they definitely want to see 27 billion pictures of my dogs and my daughter. But, as a former high school teacher and coach, I saw events like those portrayed in The Rumor Game happen with disturbing regularity, just without the glitter of mansions, society functions, and expensive cars. Whether people live in an urban, suburban, or rural area; whether they have wealth or not… none of those things matter when it comes to how rumors can ruin hopes and dreams, and sometimes end in tragedy. I think the authors did an excellent job of depicting the inner struggles teenagers face relating to issues of weight and attractiveness, race, desire, ambition, and the social hierarchy. Topics like sexual abuse, trauma, and self- esteem were treated with care, while still being realistic. I also appreciated that the authors included a list of resources for readers who may be dealing with various types of trauma in their notes at the end of the book, revealing true empathy for their intended audience. This book would be valuable reading for those who work with teens, and for parents of children of all ages.

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I struggled with assigning a rating to this book. On the one hand, it is timely, and carries a good message. But on the other hand, the main characters were often hard to connect with, and the story stretched on for so long that at times it become convoluted, and ridiculous. Still, as noted above, I think it is a good pick for parents, educators, mental health workers, and the like, who want to understand where kids are coming from when they talk about comments, likes, and mentions, and why those things are so important.

Trigger Warning: sexual abuse, bullying, eating disorders and mental illness.

Ii wanted to like this book. I really did. But it just didn’t add up to what I wanted it to. I’m really disappointed. The writing was good. Based around a bunch of teenagers Navagating love and rumors was a good concept just fell short for me personally

I found it to be such an interesting story that was accurate to the problems teens experience today, even if it was a bit over the top. The over-the-top drama really reminded me of how Gossip Girl grabbed the audience’s attention week after week. All of the characters had lots of layers, and they were still given the same amount of attention, which was really nice to see, as it allowed me to feel like I was getting to know each character. I found each character relatable in one way or another, and I think that was so important in a Young Adult novel. The big twists towards the end are never really completely hidden, as the reader is let in on these secrets fairly early on, which ultimately left me with a feeling of wanting a bit more. I would place more emphasis on the “social” part of “social thriller,” and focus less on the idea of a traditional thriller, and I think I wouldn’t be disappointed. This is my first chance to read Clayton and Charaipotra’s work together and I really enjoyed their work.
Trigger Warnings: (cyber)bullying, sexual abuse & assault, weight loss, body image, fatphobia, racism
Overall Rating: 4/5

So well done! I am a fan of Dhonielle Clayton and I couldn't be more excited that she took on social media with this one.

My teenage students struggle with social media and it effects lives and friendships daily. This book speaks to that as it illustrates just how quickly things can get out of hand online. In a classroom this book will help start hard conversations that students can relate to.