The Rumor Game was an intense read as it detailed how easy and deadly it is for rumors to spiral out of control and damage lives. The book centers on three girls: Bryn, Cora, and Georgie. Georgie was by far my favorite since it was easy to connect with her and her struggles. Cora and Bryn, not so much, though Cora was redeemable in the third and fourth portions. This was a very powerful read that held a lot of tension as the story unfolded. Thank you NetGalley for an ARC.

The Rumor Game follows three Foxham Prep students as they navigate high school and differing sides of rumors and the damage they cause. Bryn used to be popular, but one mistake changed everything and she would do anything to have her old life back. Georgie is Bryn's new friend, and soon finds herself at the center of some pretty awful rumors. Cora is Bryn's former best friend, and is dealing with damage caused by both Bryn and Georgie's situation.

I am a big fan of the Tiny Pretty Things series, and found The Rumor Game to have a lot of the same strong elements as the authors' prior books. The style of the book helped drive the story, with POVs from all three girls mixed with social media posts and a running list of the rumor mill. The book shows how one spark can really set off a huge amount of flames, and there are several points where the book is hard to put down. Many of the events that happen in this book are geared towards difficult scenarios that teens can encounter, and it can make reading it pretty heavy at times. I found The Rumor Game to be an engaging and relevant book, and fans of YA books with dark twists should check this one out. 4.5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and Disney Publishing Worldwide for this ARC; this is my honest and voluntary review.

It was a good story but there were formatting issues on the kindle. It was a bit messed up since it used to come on different pages and stuff.

Trigger warning: Sexual Assault mentioned briefly in review.

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Wow, I can honestly say that this is one of the most incredibly put together stories I’ve ever read. It’s honest, raw, and the characters are fierce. If you could combine Gossip Girl with today’s technology and dependence on social media, this is what you’d what you’d get.
Georgia, Bryn, Cora, and all of the characters throughout this story showcase perfectly what it’s like to live in a world where rumors aren’t black and white. There are at least three sides to every story, and the chapters of this book perfect showcasing that. Growing up is uncomfortable. It’s scary and awkward, exhilarating at times. The Rumor Game shows how easy it is to simply listen in on gossip and still be part of the explosion of those targeted.
I can’t brag enough on how incredible of a read this book was. I hope that when others read it, they really keep the contents of it with them and use it to encourage more genuine kindness. I hope the chapters in the book remind people that they’re not alone.
Life can tough, people can be cruel, and it’s important you rely on those around you when situations become dangerous, if you safely can. Sexual predators lurk around every corner. They’re not always old creeps hiding behind a computer screen and more often than not there’s a sense of entitlement alerting them that they’re doing nothing wrong. The Rumor Game touches on that situation brilliantly, and I’m sure it’ll tug at your heart just as much as it tugged on mine.

I liked the overall plot of the story but the characters felt really hard to connect to. A lot of the problems seemed a bit superficial and the character development didn't feel very deep until much later in the story. As a character driven reader, this made the beginning of this book tough. I will say that some of the mystery elements were well executed and that teen readers will probably enjoy the story.

I have mixed feelings about this book, in some ways it felt like two different books that weren't integrated, high school students, a diverse group racially but not economically and much of their concerns were superficial and dealing with the problem of rumors and gossip and then the book took an uglier turn, it was billed as a thriller but wasn't really. By the end, I cared about some of the characters but it took a lot of the book to get there

One rumor can make or break your life and social status when you are in high school.

This book was engaging and kept me reading until the end, in one sitting!

I cannot say that I loved this book but the premise was intriguing. I did not enjoy the follow-through and how the book ended but it was a great idea with great intrigue.

I had a lot of fun reading this book, it was what I wanted from a young adult novel, and I enjoyed the way the authors wrote the book. The characters were great and I was really hooked in the high school politics of the book. It was a well written high school novel.

This was pretty good, but there were some aspects which weakened my overall enjoyment.

First, the good:
~ the multi-POV made this a quick and easy read
~ the multi-POV also gave some good insights into many of the characters
~ the diversity seemed pretty realistic compared to real life
~ the situation (ie, the prevalence and power of rumors) certainly seems true to life (sadly)

Now for the aspects which weren't as strong:
~ None of the characters were overly likeable. Georgie was the closest, but even she was not really someone I'd want to spend that much time around. (I will add, however, that I liked her therapist and felt like she had some very wise things to say throughout the book.)
~ I didn't really understand the climax/resolution. [It seemed to me that Brynn was trying to make amends. She didn't exactly go about it the best way, per se, but I felt like Cora's reaction was a little OTT. At the same time, it frustrated me a little that we never really saw why Brynn and Baez didn't get along (at least, I didn't have a good handle on it).]
~ There was too much stupidity. I get that teens make dumb decisions (all the time), but man, these kids couldn't find a wise thought to save their souls. It just made it a little one dimensional, imo.

So it was pretty good and realistic in many ways, but it was also annoying. On the plus side (and as an ending note), the writing was pretty strong throughout, and I certainly was never bored.

This is an important book. A must read for middle and high schoolers and their parents. Bullying, racism and slut shaming are prevalent not only in schools, but throughout society. Perfect for fans of 13 Reasons Why. Unflinching and raw, this would make a relevant and impactful Netflix movie or series.

I enjoyed this book about the very worst of high school/prep school drama. Between Bryn, Cora, and Georgie, the reader gets some of the absolute worst and most uncomfortable situations possible! I definitely think this is more for high schoolers than the 7th graders I teach, but I will recommend it to some of my former students for sure!

Disney Publishing Worldwide, Hyperion.....
Thank you so much for this approved eARC!

I was thrilled when I seen The Rumor Game by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra on my NG shelf!
These two are such amazing authors and add the two together.... Dynamite Due!

I can't express enough how much I truly enjoyed this book!
It explores bullying, cyber bullying, racism, body shaming and much much more!
The writing was phenomenal and it seriously made me sit back and think about our kids today!
We are raising them in this crazy messed up world where kids are so mean and cruel.... It's really sad!
Are we as parents making sure we aren't raising little asses?
I know I'm trying my best not to!

This was such a great book.and it made me open my eyes even wider!
The story was awesome and they couldn't have done a better job if the two tried.
I was hooked within the first couple pages and raced through it like my life depended on.
The characters were done so well.... And very realistic to what's happening in today's society!
I loved it and can't wait to see more from these two!
🌟🌟🌟🌟.5

Thank you again Publisher, NetGalley and Authors for this phenomenal ebook copy!
I will come back and post/cross post to my platforms closer to pub date!

I wanted to love this book so much. A dark academic setting full of rumors? My kind of book. In parts, I found the plot incredibly predictable and the characters hard to like. Baez and Riley were my favorites, but all of the girls were just... meh. The writing style, however, really made the novel - it was captivating. I also loved the multimedia elements. I wouldn't say that I won't read a sequel since I love this author, but I'd be content not to see these characters again.

I wanted so badly to love this book. A dark academia setting filled with rumors? That's so my speed. At times the plot felt really predictable and I struggled to like the main characters. I loved Baez and Riley, but all of the girls in this story were just... ugh. The writing style really redeemed the novel though - it was compulsively readable. They also incorporated multimedia, which y'all know I'm a sucker for. So it's not to say that I wouldn't be down to read a sequel because I love this author combination, but I'd be happy not to see these characters again.

*Thank you to Disney Hyperion and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review*

***Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a complimentary copy of THE RUMOR GAME by Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra in exchange for my honest review.***

After the wildly successful TINY PRETTY THINGS duology Dhonielle Clayton and Sona Charaipotra have reunited to co-write THE RUMOR GAME, a standalone novel with equally compelling characters and plot.

Told from the points of view of three senior girls at an elite Washington DC prep school THE RUMOR GAME is a compelling look at how lies, manipulation, bullying and relationships can go very wrong. Class president Bryn’s end of summer tantrum has grown in size and scope due to cyber rumors. Georgie, her next door neighbor came back from fat camp ready to shed her wallflower image though still carrying body issues. Head cheerleader Cora, no longer speaking to her ex BFF Bryn, doesn’t measure up to her twin’s stellar academic prowess, the only thing that matters to their parents.

Books like THE RUMOR GAME confirm to me that I’m so glad I grew up pre-internet. The pressure these privileged kids face is real, their parents’ expectations crushing as they navigate senior year and their social lives. Clayton and Charaipotra do a great job weaving the nuances of characters from different ethnicities, their similarities and differences with themes universal to most teens in this fast paced book.

Librarians ought to order extra copies of THE RUMOR GAME as teens will be lining up to read.

Sort of like gossip girl for DC! As a Washingtonian I absolutely love this book. I grew up in this area so it really resonated with me. This book is incredibly fun and scandalous.

So. Much. Drama. Or,really, no drama except made up stuff (gossip) that everyone acts like is the end of the world kind of stuff. Cringey to read at times. There is no game involved, so the title is deceiving. And the main character is completely unlikable. I had a hard time finishing this one.

Rumour Game was about the trials and tribulations of high school. Honestly I had trouble getting into this book. I just could not connect with the characters. To be honest they all annoyed me. Maybe that means the author did a good job of capturing the personalities of these teens? The scheming and drama just didn’t pull me in.

Yikes...this book was not great. To be fair, I didn't enjoy Tiny Pretty Things either, so maybe this style of writing just isn't for me. I'm okay with reading unlikable characters and girls with edge, but this was just cliche after cliche after cliche. I started skimming at 15% and dragged myself through the rest of the book. I don't feel like I missed much, even if I did flip ahead a few pages. I did appreciate that the characters represented several different cultures, but I could have lived without the "a guy like this wouldn't date a girl like me" (meaning formerly fat and awkward) and "Exotic. Black girls like me don't get called that." It was too easy to figure out the pot-stirrer and it made the characters who struggled to figure it out seem a little dense, despite the fact that they were portrayed to be the super smart, on-to-the-ivy-leagues type. The plot was a little tiring and didn't seem to work that well. It was like the authors were trying to have both, "let us tell a message to the youths and remind them all to not spread rumors because they can hurt people" and also, "let us write the most backstabbing story in order for you to play guessing games." Just didn't work for me.

Thanks Disney Publishing Worldwide for a copy through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.