Honor Code

December 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-When Sam's family drops her off at Edwards Academy, a pricey and exclusive boarding school that could be her ticket to the Ivies, she never expects to be hazed and humiliated with all the other first years in their house by Hayden, the Head Girl, and her posse of prefects. Equally surprising is Hayden's gift: she matches Sam up for the fall mixer with fourth-year Scully Chapman, captain of the polo team. The misery of being new while trying to fit in and be accepted is tempered by Sam's wonderful roommate Grace, who chums around with her and to whom she can complain about the enormous academic workload. Being seen on Scully's arm elates Sam until Grace's hurt feelings and frustrated crush on him create a rift between the girls. Bad to worse: a tutoring session behind closed doors with Scully leaves Sam with ripped clothing and an urge for justice against a sexual predator protected by the elite and venerable institution's honor code. Made up of anonymous Tumblr posts, first-person narration from Sam, and third-person narration from Harper, a rookie reporter from The New York Inspector, this engrossing story is broken into pre- and postattack sections. VERDICT A book to recommend to readers who enjoy relevant gritty issues and don't mind relishing a somewhat predictable plot twist.-Suzanne Gordon, Lanier High School, Sugar Hill, GA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2017
A young woman new to a prestigious boarding school is sexually assaulted by a wealthy, powerful upperclassman.Fifteen-year-old Sam is excited, if apprehensive, to be attending Edwards Academy. Her middle-class background feels a world away from the extreme affluence of her new classmates, and she's relieved to find a good friend in her roommate, Gracie, whose goofy humor and incisive outlook about the school's culture provide much-needed support. From this premise, an explosive, harrowing tale is spun about a school climate that encourages both students and faculty to turn a blind eye to illegal happenings including smoking, hazing rituals, and rape. The novel is told in three acts and weaves together three separate voices: a secret blog, Sam's first-person account, and the third-person narrative of Harper, a reporter Sam eventually contacts in the hope she will expose the secrets at Edwards. The tone and plotting of this contemporary novel runs distinctively toward the thriller form, complete with courtroom drama and a surprise twist. While engrossing, these dramatic elements detract somewhat from the characters and the emotional gravity of the all-too-realistic injustices they face. Sam is white; Gracie's last name, Caleza, suggests a Latina background and she is described as having "topaz"-colored skin; Harper is black.A provocative and mostly compelling look at rape culture and the privilege that protects it. (Thriller. 14-18)

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November 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 Sam Barker is a first-year scholarship student at the boarding school Edwards Academy. She has to get used to new people, old money, and rigorous academics, especially if she wants to get into a top-notch law school. From day one, Sam has trouble fitting in: the older girls in her house subject her to hazing, schoolwork is hard, and the social scene is brutal. Journaling everything on her anonymous Tumblr helps. Sam eventually joins tennis, gets along with her roommate, and goes on a few dates with a cute guy named Scully. But her happiness is shattered when Scully rapes her during what's supposed to be a study session. Afterwards, the novel switches to a dual third-person point of view between Sam and journalist Harper. Through Instagram and in the courtroom, they recount what happened to Sam. Burkhart nails all of the tense, ugly elements of sexual assault and its aftermath, from slut shaming to victim blaming. An intense look at rape on campus, this social media-savvy novel is a must-read.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2019
Scholarship student Sam Barker, fifteen, is determined to succeed at prestigious Edwards Academy and go on to Harvard. Challenging academics and peer hazing make for a rough start, but at least she's friendly with her roommate. When the polo-team captain rapes Sam, the boarding school (per its "Honor Code") seems determined only to "keep this community sacred." A powerful, timely story about sexual assault, privilege, and justice.

(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)