#scandal by Sarah Ockler ~ JeanBookNerd

File Size: 3989 KB
Print Length: 416 pages
Publisher: Simon Pulse (June 17, 2014)
Sold by: Simon and Schuster Digital Sales Inc
Language: English
ASIN: B00FNVSNCI

Praise for #SCANDAL

"A sharp drama about love and friendship that also offers a thoughtful examination of social media." ―Booklist

Gr 9 Up—Despite her reservations, Lucy Vacarro gives in to best friend Ellie's request that she stand in as Cole's prom date, while Ellie is at home sick. Though she'd rather be at home slaying zombies instead of in a poofy dress, Lucy spends a momentous night with Cole, whom she's been secretly in love with for years. The pair shares a few drunken kisses and the next day a picture of their faux pas is posted on Lucy's Facebook, along with photos of her classmates' indiscretions. Now persona non grata, the protagonist is pulled in for cyberbullying counseling and branded a homewrecker. She sets out to clear her name with the help of a quirky group of technophobes, her starlet sister, and the British import school newspaper editor. Preachy at times about the dangers of social media mismanagement and little heavy on the Veronica Mars jokes, this engrossing novel ties together important themes of friendship, celebrity worship, and slut-shaming. Teens will happily tag along as Lucy tries to uncover the identity of not only the true perpetrator, but also who's behind the Gossip Girl-type blogger who collects the high school's scandals. Primary and secondary characters are fully developed; however, readers may find the male lead a little underwhelming. The classic "I'm in love with my best friend's boyfriend" story with a 21st-century twist and lots of heart. —Shelley Diaz, School Library Journal

Lucy’s learned some important lessons from tabloid darling Jayla Heart’s all-too-public blunders: Avoid the spotlight, don’t feed the Internet trolls, and keep your secrets secret. The policy has served Lucy well all through high school, so when her best friend Ellie gets sick before prom and begs her to step in as Cole’s date, she accepts with a smile, silencing about ten different reservations. Like the one where she’d rather stay home shredding online zombies. And the one where she hates playing dress-up. And especially the one where she’s been secretly in love with Cole since the dawn of time.

When Cole surprises her at the after party with a kiss under the stars, it’s everything Lucy has ever dreamed of… and the biggest BFF deal-breaker ever. Despite Cole’s lingering sweetness, Lucy knows they’ll have to ’fess up to Ellie. But before they get the chance, Lucy’s own Facebook profile mysteriously explodes with compromising pics of her and Cole, along with tons of other students’ party indiscretions. Tagged. Liked. And furiously viral.

By Monday morning, Lucy’s been branded a slut, a backstabber, and a narc, mired in a tabloid-worthy scandal just weeks before graduation.

Lucy’s been battling undead masses online long enough to know there’s only one way to survive a disaster of this magnitude: Stand up and fight. Game plan? Uncover and expose the Facebook hacker, win back her best friend’s trust, and graduate with a clean slate.

There’s just one snag—Cole. Turns out Lucy’s not the only one who’s been harboring unrequited love…

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Photo Content from Sarah Ockler

Sarah Ockler is the bestselling author of several books for teens: The Book of Broken Hearts, Bittersweet, Twenty Boy Summer, Fixing Delilah, and the upcoming #scandal. Her books have received numerous accolades, including ALA’s Best Fiction for Young Adults, Girls’ Life Top 100 Must Reads, Indie Next List, Amazon Top Movers and Shakers, and nominations for YALSA Teens’ Top Ten and NPR’s Top 100 Teen Books.

She’s a champion cupcake eater, coffee drinker, tarot enthusiast, night person, and bookworm. When she’s not writing or reading at home in Colorado,Sarah enjoys hugging trees and road-tripping through the country with her husband, Alex. In addition to her website at sarahockler.com, fans can find her on Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook.