Izzy is certain that the whole thing will blow over and she can get back to worrying about how she doesn’t reciprocate her best friend Danny’s feelings for her and wondering how she is ever going to find a way out of their small town. Only it doesn’t. And while she’s used to laughing her way out of any situation, as she finds herself first the center of high school gossip, and then in the middle of a national scandal, it is hard even for her to find humor in the situation. Izzy may be determined to not let anyone else define who she is, but that proves easier said than done when it seems like everyone has something to say about her. (Pub Date: Jun 11, 2019)
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Edelweiss. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
An intake on bullying and revenge porn and above all that, how not to react to it.
Izzy's life is turned upside down when a video of her and a boy having sex in a yard is uploaded to the internet on a site created exactly to defame her. And now everyone wants to express how much of a whore she's always been. Things escalate when the case is used on a politician's slut-shaming platform she's completely against and now the whole country has seen her naked and worse: has an opinion (against her).
This took too damn long to start. I was around 20% in and about to give up for the last 15 when it all finally happened. I don't usually mind that much because I love YA's, I love seeing their lives, remembering my own... But Izzy isn't someone easy to like. She speaks like she's out of Gilmore Girls meet post-grad class on feminism, which didn't make her either relatable or credible. I know it was on purpose to make her unapologetic, I like that's her trait, that it takes a lot to actually bring her down, that's an upside of this book—it's not 90% moping. But I still think she didn't sound like a teenager, nor did most of her initial talks with her best friend. It all added up to my aversion, unfortunately. But I'm definitely glad I stuck long enough for the video story to happen and then whatever Izzy.
As you can see I really didn't like it as much as most of the readers have but I did grow fond eventually. I think it's an incredibly valid discussion and Izzy's personality I complained so much about was key to show how that can affect anyone, even someone so centered, so empowered as Izzy proves to be.
But there was something that bothered me forever. I understand Izzy wasn't a minor but all that would still be basis for a suit and they never pursued it. So after I got over my issue with her I felt frustrated they never tried to take it to the courts, so many reporters in contact with her and no lawyer showed up? I was curious to see how that would play in the legal system (guessing it would still not end well).
Summing up, a great book to discuss slut-shaming (much more than the big issue that revenge porn is, since we don't even know whose revenge that porn comes from for most of the book) and the importance of having a good support, which Izzy fortunately had in her grandmother and her drama teacher but not in places she'd expected to have. It's a complex story and a definite rec for older teens interested in social issues. Just be warned it takes long to get into it all.
Rating: 3 out 5.
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