Honor Code

by Kiersi Burkhart

Overview

Sam knows how lucky she is to be part of the elite Edwards Academy. As she dreams of getting into Harvard one day, she's willing to do anything to fit in and excel at the private high school. Even if that means enduring hazing, signing up for a sport she hates, and attending the school dance with an upperclassman she barely knows.

But when she learns the high cost of entry, will Sam be willing to bury the worst night of her life in order to "keep the community sacred"? As the line between truth and justice blurs, Sam must find out for herself what honor really means.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781512467369
Publisher:	Lerner Publishing Group
Publication date:	03/01/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	2 MB
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kiersi Burkhart grew up riding horses on the Colorado Front Range. Now she resides in Wyoming with her best friend, her dog, writing fiction for children of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

"[A] credible look at rape culture, private school societies, and what it takes for a female victim to have her voice heard. It is an excellent purchase choice for libraries that work with high school teens."—VOYA

From the Publisher

12/01/2017
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

School Library Journal

2017-11-22
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)

Kirkus Reviews