The Rumor Game
Intense story about the damage caused by cyberbullying.
Kids say
Based on 1 review
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Rumor Game is by Dhonielle Clayton and Sonia Charaipotra, authors of Tiny Pretty Things, which became a Netflix series. The story is set at an elite private school in Washington, D.C., where cyberbullying, "slut-shaming," gossip, nasty rumors, and drinking are a constant in the lives of its students. Student body president Bryn Colburn is facing a recall election after causing a car crash that injured her best friend Cora Davidson's boyfriend. Jashan "Georgie" Khalra returns after a summer at a weight loss camp and finds that her new look has brought not just unexpected popularity but also online accusations that she's a "slut' trying to steal Cora's boyfriend. The school year has just begun when the girls become targets of vicious and out-of- control campaigns of cyberbullying and gossip they seem powerless to stop. Teens regularly drink and get drunk, and a girl is raped after unknowingly eating pot brownies at a party. Girls are regularly called "hoes", "sluts," and "bitches" online. There's a very brief scene of two teens having sex ("his weight heavy on me as his body envelops me") and lots of profanity ("f--k," "s--t," "a--hole," and "bitch"). Bryn is White, Cora is Black, and Georgie's family is from India.
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What's the Story?
THE RUMOR GAME is told in the voices of three girls who attend Washington, D.C.'s elite Foxham Preparatory Academy. Student Body President Bryn Colburn is in danger of losing her presidency after accidentally (or on purpose depending on who you talk to) running a red light and crashing into a car driven by her ex-boyfriend Jace, injuring him and his passengers. One of those passenger was Baez, the son of a Nigerian diplomat and boyfriend of cheerleading captain Cora Davidson, Bryn's best friend. Or she was until the accident. Jashan "Georgie" Khalra, spent the summer at a weight loss camp and returns to school to find she's suddenly become "exotic," beautiful, and popular. But the transformation also makes her the subject of rumors she's a "slut' trying to steal Baez from Cora. As the cyberbullying and slut-shaming intensifies, Bryn decides to launch an anti-cyberbullying at school. It helps shine a light on the problem at Foxham, but doesn't do much to slow down the campaigns of hate directed at Georgie or the threats directed toward Bryn. Who's behind the most vicious attacks?
Is It Any Good?
This emotional rollercoaster of a story about teens caught up in a vicious cycle of cyberbullying has powerful storylines about friendship, family secrets, and body image. While The Rumor Game does offer a strong and important message about the trauma caused by bullying, some readers may be disturbed or overwhelmed by the intensity and sheer volume of cyberbullying and slut-shaming in the storyline and dozens of text messages that appear throughout the text.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the cyberbullying in The Rumor Game. Have you or any of your friends been bullied online?
Bryn starts an anti-cyberbullying campaign at her high school. Would a campaign like that would be effective in your school?
What part do you think social media platforms play in spreading false and hurtful rumors? Should platforms shut down accounts that bully someone or spread inaccurate information?
Book Details
- Authors: Dhonielle Clayton, Sonia Charaipotra
- Genre: Coming of Age
- Topics: Activism, Friendship, High School
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
- Publication date: March 1, 2022
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 471
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: June 1, 2022
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For kids who love tales of body image and cyberbullying
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