Scan barcode
a_obrien55's review
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
lucymarva's review against another edition
Such a long build up keep feeling like I'm waiting for it to click
thephdivabooks's review
4.0
With social media firmly engrained as a fixture in our society, many issues that already existed are becoming more pervasive. Sarah Vaughan’s novel, Reputation explores these issues in a complex and thought-provoking story about a politician whose personal life becomes public fodder for online warriors looking for a pound of flesh.
The story is set in England and centers around Emma Watson who is a member of Parliament for the Labour Party. Emma was formerly a teacher and was drawn to politics to champion women’s rights and safety. Emma is perpetually in the public eye due to her work, particularly after she works on a bill to strengthen punishment from revenge porn after one of her constituents is a victim of it and takes her own life. Her work on this bill launches a new barrage of threatening letters, stalkers, and online trolls talking about escalating and attacking her personally. The press hound her everywhere she goes. One columnist perpetually degrades her in his publications (ironically the columnist is man who was formerly one of Emma’s professors at university).
Meanwhile her personal life is falling apart. Her husband leaves Emma for a friend and former colleague of Emma's, Caroline. As a single, working mother, Emma has little time for her daughter Flora who lives with her father and Emma’s ex-husband. Emma isn’t the only one being bullied online—Flora has also been the victim of bullying and catfishing from a girl at school. Flora retaliates by sending revenge porn of the girl to a boy at school, leading to a police investigation into the very thing Emma is rallying against.
When a journalist gets word about the story of MP Emma Watson’s own daughter engaging in revenge porn, it seems too good to pass up. Especially since Mike--the journalist--and Emma had previously gone on a date and spent the night together. Emma is desperate to stop the story. This could ruin Flora’s life. But then Mike comes to her house and ends up dead at the bottom of her stairs, putting Emma on trial for murder as well as in the court of public opinion.
The book structure is nonlinear and told from different perspectives. Peppered throughout are online discourse about Emma and her case. Many of the comments are vile, but sadly representative of what we all see online every day. People can be cruel and deeply inappropriate, with nearly no recourse. Except that some people can’t make a mistake and be forgiven, it turns out. A woman’s reputation is so easy to destroy. A single photo publicized online showcasing a regrettable moment—that can become who the public says you are.
The first half of the book is fast-moving and builds context for the inevitable fallout from the journalist’s death. The reader doesn’t find out any of the details of the death until close to the end, when the trial is going on. Until then we see snippets—Mike (the journalist) and Emma having a brief fling, his retaliation after she rejects him, Flora’s bullying at school, her decision in a moment of shame and fury to snap the photo and send it. Her immediate regret.
All of these moments make sense in context. They are understandable, perhaps even forgivable. But seeing them laid out in the courtroom as evidence for or against the murder charges alters them. It’s clear how information can be manipulated, even if it’s true. Despite everything that happens to her, for many who don’t know her, Emma is not a sympathetic figure. She’s beautiful, successful, and confident in her advocacy for women everywhere. But beneath that shiny exterior lies a different side to Emma. Her husband left her for a woman she thought was her friend, her daughter has stopped confiding in her, she’s harassed online daily and sometimes even at her home, she can’t step a toe out of the norm without it making the front page of the paper. Emma is someone who stands up for those who are victims of the patriarchy, but she isn’t given the same grace to be vulnerable.
The ending is gripping and all is revealed. Some things I guessed, others were a surprised. After dedicating her life to supporting other women, will the women in her life return the favor to support her?
A gripping and powerful story. Julie Teal’s performance in the audiobook was outstanding.
Thank you to Atria Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.
The story is set in England and centers around Emma Watson who is a member of Parliament for the Labour Party. Emma was formerly a teacher and was drawn to politics to champion women’s rights and safety. Emma is perpetually in the public eye due to her work, particularly after she works on a bill to strengthen punishment from revenge porn after one of her constituents is a victim of it and takes her own life. Her work on this bill launches a new barrage of threatening letters, stalkers, and online trolls talking about escalating and attacking her personally. The press hound her everywhere she goes. One columnist perpetually degrades her in his publications (ironically the columnist is man who was formerly one of Emma’s professors at university).
Meanwhile her personal life is falling apart. Her husband leaves Emma for a friend and former colleague of Emma's, Caroline. As a single, working mother, Emma has little time for her daughter Flora who lives with her father and Emma’s ex-husband. Emma isn’t the only one being bullied online—Flora has also been the victim of bullying and catfishing from a girl at school. Flora retaliates by sending revenge porn of the girl to a boy at school, leading to a police investigation into the very thing Emma is rallying against.
When a journalist gets word about the story of MP Emma Watson’s own daughter engaging in revenge porn, it seems too good to pass up. Especially since Mike--the journalist--and Emma had previously gone on a date and spent the night together. Emma is desperate to stop the story. This could ruin Flora’s life. But then Mike comes to her house and ends up dead at the bottom of her stairs, putting Emma on trial for murder as well as in the court of public opinion.
The book structure is nonlinear and told from different perspectives. Peppered throughout are online discourse about Emma and her case. Many of the comments are vile, but sadly representative of what we all see online every day. People can be cruel and deeply inappropriate, with nearly no recourse. Except that some people can’t make a mistake and be forgiven, it turns out. A woman’s reputation is so easy to destroy. A single photo publicized online showcasing a regrettable moment—that can become who the public says you are.
The first half of the book is fast-moving and builds context for the inevitable fallout from the journalist’s death. The reader doesn’t find out any of the details of the death until close to the end, when the trial is going on. Until then we see snippets—Mike (the journalist) and Emma having a brief fling, his retaliation after she rejects him, Flora’s bullying at school, her decision in a moment of shame and fury to snap the photo and send it. Her immediate regret.
All of these moments make sense in context. They are understandable, perhaps even forgivable. But seeing them laid out in the courtroom as evidence for or against the murder charges alters them. It’s clear how information can be manipulated, even if it’s true. Despite everything that happens to her, for many who don’t know her, Emma is not a sympathetic figure. She’s beautiful, successful, and confident in her advocacy for women everywhere. But beneath that shiny exterior lies a different side to Emma. Her husband left her for a woman she thought was her friend, her daughter has stopped confiding in her, she’s harassed online daily and sometimes even at her home, she can’t step a toe out of the norm without it making the front page of the paper. Emma is someone who stands up for those who are victims of the patriarchy, but she isn’t given the same grace to be vulnerable.
The ending is gripping and all is revealed. Some things I guessed, others were a surprised. After dedicating her life to supporting other women, will the women in her life return the favor to support her?
A gripping and powerful story. Julie Teal’s performance in the audiobook was outstanding.
Thank you to Atria Books for my copy. Opinions are my own.
ahomelibrary's review
3.0
Book Review — Reputation by Sarah Vaughan (2022, Atria Books)
Note: I won a review copy from a Goodreads raffle. Thank you to GR + publisher.
Categories: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Suspense, Crime
Topics: Politics (UK), revenge p* and victims’ experiences, motherhood, cyber crimes
Summary: The bestselling author of “Anatomy of a Scandal” returns with a psychological thriller about a politician whose personal life + preteen’s costly mistake is thrust into the spotlight when a body is discovered in her home.
Emma is the main POV character. She’s a divorced British MP with a preteen daughter, Flora. The story follows her experience as a female MP facing online abuse, especially after gaining attention from a poorly received interview + championing policy change after a constituent was the victim of revenge p (don’t want to get flagged).
Meanwhile, her preteen daughter is also facing bullying and online abuse from her schoolmates. She retaliates and crosses a legal line; her actions may become a public scandal. It’s when a journalist is found dead in her mom’s home that the cost of protecting a reputation is calculated. The story then moves into a courtroom setting.
My thoughts: I thought this would be right up my alley being a UK politics thriller. I think it would’ve been better as a miniseries. Its underpinnings are interesting and timely: 1) more personal cyber crime (bullying etc) is hard to prevent or prosecute uniformly and policy, or its implementation/understanding, doesn’t often match the modernity of the issues and 2) the poor experiences of MPs online have recently been highlighted by high profile politicians receiving threats and even being killed.
The execution wasn’t the best for me. I’d describe this as a domestic/political drama before a thriller. I felt like this was someone’s first book but it clearly isn’t, as the author has a hit one which I still fully intend to read and watch. There’s a lot of repetition + some things feel shoehorned into a plot that comes across paranoid rather than suspenseful. Yet, at the end of the day, I think it is still a decent attempt to shed light on tangible issues.
Note: I won a review copy from a Goodreads raffle. Thank you to GR + publisher.
Categories: Psychological Thriller, Political Thriller, Suspense, Crime
Topics: Politics (UK), revenge p* and victims’ experiences, motherhood, cyber crimes
Summary: The bestselling author of “Anatomy of a Scandal” returns with a psychological thriller about a politician whose personal life + preteen’s costly mistake is thrust into the spotlight when a body is discovered in her home.
Emma is the main POV character. She’s a divorced British MP with a preteen daughter, Flora. The story follows her experience as a female MP facing online abuse, especially after gaining attention from a poorly received interview + championing policy change after a constituent was the victim of revenge p (don’t want to get flagged).
Meanwhile, her preteen daughter is also facing bullying and online abuse from her schoolmates. She retaliates and crosses a legal line; her actions may become a public scandal. It’s when a journalist is found dead in her mom’s home that the cost of protecting a reputation is calculated. The story then moves into a courtroom setting.
My thoughts: I thought this would be right up my alley being a UK politics thriller. I think it would’ve been better as a miniseries. Its underpinnings are interesting and timely: 1) more personal cyber crime (bullying etc) is hard to prevent or prosecute uniformly and policy, or its implementation/understanding, doesn’t often match the modernity of the issues and 2) the poor experiences of MPs online have recently been highlighted by high profile politicians receiving threats and even being killed.
The execution wasn’t the best for me. I’d describe this as a domestic/political drama before a thriller. I felt like this was someone’s first book but it clearly isn’t, as the author has a hit one which I still fully intend to read and watch. There’s a lot of repetition + some things feel shoehorned into a plot that comes across paranoid rather than suspenseful. Yet, at the end of the day, I think it is still a decent attempt to shed light on tangible issues.
sparker94's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
molliew26's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
nicnicthelibrarycat's review
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
pernillelsk's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, Bullying, Death, Misogyny, and Stalking
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Violence
Minor: Suicide, Classism, and Suicidal thoughts