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A review by maralyons
Revenge of the Sluts by Natalie Walton
4.0
Revenge of the Sluts’ by Natalie Walton is a fascinating entry into the YA genre that explores many issues relating to revenge porn, victim shaming, sexuality, and lack of protection/privacy. Eden is a student at a private Catholic high school outside of Boston. She is a journalist for her school’s paper and has been tasked to cover a scandal involving multiple nude pictures of students that were sent anonymously to the entire school via e-mail. What I found most shocking was the lack of legal protection in Massachusetts for adult victims whose nude/pornographic photos/videos are leaked. It is not against the law for this content to be shared in some states, as long as the person in them is over 18.
The core of the story is the mystery of who sent out the pictures. We get to know the young women who were victimized and they form the “Slut Squad” to unify themselves. The Squad meets regularly to provide each other support, strength, and pursue avenues of justice. From Eden’s perspective, we learn of the myriad reactions to the scandal. Some blame the young women who were victimized for sending provocative pictures, some support them, and the Principal and School Board try to cover up the scandal. The book title and description are a little misleading as I expected more direct action, especially from the Slut Squad and the book is a little slow in the middle, where we don’t really learn anything new. Eventually, the mystery is solved giving an unexpected but satisfying conclusion. I really liked Eden’s persistence and how she came into her own during the investigation and taking on a leadership role at the newspaper. Sloane’s character also stood out to me for her self-possession and tenacious desire for justice. I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.
Thank you Wattpad Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
The core of the story is the mystery of who sent out the pictures. We get to know the young women who were victimized and they form the “Slut Squad” to unify themselves. The Squad meets regularly to provide each other support, strength, and pursue avenues of justice. From Eden’s perspective, we learn of the myriad reactions to the scandal. Some blame the young women who were victimized for sending provocative pictures, some support them, and the Principal and School Board try to cover up the scandal. The book title and description are a little misleading as I expected more direct action, especially from the Slut Squad and the book is a little slow in the middle, where we don’t really learn anything new. Eventually, the mystery is solved giving an unexpected but satisfying conclusion. I really liked Eden’s persistence and how she came into her own during the investigation and taking on a leadership role at the newspaper. Sloane’s character also stood out to me for her self-possession and tenacious desire for justice. I highly recommend this thought-provoking novel.
Thank you Wattpad Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.