Honor Code

by Kiersi Burkhart

Fifteen-year-old Sam contacts a reporter, hoping to expose a fellow student at elite Edwards Academy for rape, but the reporter tells her parents and soon, she is facing him in court.

Life at the elite Edwards Academy means following the honor code to the letter. As she dreams of getting into Harvard one day, Sam Barker is 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. When she is raped and nothing is done, she contacts a reporter to expose the rapist. After the reporter tells her parents, Sam finds herself facing him in court.

• ISBN10: 1512429961
• ISBN13: 9781512429961
• Publish Date: 1 March 2018
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Lerner Publishing Group
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 320
• Language: English

Reviews

[Sam@WLABB]

I am always intrigued by books set in boarding schools, and this one deals with the darker side of those institutions. Though multiple issues were touched upon, the one which caught, and kept my interest, revolved around sexual assault and the fallout experience by the women, who are brave enough to speak out.

•Pro: The book was broken into three acts, each with a distinct focus in the story. I liked this division, which kept me very focused, and I also really liked the addition of the second POV, as she served a purpose I was not fully aware of until almost the end.

•Pro: Burkhart showed the good and the bad sides of boarding school. She introduced us to nice and not so nice people at said school, and I appreciated that she didn't paint the school and the people affiliated with the school as all bad.

•Con: Sam was a really complicated character, and I don't think we got to know her as much as I would have like to

•Pro: BUT, I think that was the point. Part of her needed to be kept concealed in order for this story to work.

•Pro: The story definitely ramped up in Acts 2 and 3 as Sam prepared for and actively sought justice. These were my favorite parts of the book, and I loved seeing that side of Sam.

•Pro: There was this very awesome twist, which I only saw coming really close to the reveal. I tip my hat to Burkhart, because it was a great way to distinguish this story from a field of sexual assault stories.

•Pro: As a woman, I found myself angry and frustrated and nodding my head over and over again. There were so many things that happened in this book, which were appalling, but sadly, quite realistic.

•Pro: The ending had many elements that were not shocking, but I was pleased with the effect seeking justice had on the young women in the story.

"This is the price for speaking up," I write. "This is why we so often stay quite. Who would willingly bring this into their life?"

Overall: An interesting and thought provoking look at rape culture and the repercussions survivors are forced to endure when they speak out, which left me simultaneously sad, frustrated, and angry.

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

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