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hayleybeale's review against another edition
3.0
This flawed YA realistic novel, reminiscent of recent events at real life St Paul’s, is a timely look at sexual assault and the silence that surrounds it. After Sam is raped at elite boarding school Edwards Academy, she takes her story to an investigative journalist in order to get justice. See my full review here.
themillenniallibrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Tough topic and it's sad to know this is an issue facing today's students.
amarylissw's review against another edition
4.0
This book is infuriating — I mean that in how the injustice is represented (an unfortunately entirely inaccurate portrayal). The book starts out a little slow, and the writing isn’t the best (a kind of “this happened, then this happened” mode of storytelling) but the story itself is incredibly deep, pulling you in, and making you cry out about the unfairness. There were so many passages in this book that were just so terrible and eye-opening, and make your heart ache for the characters. The ending felt kind of abrupt and very unsatisfying (in the sense that the end you wanted was not the end you got, but would probably be what happened in real life).
Great story.
Great story.
charmaineac's review against another edition
5.0
Wow, what a compelling story. It's dark, it's shocking, and it's unpredictable. There's more to this story than meets the eye, and that's the chilling part. Or maybe the resolution was chilling: we've read it in the news before. We've heard this story. We've seen how justice is handed out in the smallest possible way. Like the guy from my all my university classes who got sentenced to jail, but just on weekends. Like the other guy in my university program whose story is OUT THERE on an online blog, but still walks free and faces no consequences. Like Brock Turner from Stanford. It's infuriating.
There's a twist in there that threw me for a loop. I've read too many books in this space, and that's the one thing that made this one stand out for me. You wonder why Sam is so insistent on keeping in touch. You get a weird feeling, just like Harper. Something doesn't add up, until it does. Getting the reporter's perspective adds an interesting flavour. But if anything, this twist makes the story MORE realistic. We're not all fearless and brave. And all too often, victims aren't the ones who can handle that fallout.
(Semi-spoiler: don't read the following paragraph unless you don't want even a hint at the big twist!)
The only thing that didn't corroborate that well were the blog posts. I have to say, after the truth becomes apparent, I went back to read all the posts. You get misled for sure, but the voice doesn't sound authentic to the character. Rich kids typically grow up in that system and don't know anything different. You could chalk it up to strange lies, or a prominent family's fall from grace, resulting in a more humble upbringing. But truth be told, I can't fathom a world where she's a so-called "newb" to this scene. Maybe it adds to the anonymity? Maybe she was trying to emulate the voice of a scholarship student?
In any case, this story is dark, haunting, and probably quite realistic. It's drawn out, people are cruel, and others provide support. It's an intense read, for sure. I couldn't put it down, and for that, I have to commend Kiersi Burkhart. It definitely leaves you with something to think about.
There's a twist in there that threw me for a loop. I've read too many books in this space, and that's the one thing that made this one stand out for me. You wonder why Sam is so insistent on keeping in touch. You get a weird feeling, just like Harper. Something doesn't add up, until it does. Getting the reporter's perspective adds an interesting flavour. But if anything, this twist makes the story MORE realistic. We're not all fearless and brave. And all too often, victims aren't the ones who can handle that fallout.
(Semi-spoiler: don't read the following paragraph unless you don't want even a hint at the big twist!)
The only thing that didn't corroborate that well were the blog posts. I have to say, after the truth becomes apparent, I went back to read all the posts. You get misled for sure, but the voice doesn't sound authentic to the character. Rich kids typically grow up in that system and don't know anything different. You could chalk it up to strange lies, or a prominent family's fall from grace, resulting in a more humble upbringing. But truth be told, I can't fathom a world where she's a so-called "newb" to this scene. Maybe it adds to the anonymity? Maybe she was trying to emulate the voice of a scholarship student?
In any case, this story is dark, haunting, and probably quite realistic. It's drawn out, people are cruel, and others provide support. It's an intense read, for sure. I couldn't put it down, and for that, I have to commend Kiersi Burkhart. It definitely leaves you with something to think about.
kelboo's review against another edition
5.0
Every woman can relate to this book. The permeating fear. The understanding that it can happen to anyone. The subsequent rage.
Superficially, "Honor Code" is a story about an alleged rape on campus. At its truth, it is a story about our society: the way sides are taken, the way events are spun by the media, the entitlement of some men to women's bodies, the slut-shaming and victim-blaming, the enablers, the privilege of the white upper class.
This story was not easy to read. The content was heavy, and the story unfolded in a raw, real way. Sam is someone I could know. In fact, Sam is someone I could be. It was difficult to read her story, relate to her struggles and her pain. It was also inspiring to see her champion her cause and find strength deep inside. But she throws a wrench in her own story, and makes us question what we know. Suddenly the lines are blurred -- black and white becomes grey, and I am confused and angry for new reasons. Because life -- and court cases -- are full of shades of grey. I am a sucker for a good unreliable narrator.
This year, TIME Magazine named their Person of the Year as The Silence Breakers. This book is intensely relevant, and supremely important, and needs to be read -- and felt -- by everyone who has ever thought they were alone in anything.
Superficially, "Honor Code" is a story about an alleged rape on campus. At its truth, it is a story about our society: the way sides are taken, the way events are spun by the media, the entitlement of some men to women's bodies, the slut-shaming and victim-blaming, the enablers, the privilege of the white upper class.
This story was not easy to read. The content was heavy, and the story unfolded in a raw, real way. Sam is someone I could know. In fact, Sam is someone I could be. It was difficult to read her story, relate to her struggles and her pain. It was also inspiring to see her champion her cause and find strength deep inside. But she throws a wrench in her own story, and makes us question what we know. Suddenly the lines are blurred -- black and white becomes grey, and I am confused and angry for new reasons. Because life -- and court cases -- are full of shades of grey. I am a sucker for a good unreliable narrator.
This year, TIME Magazine named their Person of the Year as The Silence Breakers. This book is intensely relevant, and supremely important, and needs to be read -- and felt -- by everyone who has ever thought they were alone in anything.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
There is a lot to like here -- it's a story about rape culture, about how men and women both perpetrate it and allow it to grow . And there's a "twist" here that brings the idea of an honor code to a whole different level.
There's also quite a bit that's weak here. I found the writing to be fine, though not especially memorable. Likewise, I didn't find it as intense or raw as other books that have done this. It's also a very white book, and the character who notes this in the book over and over feels like she's playing the role of a critical reader in stating it and...it doesn't feel authentic. I also felt that some of the reaction of students to what was going on to feel a little over the top; today's teens are far more aware of their world than I felt this book gave many of them credit for. And perhaps I'd have let that slide much easier WERE we given a more intense exploration of the school's culture.
Absolutely worth reading, particularly for those who enjoy books about small cultures and private schools and those who want to read more books with various angles toward rape culture.
There's also quite a bit that's weak here. I found the writing to be fine, though not especially memorable. Likewise, I didn't find it as intense or raw as other books that have done this. It's also a very white book, and the character who notes this in the book over and over feels like she's playing the role of a critical reader in stating it and...it doesn't feel authentic. I also felt that some of the reaction of students to what was going on to feel a little over the top; today's teens are far more aware of their world than I felt this book gave many of them credit for. And perhaps I'd have let that slide much easier WERE we given a more intense exploration of the school's culture.
Absolutely worth reading, particularly for those who enjoy books about small cultures and private schools and those who want to read more books with various angles toward rape culture.
tex8850's review against another edition
4.0
The first 7/8 of this book were really good. Thought provoking, emotional, relatable.
The last portion of the book made me angry, I’m not gonna lie. It’s ending could be used to further highlight a briefly mentioned theme but the book wrapped up so fast there wasn’t time to really get into it.
I struggled with feeling like the ending cheapened and distracted from the otherwise powerful story I just read.
It was a good read, but I closed the book with one eyebrow raised thinking “Really?”
The last portion of the book made me angry, I’m not gonna lie. It’s ending could be used to further highlight a briefly mentioned theme but the book wrapped up so fast there wasn’t time to really get into it.
I struggled with feeling like the ending cheapened and distracted from the otherwise powerful story I just read.
It was a good read, but I closed the book with one eyebrow raised thinking “Really?”
hanna_rose's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
it was kind of slow in the beginning but really picked up in the second part. i thought it was a great look into how rape victims are treated within the criminal justice system. it would've been like 4.5 stars but I hated the twist at the end where it was actually Gracie who was raped, not Sam. I thought that cheapened the message of the story and that the book would've been better without it. also fuck scully chapman you raggedy bitch.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape