Waiting on Wednesday: #scandal by Sarah Ockler

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

#scandal

by Sarah Ockler

Coming June 17, 2014

Simon Pulse

Summary:

Lucy’s learned some important lessons from tabloid darling Jayla Heart’s all-too-public blunders: Avoid the spotlight, don’t feed the Internet trolls, and keep your secrets secret. The policy has served Lucy well all through high school, so when her best friend Ellie gets sick before prom and begs her to step in as Cole’s date, she accepts with a smile, silencing about ten different reservations. Like the one where she’d rather stay home shredding online zombies. And the one where she hates playing dress-up. And especially the one where she’s been secretly in love with Cole since the dawn of time.

When Cole surprises her at the after party with a kiss under the stars, it’s everything Lucy has ever dreamed of… and the biggest BFF deal-breaker ever. Despite Cole’s lingering sweetness, Lucy knows they’ll have to ’fess up to Ellie. But before they get the chance, Lucy’s own Facebook profile mysteriously explodes with compromising pics of her and Cole, along with tons of other students’ party indiscretions. Tagged. Liked. And furiously viral.

By Monday morning, Lucy’s been branded a slut, a backstabber, and a narc, mired in a tabloid-worthy scandal just weeks before graduation.

Lucy’s been battling undead masses online long enough to know there’s only one way to survive a disaster of this magnitude: Stand up and fight. Game plan? Uncover and expose the Facebook hacker, win back her best friend’s trust, and graduate with a clean slate.

There’s just one snag—Cole. Turns out Lucy’s not the only one who’s been harboring unrequited love...

Why I want it:

I loved Twenty Boy Summer. And Bittersweet. And The Book of Broken Hearts. And from what I'm getting from #scandal's description blows them ALL away. Sarah has this really fresh writing style that knocks out beautiful contemporary romances that always cleanse my palate in between intense series. I always get really emotional when I read Sarah's work because everything is so real, so relatable, but they're so unique.

Why I think you should want it:

Sarah's a master of standalones, which is not something a lot of people can brag. She gives really amazing, full, well-constructed stories with plot AND characterization in 400 pages or less. THAT, my friends, is talent. These stories are quintessential high school stories, but there's always an air of being More. It's more than just high school drama. Sarah gives life to your inner teenager, gives voice to all those hopes and dreams and fears and crushes and the passion, the excitement, the crushing despair. Everything comes out in the pages of her books. You'll feel like you're in high school again, but not in a bad way. The story just...envelops you. THAT is why you should want this book. Because Sarah can do all that. BAM.

Also, seriously, look at that title, that cover, that summary. I DARE YOU to tell me that the idea of a book taking on social media doesn't make you excited to read about it.