The S-Word

by Chelsea Pitcher

First it was SLUT scribbled all over Lizzie Hart’s locker.

But one week after Lizzie kills herself, SUICIDE SLUT replaces it—in Lizzie's looping scrawl.

Lizzie’s reputation is destroyed when she's caught in bed with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. With the whole school turned against her, and Angie not speaking to her, Lizzie takes her own life. But someone isn’t letting her go quietly. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary plaster the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who, exactly, made Lizzie feel she didn’t deserve to keep living. And while she claims she simply wants to punish Lizzie’s tormentors, Angie's own anguish over abandoning her best friend will drive her deep into the dark, twisted side of Verity High—and she might not be able to pull herself back out.

Debut author Chelsea Pitcher daringly depicts the harsh reality of modern high schools, where one bad decision can ruin a reputation, and one cruel word can ruin a life. Angie’s quest for the truth behind Lizzie’s suicide is addictive and thrilling, and her razor-sharp wit and fierce sleuthing skills makes her impossible not to root for—even when it becomes clear that both avenging Lizzie and avoiding self-destruction might not be possible.

Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Mystery, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Romance, Death

304 pages, Paperback

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

Chelsea Pitcher is a karaoke-singing, ocean-worshipping Oregonian with a penchant for twisty mysteries. She is the author of THE S-WORD, THE LAST CHANGELING & THE LAST FAERIE QUEEN.

Watch for her new YA thriller, THIS LIE WILL KILL YOU, coming December 11, 2018 from S&S/McElderry!

Agent: Mandy Hubbard

Reviews

[Emily May · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh dear, my 2013 reading has not kicked off the way I hoped it would. That one star which you see there is for nothing more than good intentions. I think. Though that's a bit sketchy too. Okay, let's just say that the one star you see is for what I THINK the author's intentions were but, in the end, this book was one hot mess of strained dialogue, awkward similes and a style of writing that I simply couldn't enjoy no matter how hard I tried. It's really such a shame because the idea had so much potential. If you've been kind enough to read a few of my reviews before, you may have noticed a rant pattern that centres around the issue of slut-shaming (or basically the shaming of female sexuality), it's something that really bothers me - particularly in books targeting young adults - and the possibility seemingly proposed by this book of taking a closer look at the damage done in high school (as well as other places) by words such as "slut" seemed like a great opportunity to tackle this issue. Or at least offer a different perspective to teens who may be growing up with negative attitudes to female sexuality being force-fed to them every day (or even sexuality in general, as many boys are also given abstinence-only education).

The S-Word is about two best friends - Angie and Lizzie - the latter of which has just committed suicide at the book's opening. We soon find out that she has been a victim of bullying because she was caught in bed with her best friend's boyfriend on prom night, scrawled words all over her locker saying the s-word that no high school girl wants to be branded with. But someone isn't willing to let Lizzie rest so easily, now the words "suicide slut" have appeared and this time they're in Lizzie's handwriting. Then comes the pages torn from the diary Lizzie kept, left around the school for different students to find and Angie, torn up by the part she had to play in making Lizzie's life a misery, decides she will find out two things: 1) who was responsible for driving her friend to suicide and 2) who is determined to make sure she continues to haunt the school.

The problem I had with this book is almost entirely about the style of writing and not the plot line itself. It's a very relevant topic and attempts to reverse the dehumanizing process that girls labelled a "slut" go through, they become defined by who they've been intimate with or who they are rumoured to have been intimate with and this makes them something less than a human being to their peers. All good stuff. But the style was a different matter, it felt disjointed and the sentences often didn't flow or were poorly constructed. Half of the time it read like one of those LIFE STORIES articles in teen magazines, the other half it read like a sociology essay on gender, race and sexuality. Much of the book didn't feel like a novel, it felt like the author's commentary on the target issues and it didn't run smoothly.

So so many tells instead of shows too. The narrator (Angie) explains to the reader why there is a double standard and rants about how it's unfair to women. What could easily have been a powerful and moving story that changed people's opinions or at least made them think about these issues a bit more, turned into something that sounded like a preachy interview. Every so often, Angie would pause in the story to explain why life was so unfair and to point out gender inequality - but this textbook style of addressing the problem actually weakened the story and it's message. Also, I found it very difficult to believe in Lizzie's diary entries because, though this book has many older teen/adult themes and Lizzie is seventeen, her diary reads more like a twelve-year-old's journal. Then there's the fact that diary-Lizzie is a I-can-see-your-halo shining beacon of sunshine and goodness, she practically feels bad every time she steps on an ant [exaggeration] - is this what it takes to make us feel bad for the "school slut"? Must she become a saint in every other way to make up for her sexuality?

But the diary wasn't the only thing that felt completely unrealistic. Some of the similes didn't sit quite right with me, one example is this "'Give it a rest,' I say casually, like I'm asking which celebrity they're most itching to bang." I found this particular comparison odd, shouldn't you say something along the lines of "like I'm talking about the weather" when you're being all casual, banging celebrities isn't exactly what pops into my head when I'm thinking of casual things but maybe I'm just more boring than I realised. Another thing that felt so unnatural I almost laughed was "It wasn't nice of her to sleep with my boyfriend", I mean, who actually says things like that? Who here could walk in on their partner and best friend getting it on and think oh my, that's not very nice, is it? But look, I have a broken nail.

Soooo... I know I said that it was more the style than the story but I guess it had quite a bit to do with both. For one thing, it's painfully easy to work out what the big secret is which drove Lizzie to her death. I imagine anyone who's read one or two "issue books" will see that one coming a mile off. Second - and this is something which annoys me so so much - people withhold information for no other reason than to prolong the story and mystery, there's actually no reason not to tell what they know and they also make it clear that they know something big straight away by saying something like "If only you knew... never mind" [not a direct quote] so that we're kept wondering what the secret is. I hate this method used for creating suspense, it's so false and unnatural.

Furthermore, I hated Angie. She was pretty much insufferable the whole way through and her decision to start her own investigation felt sudden and ridiculous. You know those childrens books where the little kid sets out on a mission to solve a mystery and starts playing detective and it's really cute and funny because they're, like, five years old? That is what Angie's behaviour felt like. Except that she's a high school senior, not a little kid, so it's not cute but forced and awkward instead. Also, her feelings about the situation with Lizzie don't feel natural, she criticises the other students for only caring about Lizzie once she's dead but she is exactly the same - she hated her as much as everyone else up until her death (but she actually had a reason to) and suddenly all is forgiven and she gets to judge everyone else? She even has the nerve to say of her classmates who criticised Lizzie: "who did these people think they were, the morality police? Talk about hypocritical." Yes, indeed, talk about hypocritical. Because Angie was one of them before Lizzie died.

So, uh, you've probably worked out this was a major disappointment for me. But surely this means that 2013 can only get better from here? Fingers crossed.

[Keertana · Rating 2 out of 5]

As you can probably guess from the fact that I started The S-Word a little over an hour ago, I skimmed through this novel. Even I can't read a three-hundred page novel so quickly. Now, having finished this debut, all I can think is that it would have been far more suited to the hands of a more experienced writer. For a debut novel, The S-Word lacks finesse. I cannot pinpoint exactly what it is, but something about the writing style in this didn't work for me. Although it is evident that the vision that Pitcher had for her first piece is brilliant, its ultimate execution sadly isn't.

The S-Word opens up with the suicide of Lizzy. Angie and Lizzy have been best friends for years, but when Angie catches Lizzy with her boyfriend on the night of prom, she ceases to speak to her and, consequently, the entire school labels her as a slut. Now, even with her death, her memory refuses to fade. A mysterious individual writes "SCHOOL SLUT" on the lockers, all in Lizzy's looping scrawl, and what's more, they slip pages from her diary into the lockers of students who Lizzy knew well. Angie, filled with guilt at the role she played in her best friends subsequent death, sets out to find who exactly is writing on lockers and reading Lizzy's diary. Along the way, though, she may find a truth more shocking than everything else.

In terms of plot, The S-Word is excellent. As a mystery novel, it reads very well, flowing at a solid pace and revealing clues slowly, but masterfully. While I had many ideas, the ultimate revelation was still a slight shock and, on that front, Pitcher proved to be a strong author. Yet, what forced me to skim this novel was, quite simply, the writing style. First and foremost, Angie is a protagonist who lacks emotion. Although her best friend has just committed suicide and betrayed her with her boyfriend, Angie never exhibits any outward anger, grief, or trauma. Instead of her narration reading like that of a friend who is mourning her childhood companion, it reads more like a mystery than anything else, which took away from the overall impact of this story.

Moreover, the dialogue veered on the border of highly unrealistic at times. When Angie interviews her classmate, either her responses or theirs often made me question the soundness of the phrasing. For some reason, it simply didn't flow, proving to be rather choppy. Even Lizzy's diary entries, which are scattered between every few chapters, read more like the thoughts of a middle school student than a high school girl gearing for college. All in all, it was simply so tough to grasp this story because of the distance first placed by the narrator and later the unrealistic dialogue that marred the situations throughout this book.

Yet, even more than that, I was sad to find that the ultimate message of this book, although important in thought, was never properly conveyed. Granted, Pitcher did have a fabulous idea for her debut, one that could have changed the thought-processes of many readers, but as a whole, her book fell short of that much-needed impact. You see, despite focusing on the injustice of branding girls as a slut, especially when the boy involved gets away without even one form of bullying, The S-Word never felt as if it preached to a universal audience of girls. Prior to Lizzy's betrayal, she had always been known as a goody-two-shoes type of girl who had no interest in boys or sex. Thus, when Angie defends her friend, she continually emphasizes the fact that Lizzy was a good girl and, as such, didn't deserve the label of a slut.

In this manner, Pitcher makes us feel sympathy for Lizzy instead of immediately hating her for her actions as so many of her classmates did, but isn't this simply a double standard? What about the girls who get labeled sluts every day and aren't a carbon copy of Mandy Moore from A Walk to Remember? What about those girls who are just normal, flawed beings with their fair share of "enemies" in high school? Do they deserve to be labeled a slut, then? No, of course not. Chelsea Pitcher manages to get into the mindset of this fictional school and these fictional characters, but her messages about slut-shaming are restricted to her novel and aren't nearly as universal as I hoped.

Nevertheless, I must admit that The S-Word is a novel with very good intentions. It set out to show readers that we are quick to judge and label, especially in a world that continually objectifies women. Although we live in societies where women are given their basic freedoms - voting, abortion rights, independence - they are still subject to so much more than their ancestors never were. While The S-Word didn't work to impact me in any way, I certainly hope that other readers will find it to be the thought-provoking novel I hoped it would be. Even if it lacks a lot, idea certainly isn't one of them. (But, then again, isn't the point of a novel to execute a good idea well? *sigh*)

You can read this review" and more on my blog, Ivy Book Bindings.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen the not so favorable reviews, stating clunky dialogue, cliches and hard to read writing style, but to me the writing style actually reinforced the anger and pain contained in this book, the anger and pain the protagonist goes through. Yes, the author used cliches but to me, a cliche is based on real life. And the events described in the book - they do happen in real life. Isn't the purpose of a book also to open our eyes to the bad things? It can't all be flowers and chocolates all the time, right?

Chelsea Pitcher covers a few hot topics in her book, slut shaming only one of them, with much grace and completely unashamed.

This was a hard book to read, no doubt. The angry voice of the protagonist is heartbreaking in its pain, and the book's topics are all too based in reality.

Angie and Lizzie have been best friends for a very long time. Their friendship comes to an abrupt stop when Angie catches Lizzie in a compromising position with Angie's boyfriend Drake, in their hotel room on Prom night.

Immediately, the scarlet letter is put upon Lizzie, only it's not an A, but an S. For slut. The word appears on her locker repeatedly, the rumors float and she is shunned by everyone she knows. Tormented and bullied, Lizzie becomes a social outcast overnight, while Angie, angry and hurt, stands by and allows the bullying to happen, feeling secure and justified in her anger for Lizzie having gone after Drake.

After a couple of months of the onslaught, Lizzie climbs onto the roof of the school and jumps to her death.

The book opens with Angie in school after Lizzie's death and funeral. The words Suicide Slut are discovered on Lizzie's locker, and creepily seem to be in Lizzie's own handwriting. Then pages of Lizzie's diary start showing up in people's lockers, seeming to hint that not all is what it seemed.

During her quest to solve the mystery of who's leaving the diary pages and defacing the lockers and walls, the reader can see the deep depression into which Angie is slowly sliding. The dialogue actually fits the personality changes we are seeing, and really brings across how confused and angry and in pain Angie really is. She's spiraling out of control, willing to hurt other people who stand in her way, just to find out the truth.

Lizzie herself plays a rather prominent role in this book, considering that she's dead by the time the narrative begins. We learn about her character, her thoughts and dreams, through the diary entries left in lockers. The distinctive voice in the diary gives insight into the mind of a suicidal teenager, and with beautiful metaphors alludes to secrets that Lizzie hid so deeply, not even her best friend Angie knew.

The last 25% of the book had me firmly in their grip. As the secrets are revealed, and it becomes clear that nothing is as Angie thought it to be, I was glued to the pages through the final conclusion.

I cried when Lizzie's secrets were revealed. I cried bitter tears at the end because of what happened, and what the people involved allowed to happen, whether they tried to help or not.

The supporting cast, especially Jessie with his unknown/questionable sexuality (gay or not?), was well crafted, and each served their purpose. Most were one-dimensional, but this is likely because they only appeared on the sidelines, and were used as catalysts to further the plot. I don't think that's detrimental because the information provided about them was sufficient for their roles in this book.

Jessie is fleshed out a bit more, though slowly, as he becomes a friend to Angie and then a love interest. She assumes he's gay because of how he dresses, and because of the rumors floating around. She uses him, ruthlessly at times, but then also comes to see him as more than a friend.

The book covers quite a few hot topics that are all too real and certainly happening in high schools today. It goes beyond slut-shaming, beyond gossip and bullying, and includes rape, child molestation and homosexuality, perceived or real. It accurately describes teenage herd mentality, and the shunning of anyone who dares to break the mold. It describes intrigues and back-stabbing, using someone's strict parent against them.

I'm no longer a teenager, true. It is however clear to me that nothing much has changed since my own high school days, and that it seems to only have gotten worse.

Yes, the writing itself is often clunky and chopped, but it accurately reflects the tone of this book and the fragile mind of the main protagonist.

This book should be read by teenagers everywhere. It should be required reading early in high school, so it can open the eyes of these teenagers to what bullying and hate and shaming can do. It should be read to remind us that not all is as is seems, and that people's lives can be much harder than is immediately apparent. That people hide behind public personas to mask the horror and pain in their home lives. That we should consider giving someone the benefit of the doubt and a chance to explain, instead of condemning them from the start.

I received a free ARC from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not promised in return.

[Jasprit · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The S-Word was a story which didn’t sit well with some of my blogging friend’s early reviews. But despite the not so promising reviews I decided to give it a try to see what it was all about. And I’m glad that I did, as a story which repeatedly squeezes your heart and surprises you with its twists and turns is definitely worth a go.

Angie’s best friend Lizzie commits suicide after being branded a slut at school for sleeping with Angie’s boyfriend Drake. She’s publically humiliated and tormented for so long, with no one by her side she sees this as the only way out. I’m glad that I didn’t just believe everything we were told about Lizzie’s story. It’s quite easy to just hear a couple of things about someone and make your own judgement instantly. And that’s what a lot of the characters in The S-Word did. Angie had been best friends with Lizzie forever, but never spoke to Lizzie afterwards to hear her side of the story. Whereas others just pushed and picked away at Lizzie, so there’s a lot of guilt going around when Lizzie’s gone. But who is really to blame for this mess? Lizzie who had no disregard for the years of friendship with Angie or the person who instigated all this by writing slut on Lizzie’s locker in the first place?

Despite Lizzie no longer being around I liked how Pitcher made her voice come through the story. Through diary entries and other characters reliving situations with Lizzie we were fully able to understand what really happened. I enjoyed the mystery aspect to the story, with Angie acting as detective and having a list of possible suspects of who could be to blame. Were left to unravel several stories, which showed how horrendous life had become for Lizzie. And despite Angie doing her best to make up for the last couple of weeks, some of the secrets which were revealed illustrated that there was this whole other side of Lizzie that she didn’t even know about. Angie is left with a terrible guilt eating away at her, if only she hadn’t left everyone to gang up against Lizzie, if only she’d listened to her or even tried to get her to open up a bit more. But she knows nothing will be enough to bring her back, so uncovering who was behind destroying Lizzie in the first place and bringing them down to seems the best place to start.

The S-Word was a truly eye opening read in terms of gaining insights into back stories of characters. I loved how Pitcher toyed with my feelings and made me suspect every single character some of the stories which were revealed weren’t all that pretty. But never have I changed my mind about how I felt about a character this many times in a story. I made so many assumptions, but time again Pitcher shocked me with further revelations. The best part for me was when there was a whole messed up scene, the whole mystery of Lizzie’s story was completely turned on its head. It did make my stomach churn and think this was one sick and twisted character. I honestly didn’t know how far this character would go. But the way things played out was perfect for me, there was no fancy ending, with everyone being fine and dandy, but Pitcher left us with the most realistic ending which seemed possible.

The S-Word was a tough story to get through, with it dealing with issues of bullying, self-esteem, love and peer pressure. There are some really dark scenes too, but sometimes raw and honest stories like this need to be told.

[Lisbeth Avery {Domus Libri} · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though my rating doesn't really show it, THE S-WORD is a book that I really enjoyed. It's not perfect, as my rating shows, but it's very enjoyable. I would love to give THE S-WORD a full 4 star rating or even a nice shiny five star rating but I can't because it's my job as a reviewer to look deeper into a book. I've given plenty of books an initial 5 star rating and then dropped it to 4 or 3 (once I dropped a rating from 5 to 1 star) after I thought about it.

The beginning of the book was addicting and all around amazing. If I just counted that part of the book, this would be a 5 star read. No doubts about it, the beginning to around 50% is a sure 5 star read. After that 50% mark however, the book started slipping. I began to skim a bit here and there and forget important details. I still enjoyed the book but I felt that I sort of had to push myself just to get to the next chapter.

It became a chore to finish the book I had loved so much before.

This lasted till the last 20% but then I found a whole new problem. One that didn't go away after a few pages. It was called "predictability". In the last 20% all the big surprises were unveiled but I guessed every single one of them. It was so disappointing and sort of ruined the ending for me, causing me to deduct another star.

Characters
Angie had a lot of similarities to other main characters in books such as Sam from the heartbreaking and wonderful Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver and Chelsea Knot from the beautiful Speechless by Hannah Harrington. She was the bad girl, that high school bitch who rules the school. She was despicable like these girls started off as.

However, she didn't have such an impact on me as Chelsea or Sam did. Angie was just not a character who really resonated within me like Sam did. I only really felt something at the end where I almost cried. It was just so utterly heart breaking. The only thing I could think after I finished was:



and then...



and finally...



If you don't know me, I'm not exactly an emotional person. I'm what people call "heartless" and "unfeeling" (mostly when I tell them I didn't cry while/after/before reading THE FAULT IN OUR STARS). I get really unexpected feels when reading some books though. This was one.

In case any one wants to know why I cried, here it is. I cried when I realized no one would care that Angie's boyfriend raped Lizzie. I cried when I realized that people thought it was funny. I cried because I knew this would happen in real life. I cried because I could see that happening at my local school and that was truly depressing.

The other characters were, for the most part, interesting. I did enjoy many of them but for some, I just found them less then satisfactory. I can't really name any but there are some characters that I just didn't feel anything for.

Plot and Writing
Plot
As I stated above, this isn't exactly the hardest book to guess the plot. In fact, someone who is really bad at guessing plots for most books was able to guess the plot of the entire book. The plot wasn't bad really but the best part was really the ending.

Not the part where all the surprises are revealed but the last 10%. That really just destroyed me. It was wonderfully done and I applaud Pitcher. Fantastic work there. It was honestly... beautiful. It reminded me of the ending of BEFORE I FALL. It wasn’t nearly as heartbreaking and utterly devastating but depressing all the same.

Writing
The writing wasn't exactly THE S-WORD's strong suit. As reviewer Emily May said in her review said quite well:

Some of the similes didn't sit quite right with me, one example is this "'Give it a rest,' I say casually, like I'm asking which celebrity they're most itching to bang." I found this particular comparison odd, shouldn't you say something along the lines of "like I'm talking about the weather" when you're being all casual, banging celebrities isn't exactly what pops into my head when I'm thinking of casual things but maybe I'm just more boring than I realized. Another thing that felt so unnatural I almost laughed was "It wasn't nice of her to sleep with my boyfriend", I mean, who actually says things like that? Who here could walk in on their partner and best friend getting it on and think oh my, that's not very nice, is it? But look, I have a broken nail.

Another point that I didn't like about the writing was the sense of detachment. I didn't really care what was going on during the middle of the book. That detracted from the overall reading experience greatly even though I only felt detached for around 30%.

Likes and Dislikes
Likes:
- Characters
- Plot
- Ending

Dislikes:
- Plot Twists
- Middle of the Book
- Writing

In conclusion
I really wish I could have loved this as much as other reviewers and readers did but sadly, it didn't really live up to all my expectations. I still recommend it whole-heartedly but THE S-WORD is not a perfect book but it's still a very enjoyable one.

Find this review and more at my blog:

[Zemira Warner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, wow. This book has made a lasting impression on me.

First of, the main character, Angie is one heck of a girl! She caught her best friend sleeping with her boyfriend on prom night and turned her back on both of them. She doesn't seem great? Bear with me. I'll get to the good part. While Angie's ex didn't get much heat, her best friend Lizzie was bullied on every turn. Lizzie was branded a slut while she was a good and gentle girl her whole life.

Bullying is not cool people! It sucks! It makes the victims feel worthless and some of them, like Lizzie find the only way out in suicide. Sure, there are those who triumph but not everyone can resist attacks from every side. Even though Angie didn't bully Lizzie she still felt responsible. And I would like to give props to the author for writing such a strong and persistent leading lady. Most of the MCs in books about bullying are wimps but in the end they pull through while Angie wouldn't back out and fought to discover what really happened to Lizzie. She was a fighter and even though she wasn't ready to forgive her best friend right away, or while she was still alive, her strength was inspiring and made me like this book even more.

I don't get why does this book has such a low rating on Goodreads. 3.38 to be exact. It's embarrassing and preposterous. I've read so many lousy books and this doesn't come close to being one of them.

I would recommend The S-Word to those who are looking for a contemporary novel which deals with not only bullying but also about forgiveness, strength and letting others see who you really are


This is another proof GR ratings are worthless. How many times did I start reading an indie NA novel only to be disappointed? I'm not sure. This book is so much better than 3.38.

[Stacia (the 2010 club)]

I finally had to take this off my currently reading after trying on multiple occasions to get into the book and finding that my wind was wandering.

I honestly tried. The S-Word could very well be a wonderfully written story and I might have missed out. It just wasn't in the cards (or possibly timing) for me.

[Claire (Book Blog Bird) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh man. I had such high hopes for this book but it failed to deliver in almost every way.

The main problem I had with The S Word was that couldn't connect with the main character, and I find if I can't do that then the book is basically a bust. She was boring and two dimensional and a right old drama llama. I would have cheerfully punched her at times. Her internal monologue was awful - cliched and whiny and tedious. And you know how Show-don't-tell is a thing? Well this MC did both. She'd show us how terrified she was and then follow it up by saying 'Wow. I'm totally terrified right now.' I wanted to take a big red pen and scribble whole paragraphs out.

However instead of DNFing I carried on because with a situation as contentious as the one porrrayed here I thought the author might show some insight or character development or a bit of social critique. This didn't happen. Or if it did, it was buried in acres of dull, unrealistic dialogue.

It's such a shame because the idea behind this book is excellent. Slut shaming is a perennial topic both in fiction and real life and we need more books and people to be calling out this behaviour. The book also deals with ease and sexuality (although both are shoehorned in at the end and not given enough airtime).

This could have been a really important book, but the style of writing let it down. The MC dashes around for the first three quarters thinking she's Dick Tracy, trying to solve the mystery of her best friend's death but it just comes off all wrong. I never got the sense that the two girls were close, there wasn't enough back story to make me care.

This was a big disappointment for me. It read like a first draft and with some decent structural and line editing it could have been a solid book but as it stands it was pretty rubbish.

[Icy-Cobwebs-Crossing-SpaceTime · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a sleeper: tremendously surpassed my expectations. I predict this will be a huge hit among the readers who, for example, like myself, loved "The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer."

Review of The S Word by Chelsea Pitcher
5 stars

I reviewed a complimentary e-book copy via NetGalley.

“The S Word” was truly a sleeper for me. I selected it to read for review because of the suicide of the central character (Lizzie is central, even though she is already deceased at the book’s commencement). I expected a too-precious high-school elitism. That’s not at all what I found: I was enraptured immediately, and stayed enraptured throughout the book. As soon as I finished, I wanted to do it all again. Debut author Chelsea Pitcher draws characters so finely, so deeply, it’s as if we stood inside them and looked out through their eyes. She uses a rather unusual method to delineate character: we have a narrator in first-person, Angelina aka Angie, and we see as she sees, except that Angie likes to conceal a lot from others and from herself; then we also see through the eyes of Lizzie’s diary, sections of which are interspersed throughout the narrative.

Amazing depths are probed in this novel, and I refuse to give anything away. If you care at all about characterizations, suspenseful plotting, or issues that are very real and very potent, please do yourself a favour and read this incredibly special book. I’d like to give it about 28 stars, because 5 stars is just not enough.

[Heidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three stars: A tough read that explores the dangers of bullying.

Angie sees the words Suicide Slut scribbled across her dead best friend's locker and her heart clenches. She feels responsible because it was her boyfriend that Lizzie was caught with on prom night. Perhaps if she had just tried to understand and forgive things would be different, but now it is too late. When pages from Lizzie's journal start circulating and Suicide Slut begins appearing around the school in Lizzie's loopy handwriting, Angie decides it is time to investigate and punish those who bullied her friend into suicide. Can Angie make amends for her friend's death?
What I Liked:
*I will be perfectly honest, I didn't think I would finish this book as it was a rough start. There was just something about the writing and the characters that put me off in the beginning, that being said, I am always reluctant to give up on a read so I plodded on. Once the book picks up and gets going, it gets interesting and there are certainly some astonishing reveals that left me stunned. The stunning plot twists in this one that definitely kept me entertained. If you are a fan of suspenseful mystery reads with lots of twists then try this, but be warned it is it a bit rocky in the beginning.
*I liked that this book focused on the detrimental effects of bullying and judging people by looks or actions without knowing the truth. We are all guilty of it, but at no other time in our lives is it as devastating as it is during the teenage years. This book was a stark reminder of just how cruel and difficult those years are when you must put up with bullying, labeling, prejudice and anything else that is hurtful. Bullying has gone to new levels with the advent of cyber bullying. Once it starts, it is hard to stop and a person can endure only so much. That is the case with Lizze. She is labeled a slut and tormented in such heinous ways that she eventually takes her life. Once Angie starts digging at the truth, she learns some startling things, and realizes how wrong everyone was to torment Lizzie. This book drives home the point that it is never okay to bully. You never know what truly is going on with a person and what secrets they are hiding until you have walked in their shoes. Bullying is wrong and we all need to take heed and refrain from this hideous act. Resorting to taunting another to take the spotlight off ourselves or hide our own insecurities is the main reason why people bully, instead we need to focus on improving ourselves and not worry so much about others. Gossiping and spreading untruths behind someone's back is just as harmful as openly tormenting someone so remember: think before you speak! Easier said than done I know, but we all need to try harder!
*This book isn't afraid to tackle some very tough topics such as suicide, bullying, sexual orientation, rape, molestation and revenge. Though, I can't say that I liked how each one was handled, I did appreciate that the author wasn't afraid to call attention to them.
*Despite the fact that I had issues with the characters and their behavior, and I was not completely happy with how things turned out, this book gave me a lot of food for thought and I was thinking about it after reading it. There are numerous discussion questions at the end of the book so it is certainly meant to start a dialogue. I like that this book is meant to generate discussion.
And The Not So Much:
*I know numerous reviewers have complained about the writing style. It is hard to describe, but there is something about it that is hard to connect with. The author incorporates strange things such as using lower case letters and capital letters in the wrong places and other things that are jarring. There are journal entries from the dead girl that are just completely weird and they don't fit in well with the story. I never understood why the author used the strange lettering and such, I was expecting an explanation but there wasn't one, thus i was left scratching my head wondering wHy i was reading a boOk that had wEIrd letTering.
*The characters are extremely difficult to relate to or like. In fact, I pretty much disliked all of them except Jessie and it took me awhile to warm to him. Angie, the protagonist, is cruel, calculating, manipulative and pretty much a bitch. I did not like her at all, even though I got her. She was obviously hiding her insecurities under a false persona, as were all of the characters. Her main focus is seeking revenge against those who she believed wronged Lizzie, even though she was the biggest culprit. Granted, she hates herself for what happened as well. Who wouldn't knowing their best friend committed suicide because you failed to step up and stop the bullying. Yes, I got that she was hurt, but once the truth comes out it gets far worse. I hated that the book took the important bullying message and made it all about revenge. I was especially disturbed when Angie ends up encouraging her classmates to taunt another classmate and call him names. Sure, he did something wrong, but that does not mean that you should resort to bullying that doesn't make it right. Thankfully by the end, Angie finally gets a clue and realizes that bullying is not the answer, unfortunately, by then she has caused a lot of harm herself.
*The storyline touches on molestation. I was disappointed, though, to see this troubling issue glossed over. It is barely brushed upon, and it wasn't resolved. The victim never comes forward and the perpetrator isn't punished. Sexual abuse is horrible and if it is going to be used in the book it should be used in a more appropriate way. I felt like it was utilized in this book for shock value and didn't like the way the author handled it.
*Be forewarned, this is a book for older readers as it deals with some mature themes such as sexual abuse, bullying, suicide, drinking, and revenge. I would recommend this for sixteen and up.

The S-Word is by no means an easy read. It takes on some very challenging topics as it attempts to show the detrimental effects of bullying. Even though I enjoyed the twists and turns and the attention given to bullying, I was a dissatisfied with the handling of some of the issues, and I didn't like the revenge theme. Revenge and bullying are never the answer. At the very least, this book will hopefully open some new channels for discussion on these touchy topics.
Favorite Quotations:
"I crash right into the truth. you don't fall out of love with someone just because he betrays you. that love stays inside you, battling against the hate."
"My transformation is complete. Once a caterpillar creeping along the halls unseen. Now a butterfly torn to bits. Bleeding red. This school becomes the glass cage from which I cannot escape."
"Destroying a person's life doesn't solve anything. it just keeps the circle going, making the world uglier and uglier. and I have the power to stop it."

I received an ARC copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and I was not compensated for this review.
Posted@ Rainy Day Ramblings.

[Shayna · Rating 1 out of 5]

In short, Chelsea Pitcher’s debut was an awkward, sloppy mess.

In…well, long, I think I’ll start by saying what I think her intentions were before explaining why this book just didn’t work for me. I think Pitcher meant to write a story about the dangers of bullying; how it affects the victim, and how it affects everyone involved. When I started reading, I was hoping that maybe Pitcher would discuss the double standard for boys and girls where the word “slut” is concerned, because obviously that word is a big part of the story. She touched on it a little bit, but definitely not enough to make for a meaningful story. I also thought she would talk more about Angie’s grief and guilt, which we surely get some of, but to me this didn’t end up being a very emotional (at least realistically) story. The way Pitcher carried it out made it into more of a revenge story, which severely diminished the impact it could have had, and the way it was written didn’t help it at all.

I felt like the writing was really sloppy and awkward, as I mentioned earlier. Every time someone spoke, I cringed a little, because the dialogue was just…bad. It always seemed kind of forced and I felt like the voices of the characters were inconsistent. That might make sense for Angie, since she turns out to me mildly insane, but it was still really irritating, especially at the beginning when Angie and Shelby are talking and Pitcher tried for a more sleuthy-sleuth tone. That voice in particular just felt out of place and out of time. I simply couldn’t imagine high schoolers talking that way. I also didn’t like Lizzie’s diary voice. I felt it was ingenuine and, again, that a high school girl wouldn’t really talk that way.

In terms of characters, the majority of them were boring, flat, and one-dimensional. You knew what each character’s deal was right away (minus Angie, but I’ll get to that later), which doesn’t really make for interesting reading. I didn’t like any of the characters, although of course I felt sorry for Lizzie and Kennedy, but I still didn’t feel a connection to any of them.

*NOTE: NEXT PART MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Where plot was concerned, I had a lot of problems, since there were so many gaping holes in the plot. At the beginning of the book, it seems like The S-Word is going to be a story like Pretty Little Liars, where a girl (or in that case girls) works to expose a creepy stalker determined to control her and mess with her head and make her feel guilty for all the horrible things she’s done. It continues on that path when Angie immediately starts investigating, looking for whoever wrote Suicide Slut on Lizzie’s locker and stole the pages of her diary. She employs many of Lizzie’s tormentors, including Shelby, Kennedy, and Marvin, into her search, until the dramatic twist near the end, when Jesse discovers that Angie set all of them up so she could know exactly who hurt Lizzie and how so she could get the proper revenge.

Let me tell you, that twist was absolutely ridiculous. First, Jesse finds KILLER etched into Angie’s skin, leading her to admit she was the one who wrote Suicide Slut on Lizzie’s locker and planted the pages in people’s lockers. This could have been an interesting twist, if we had had any clue at all that Angie was doing it all along. When she confesses, it seems she knew she was doing all of those things, but for the majority of the story she’s looking for answers. I don’t know if she’s completely psychotic or just a really good liar, but either way that conclusion was so ridiculously bad it was almost funny.

Besides that, I felt like there was too much else going on for the story to be meaningful in any sort of way. Every time a new twist came up during the last 20% or so, I honestly kept rolling my eyes because it was all just too much. Pitcher tried to bring in so many issues that I think most readers will feel like they’re drowning in drama. Besides the suicide issue, which wasn’t discussed enough for my liking, she also tried to bring in LGBT issues, making Jesse a bisexual cross-dresser and making Lizzie gay and in love with Angie on top of it. She also brought sexual abuse into it with Lizzie’s father, who abused Kennedy when they were very young. The only part of the book that held any real meaning for me was when Angie discovered Drake had raped Lizzie, not just cheated on her with Lizzie as she had originally thought.

All in all, there was far too much going on in the disjointed plot to extract much emotional meaning, and the author’s writing needs a lot of work. I didn’t think such a big disappointment would come so early in the year, but there we go. All I have left to say for this one is, DO NOT READ, or, to be nicer, READ ON PAIN OF CONFUSION AND EXTREME DISAPPOINTMENT.

[Tanecia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"They are speaking for me.

SLUT.

"Couldn't they, at least pick a word that means something?

Ask a hundred people the meaning of that word and you'll hear a hundred answers. It means absolutely nothing. But the moment it is unleashed, it changes me. They look at me differently, all of them. As if I am no longer human. As if I am somehow a monster to be destroyed.

These things I have feared about myself now they are telling me.

And still, I sit up in the night, willing the word to rearrange so that this will have all been a dream. A nightmare from which I can escape. But sitting up only serves to rustle my nightdress, tugging at the blood that dries on my skin. The scabs rip away, awakening fresh wounds."




Review:

When Angie finds her best friend and boyfriend in a hotel room on prom night everything changed. She lost her best friend since grade school and boyfriend in one night and doesn't thinks a situation like this can get any worse, that is until the day her ex-best friend decides to take her own life and leaves Angie to pick up the pieces.

When I first picked up this read I was like "okay, here goes another suicide-mystery on my hands." but as I continued reading the book developed and progressed into something more than I expected and really enjoyed a lot. And its really fun when I can go into a book expecting one thing and I leave with something utterly different! The characters were surprisingly fresh,real, and haunting. I loved seeing all their stories play out through the book because all the characters had some serious but real issues.

Angie was one of my favorite character's through the span of this book. I related to her character and I was definitely on team Angie when she would scheme and lie to get answer's to who was spreading Lizzie's diaries around school. I mean yes scheming and lying to get what you want is terrible but I would do all of this for my best friend or sister if it meant bringing the bad guy to justice ( maybe this is the Sailor Moon fangirl in me).


GIFSoup

It was refreshing to see Angie's flaws and how she was "coping" with the suicide of her best friend ( Lizzie) in which a few months before she had turned her back on and turned the other cheek when other students would bully Lizzie. I totally got why Angie was so obsessed with catching Lizzies taunters and trying to right her wrongs.And on Angie's search for justice you can see her spiraling out of control in her own depression and were left wondering will she ever pull out of this dark place?

Lizzie's character was the glue to this chaotic plot line. With the diary entries being displayed on over the school and suicide slut still making an appearance on her locker, way after her death her presence is very prominent throughout the book. It was haunting to read her diary entries. I loved when we(the main character & I) would find an entry because it brought Angie this much closer to the truth with each page. The pages were disturbing yet beautiful with metaphors for us to decipher and clues into her protected life. The author really brought you into the mind of a suicidal teen and I believed it.

All in all, the S-word was in no way preachy. By the end of the book the reader is left with an "a-ha" feeling and message that is the whole book ; everyone has secrets, everyone goes through difficult situations,everyone has secrets, and even though you are not the bully you are the just as guilty if you stand by and let bullying happen. I know that this does sound preachy but I can assure you that throughout the story that this message wasn't so clear in the beginning. All the characters had serious issues from abuse,suicide, and much more. It was interesting how the author fit all these dynamic issues and personality in to one book. It was brilliant and it rang true to the everyday situations young people go through today.

I recommend this books to readers who liked Shine by Lauren Myracle!

[Katrina Welsh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Find more reviews at I Have Lived a Thousand Lives


When I heard of The S Word, I thought, "Oh my God. This is going to be one of the great ones." The synopsis and the file and the cover looked so promising. But upon closer inspection, you realize it's just fool's gold and you're pissed because you got played. But, hey, at least have you this pretty shiny thing. You have no use for it, but nothing you can do.

I'm not always so keen on reading issue-y books. The writing can so easily turn preachy. With this type of genre, the writing style is one of the most important things to get right, just like how in fantasy books, the world building better be freaking fantastic or else you might as well just not have tried. There is a line that most authors cross when writing these types of books. And the thing is, the line is so thin that you don't even realize that you've walked across the other side. You only know that the ground feels different or the air smells staler and there is just something different. You don't know when it happened or how, only that you don't like it. That was one of the major problems I had with The S-Word. Pitcher told me how the characters were feeling, how hard their circumstances were instead of making me feel it. No matter how good the moral of your story is, no one is going to listen if you don't deliver it well, especially with the kinds of issues this book tried to tackle. I just felt like I was getting preached at.

It had the contemporary elements but it also read like a mystery novel. Angie is trying to unearth who the vandal is, the one who wrote 'Suicide Slut' on Lizzie's locker. Angie finds pages from Lizzie's diary, each one incriminating a different character as the guilty one. Angie interrogated these 'suspects', trying to see if they had the means and the motive to pass Angie's entry pages around school. She never really mourned for the death of her best friend- no sadness or grief. She was more focused on finding playing detective than really feeling the loss of her best friend. I don't know if Pitcher did that on purpose, to show Angie's denial and real trauma or just lack of character development. Besides the dialogue was so unrealistic, especially when it came to the conversations between Angie and fellow classmates/ her 'suspects'. I can't imagine anyone speaking like that, especially someone from high school.

Lizzie is already dead by the time the novel starts. We never get to meet her. We only know her from her diary entries. Lizzie's 'voice' is so stiff and unnatural, even more so since this is supposed to be her diary, her unfiltered thoughts. But the writing isn't all bad. There were actually some really great passages but the awkwardness and stiffness of the whole thing just outshone the good parts.

There were plenty of characters to focus on. The side characters all had their own issues, but to me, that's all they ever seemed like- issues. The only way I could distinguish each character was by remembering what was wrong with them- the pervy nerd, the competitive drama queen, cheerleader bitch... Everyone was just screwed up. I know everyone has their own stuff to deal with, but we're not all fucking crazy. I'm sick and tired of authors thinking the only way characters can be 'interesting' is to make their lives horrible.

This is such a screwed up book. With screwed up characters. Can't somebody just be freaking normal?

There were some parts that were good. There's a lot about discrimination, being judgmental, seeing past appearances, vengeance, hypocrisy, hate and of course, slut shaming. But Pitcher was just all over the place. I didn't feel like she conveyed any hard hitting messages, just touched on a couple very then quickly moved on to the even more messed up character. The S-Word had very good intentions but Pitcher just didn't know how to execute her ideas well.

An ARC was received from the publishers, through NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remember high school? Peer pressure? This is the story of how one innocent girl is tormented to the point of suicide and how her best friend and worst tormentor learns from her own guilt at turning her back on someone who needed her most.

Angie caught her best friend, Lizzie in bed with her boyfriend on prom night. At that point, she turned her back on Lizzie, thinking only the worst. As the school bullied Lizzie, Angie went along with it, until she read Lizzie's diary and learned of the life of torment that was long hidden.

Angie needed to expose the truth, to avenge Lizzie, to rid herself of her own demons.

Although a painful story, the guts and determination shown by the main character were admirable. Getting to the finish line was an intense, well-thought-out journey by the author, highlighting the damages wrought by peer pressure and small-mindedness. A must read for teens!

This ARC edition was supplied by NetGalley and Gallery Books in exchange for an honest review. Publication date: May 7 2013

[Kala · Rating 1 out of 5]

*I received a free copy of this book via netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review - thank you!*

Also posted on my blog at:
Kala's Book Blog

I've made it halfway through and I just can't continue. This book is bad. Really bad.

Teenage suicide is a big deal. It's a huge problem in the United States that doesn't get the attention it deserves. There are some REALLY good books out there that address the issue (Saving June!) and there are some really bad ones (THIS BOOK).

The S-Word is supposed to be about two best friends, Angie and Lizzie. Angie catches Lizzie having sex with her boyfriend and the two have a falling out (for obvious reasons). Lizzie also becomes somewhat of a social pariah in the school because of sleeping with Angie's boyfriend. Shortly after, Lizzie commits suicide.

After Lizzie's death, someone writes "Suicide Slut" on a locker in Lizzie's handwriting and starts passing out Lizzie's journal pages.

The novel could have been about Angie trying to figure out what went wrong in her friendship, what happened to make Lizzie destroy it, and what went so terribly bad that Lizzie had to kill herself.

But it isn't.

Instead, it tries to be funny and amusing as Angie plays "detective" in the most bizarre ways, interviewing classmates in her quest to find out who wrote "Suicide Slut" on the locker. Angie suddenly turns in to an awful parody of Joe Friday from Dragnet and the book just went completely down hill.

One example - Lizzie was apparently in to acting. She had recently gotten the lead part in a play. Angie believes that the drama queen goddess Shelby McQueen who got ousted from her position when Lizzie got the part, might be behind it. She she goes to interview her. Apparently this girl is 'in character' and Angie decides to get 'in character' to talk to her too. Here's an excerpt (all typos, formatting errors, and mangled capitalization straight from the book):

so i think, but shelby's in rare form today, smoking an imaginary cigarette and lounging on the piano like she's preparing for her solo. (...) shelby greets me with a husky "hello, sugar. What's your poison?"

"reality," i quip, and climb onto the piano beside her. "that's what they all say." shelby bats her pretty brown eyes. so she wants to play hide Behind the Character. so what?

Drama class is a veritable free-for-all at the end of the year and i've got nothing but time. she can play the dame. i'll play the old-timey detective. Whatever gets the canary to sing.

"Nice to see ya, sweet cheeks," i say, tipping an imaginary hat. shelby's smile spreads across her face. she's wearing a purple
1950's style cocktail dress. the hem dances just past her knees, all propriety. But her attitude says floor-length, slit-up-the-thigh red satin.

"What can i do for ya, daddy-o?" she asks.

It continues from there in the awful Dragnet-wannabe style as Angie interviews more kids and pretends to be a hardcore detective.

Later on Angie and DRAKE (the boyfriend that Lizzie slept with), go to Lizzie's house to help pack up belongings. Angie is mildly upset, but mostly because of wondering "Did he use those eyes on Lizzie? Did he use that voice?". Drake, who apparently doesn't give a lick that he's in the bedroom of a girl he just banged who is now dead, uses the time to try and snuggle up on Angie and make out. I'll give Angie credit, she kicks him out, but still. Would this happen in real life?

The thing that annoys me most is that from what I've read so far, this isn't about Angie coming to terms with her best friend's suicide. In fact, Angie barely seems affected. It's about Angie playing Joe Friday to find out who is writing things on the wall in Lizzie's handwriting.

WHO CARES?

Seriously. It's not like Lizzie was murdered (unless there's a twist at the end where she was, but I'll never know).

There's also some rambling journal entries of Lizzie's where she gets emo about being called a slut and how no one really knows the meaning of the word slut and blah blah blah.

For the record: Slut or slattern is a term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous.

A girl who betrayed her best friend by sleeping with her best friend's boyfriend could definitely meet the criteria of having "loose sexual morals." I don't think the definition of slut is really in question here.

If this book was trying to show us the difference between men and women, and how a woman who has sex can be labeled a slut while a man is a stud.... IT FAILED. Lizzie had sex with her best friend's boyfriend. In general, when you do that, you'll earn the slut label.

Perhaps this author's style just wasn't for me. Actually, I'm positive this author's style wasn't for me. I don't like the lackadaisical approach to suicide that it took. It could have gotten better towards the end, but if it takes me over a week to struggle through the first half, I'm not going to continue in hopes that it will get better. Because to be honest, I can't think of one example where it has.

I also hate to harp on formatting issues in a galley because I know they are not completely edited yet, but this galley was the absolute worst I've ever seen. The majority of the sentences are not capitalized. The majority of the names are not capitalized. There are constant cases of words in the middle of sentences that have random capitalization mid word. While the formatting wasn't the reason for the 1-star rating (that's all the terrible writing and plot), it did make it jarring and even more awkward to read.

[Lottie Eve · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time deciding what I thought about this book. I could tell that Pitcher had good intentions when writing this book but I think that The S-Word could have been so much better if it was put into the hands of an experienced writer. I am not saying that The S-Word isn’t an enjoyable book. I actually blew through this book in a fairly quick amount of time. I just feel like this book could have been oh so much more than just enjoyable.

The Story

Lizzie’s reputations is ruined when she is caught in the same bed with her best friend’s boyfriend. Everyone at school is against her and even Angie is to heartbroken to speak to her. People start bullying her, covering her locker with the word SLUT. Finally, the hurt becomes too much and Lizzie commits suicide. But only one week after Lizzie’s death, somebody replaces SLUT with SUICIDE SLUT and starts leaving pages of Lizzie’s diary start appearing in the school. Angie decides to capture the culprit and avenge Lizzie but will her hate and grief cause her own self-destruction?

The Characters

Angie’s character reminded me of Chelsea Knot from Speechless by Hannah Harrington. But even so, I didn’t feel the same connection with Angie as I did with Chelsea. Angie didn’t seem to show any outward emotion over Lizzie’s death. Her narration lacked emotion. I was only told that she was filled with grief but I was never really shown it. I felt indifferent to Angie throughout the entire book. And sometimes her character just seemed a little…off. The side characters were a little better than Angie the main character of the story. I felt that they had more depth. Jesse is a cross-dresser and is known to be gay. He had a certain wit to him and he really cared for the people he cared about. I liked that about him. Kennedy starts out as one of those mean girl characters but when something terrible about her revealed she into a little more than that. I also liked how some of the past bullies redeemed themselves in some parts of the novel. There are many more side characters that I could talk about as this story had a fairly large number of characters but these were the ones that stuck with me the most

The Mystery

The mystery in The S-Word was the best part for me! Pitcher skillfully reveals clues in just the right moments, keeping me from becoming impatient but not making me feel like the information was being revealed to quickly. The mystery is very unpredictable with twist and turns. And when the big reveal finally came I was rendered speechless.

The Unreliable Narrator

Angie is a very unreliable narrator. She lies to herself but you don’t know what she is lying about. I thought this was a nice touch.

The Sadness

Heed my warning: The S-Word has some incredibly sad moments. Some of the bullies in this book are so cruel that I just wanted to throw something–I settled for my pillow. Sometimes they were so cruel that tears were rushing from my eyes. I recommend you to prepare a box of tissues when reading this book.

The Topics

The S-Word addresses many different touchy topics. Bullying, suicide, child molestation, rape, revenge, homosexuality, and cross-dressing to name a few. Sometimes I felt that some of these topics were just shoved in. I believe that The S-Word would have been much better if it just focused on one or maybe two of these kind of topics not as many as this.

The Writing

Now. This was the area that The S-Word was really lacking in. I didn’t think that Pitcher was very eloquent with her words. Some passages were so incredibly awkward and shaky that my mind was kicked right out of the story. The dialogue felt forced often. Though I will say that one of the last paragraphs to this story really struck a chord with me.

“‘I love you forever.’ The daisies rustle like they’re reaching out for me. I touch the petals with my fingers. I feel this electricity go through me, this warmth that is both outside and in. One of the petals breaks away in my hand.”-Quote pulled from an advanced copy.

This passage is certainly not one of the best pieces of writing in the world but I felt an emotion that was mixed with sadness and hope when I read this.

Do I Recommend?

Certainly not the best book that touches upon this topic but it was still enjoyable nonetheless. I have come to realize that most of the people either love this book or are don’t like it. So give this book a try! I would recommend this book to a person who just want a good mystery at the moment but I will warn them not to expect much of anything else except for a lot of sad scenes that will make your heart feel like it is bleeding.

[Stephanie · Rating 1 out of 5]

So, The S-Word was a major let down. The blurb sounded promising and the idea was good - it really had the potential to be a great story. It was full of awkward wording, forced dialogue and it was just something I couldn't enjoy and I struggled to get through the book - and I'm a fast reader. The idea had such great potential and it was one of the books I was most looking forward to receiving when I requested it on NetGalley but alas, it was a severe disappointment.

I didn't like this book at all because of how it was written. Nothing to do with the plot at all, I thought it was really interesting but it was ruined with the sloppy writing. The sentences felt awkward, forced and poorly constructed - it didn't quite have that flow. The narrator's voice (Angie) didn't feel right - her best friend snatched her man in front of her, and she actually seemed rather nonchalant about it when explaining to the audience about what happened. I don't know about you but if I found out that my boyfriend had been doing the dirty with my best friend, I would be pretty damn pissed. Angie seemed far too detached and it just seemed rather fake and not right for the situation. Lizzie's diary entries didn't match the voice of an older teenager either - it sounded like a pre-teen trying to sound older and far more sophisticated than they truly are.

I got what Pitcher was trying to say about the double standards for boys and girls but it didn't quite have an impact - she told us, rather than showed us and overall, didn't quite touch on it enough for the message to sink in. But yeah, good message. Well received blah blah. Angie's investigation into the factors that caused Lizzie to drive herself to suicide was frankly, quite ridiculous, for a lack of a better word - it just seemed all rather amateurish/childlike. She came across like a five year old reading a spy book for the very first time and decided it'll be super fun to just go out there and solve a mystery. BAM. Yeah, that's what it felt like.

There were also too many issues going on all at once, y'know? Okay, there's slut shaming going on. Yeah, that's bad. There's also a suicide. Yeah, that's bad too. There's bullying. Okay, that's bad as well. Toss that in with cross-dressing, homosexuality/bisexuality, sexual abuse, rape and it's just a huge WTF. They're all important issues on their own individually but the author just grabbed them all and tossed them in a soup pot all at once and it just becomes one confusing hot mess. There was just too much going in a super awkward, very confusing and disjointed plot to feel any actual feels, other than confusion.

I was looking forward to a thought-provoking book on bullying and reading a nice mystery novel that would keep me second-guessing and leaving me on tenterhooks long afterward I've finished it but nope, the conclusion was very obvious to me and so out of there, it was quite funny. If you want to be super confused and disappointed, this is the book for you.

[Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

*I received an ARC-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

First, I must say that I won't be talking about the characters very much because I can't do that without spoilers and since this is an ARC copy, I won't spoil anything. So if you want to talk or rant or fangirl about this book and it's characters, please send me a message! I need someone to talk with about this book, lol.

The S-word is the brilliantly written debut of Chelsea Pitcher and I can't help but ask... Where in God's name have you been hiding all this time Chelsea? Why did you keep your talent from us for so long? It should be punished... But this book is great, so you are forgiven.
Yes, this is a great book. More then that. It's a must-read and one of my new favorites of this year. (Maybe even of all time.) The writing is great and I was hooked to the story from the first sentence. I could not stop reading. I just had to know how it ended. Like I said, I can't talk about it much because I don't want to spoil anything, but I have to say that it did not end the way I thought it would. There are twists and turns I did not see coming. Nothing is what it seems, that's all I can say.

I wanted to talk about bullying because it's a big theme in this novel, but I won't. It's bad and mean and low. I hate bullies. That's all.

This book is captivating, full of drama and even romance and suspence. Brilliantly written, like I already said and Chelsea, you've got a new fan. I can't wait to read more from you in the future.

[Sassy Sarah Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher

2 stars

Lizzie Hart faced the word SLUT scribbled on her locker and then one scribbled turned to several. One week after Lizzie kills herself SUICIDE SLUT replaces it in Lizzie’s perfect scrawl. Lizzie’s reputation was trashed when she was caught sleeping with her best friend’s boyfriend on prom night. Angie doesn’t speak to Lizzie and the school turns against her. As graffiti and photocopies of Lizzie’s diary are plastered around the school, Angie begins a relentless investigation into who made Lizzie decide that life wasn’t worth living anymore. I definitely didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t really like it. The S-Word reminded of me a Lifetime movie- and not the good ones. While I don’t hate The S-Word, I’m also not sure if I liked it. I sped through reading it, but while I was reading I would come across things that bothered me. Some of them I noted and others were just too trivial to take note of.

The main female character is Angie. Angie is a very cynical girl. I also didn’t really like her and the more the book progressed I just liked her less and less. I don’t understand why exactly Angie turned this into a big who-did-it search, but it seemed pointless to me. Angie shut Lizzie out after the scandal and I didn’t think it was fair to bring drag something like this out. I was always wary of Angie and her motives. She’s a very unreliable character. Probably one of the most unreliable characters I’ve encountered as of late. I love unreliable characters, but I don’t feel that Angie was portrayed well enough for me to buy into her story or her motives.
“I’ll graduate high school with a major in Cynicism and a minor in Irritation.”

Kick-Butt Heroine Scale: 2

The main male character is Jesse. Jesse is a cross-dressing teenager and of course Angie just had to fall in lurve with him and it would be crazy for him not to return the feelings.

I love my books with romance and lots of romance, but don’t put romance in there if there is absolutely no need for romance. Jesse isn’t a bad character, but I feel like he more of a prop for a story. Although , I like him wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy more than any of the other characters.

Swoon Worthy Scale: 3.5

The Villain- It is a mystery of who is dragging out Lizzie’s past, but I feel like I should’ve known that ending was coming and in some ways the thought flittered through my mind. I just didn’t think she would take that route because I knew it wouldn’t work with this book.

Villain Scale: 4.5

Lizzie is what really drives this book. By this I mean if Lizzie hadn’t killed herself The S-Word would have no plot or purpose. Lizzie is a typical trope for every Lifetime movie surrounding a dead friend. Everything in her diary I saw coming. Yes I even saw the rape and her being in love with Angie. I wasn’t expecting the whole father-molestation thing thought. One thing that really bothered me was a flashback of Lizzie’s torment.
“A week before Lizzie died, a group of senior girls decided to teach her a lesion about taking off her clothes at improper times. Each time they caught her alone in the halls, they attempted to snip off a piece of her outfit. In reality, very few girls managed to snag a decent piece of fabric, but it didn’t matter much. By the end of the week, the mere snapping of scissors made Lizzie seize up in terror.”
You’re telling me not one teacher or counselor saw this? I find this really hard to believe since they mention pretty heavy security on campus. What pisses me off even more is that Angie being a so-called friend let Lizzie being submitted to this cruelty and she can still think that she has the right to consider herself ever a friend. Friends don’t abandon someone so easily. Lizzie didn’t deserve that or any of the horrible things that were done to her.

Character Scale: 4

While I appreciate what this book was trying to tackle, I feel that Ms. Pitcher didn’t do a very strong job of it. It’s a pity because I had high hopes for this book, but it doesn’t live up to any of my expectations. Some of them were fleetingly touched and then she would do something that would make me shake my head. I’m just disappointed by this book and it’s as simple as that.

Cover Thoughts: My favorite thing about the whole book. I wish I had a physical copy just for the cover alone.

Thank you, Netgalley and Gallery Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Sha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have you ever read a book and then, somehow, forgotten everything about the plot and characters and meaning to the story but retained a single emotion from your reading? An emotion so powerful you either knew that book was the best thing you ever read … or the worst?

That was my experience with The S-Word. I can’t quite say when I first read this book, but it was more than three years ago. Something about the book left a bad taste in my mouth because I refused to ever touch it again. Yet here I am, reviewing this book and … I really loved it? I have no idea what would have upset me so terribly in my first reading. Not one clue. But enough about me, let’s get to the review.

Like the book summary says, this is the story of Angie and Lizzie. On prom night (which I did not know happened during the school year, shows how much I know about the American school system) Lizzie is caught in bed with Angie’s boyfriend. In the days after, the word SLUT is written on Lizzie’s locker and on her car, people try to cut off pieces of her clothing (because she wants it “off”), a naked drawing of Lizzie circulates the school, and Angie stops talking to Lizzie completely. Then Lizzie commits suicide. But it doesn’t stop there. Not it’s SUICIDE SLUT that is written everywhere and Angie is hell bent on finding out who tormented her best friend to her last days.

What did I like about this book? For one, you can tell this book isn’t messing around. The very first page throws everything at you. Lizzie is dead, Angie is pissed, and there is a helluva lot of bullying going around. There are some books that deal with slut-shaming or suicide and, maybe it’s just me, but the topic is handled softly. What authors might forget is that these are teens. They don’t care about being sensitive. Sometimes, being brash and to the point is the only way to be true to the topic.

At the same time, I’m not saying the author isn’t sensitive. There are delicate topics raised in this book and Pitcher maintains a socially conscious approach throughout her writing. One scene in particular has Angie approach someone she now knows has commit a serious crime. Angie is uncomfortable but also conflicted. Without spoiling too much, I will say that Pitcher shows how difficult it can be to accept when people you trust commit grievous wrongs.

Another thing I loved? Angie’s narration. She is unstable. She is not reliable. She just lost her best friend and as a reader, you can sense her culpability. But to what extent, you won’t know until the end. 

One thing I remain somewhat conflicted on is Jesse’s characterization. He’s well-developed and so freaking caring buuuuuut … he is portrayed as gay for most of the book only for readers to find out he is not gay, he only maintained what people believed because it was easier. This is complicated and really needs some unpacking (at least for me). I mean, the main thing that sticks out to me is that it is hard for someone to come out, and he is out but doesn’t have to be because he isn’t? Yet it’s not like he is enjoying “perks.” My thoughts aren’t fully with me here, because I’m not quite sure how I feel, but I do like his character and I do think he does more good than harm. If you read this book, be sure to let me know how you feel. It was certainly something I’ve never encountered in a book before.

All in all though, I really enjoyed this book. The ending threw me for a loop EVEN THOUGH I read it before because I forgot it all. Guilt does crazy things to people and you can never really know how to deal (or how others will deal). I think Angie has a lot to learn at the end of the book but going along her process was … kind of cathartic? Sometimes you need to rage at all the unfairness, all the justice that is not served. So maybe I understand her a little. Not completely. But a little.

So for this book, four and a half crowns. There is so much to think about following this book (so much I invite you to think about if you read it) which is what I want in any good read.

Join me on my book journey!

[Jenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was extremely difficult for me to rate. I ended up rating it a solid 3, right down the middle because I felt I couldn’t give it higher, but I didn’t want to give it less because of the subject matter it dealt with. I wanted to like this book a lot more than I did because that plot sounded amazing. But alas, the original plot ended up buried beneath choppy dialogue and some Nancy Drew/Scooby Doo like mystery with twists and an ending you could see coming a mile away.

On the night of prom, Angie walked in on her boyfriend, Drake and her best friend, Lizzie. After that night, Lizzie is branded a slut, a word that starts appearing on her locker, then on her car, etc. Soon after, Lizzie kills herself. Suddenly, suicide slut appears writte in Lizzie's handwriting on lockers and in bathrooms, and pages of her diary start floating around. Angie decides to take matters into her own hands and find out the culprit behind these actions and ultimately, why Lizzie killed herself.

This sounded very 13 Reasons Why to me, which I loved. I love authors who take risks writing about heavy topics such as bullying and suicide. This is something that is so prevalent in our society right now and it’s not easy to talk about. Also worth mentioning, the double standards between guys and girls when it comes to sex. Drake got off with a boys-will-be-boys slap on the wrist, Lizzie became the harlot of Verity High. So I will give Pitcher props. I get it and I loved what she was trying to do.

That being said, The S-Word almost seemed like two completely different books. First, you had Angie, Super Sleuth from the 40’s. Not kidding, she went into questioning with thoughts like, Here’s where I play him like a fiddle. I could almost picture her in a fedora with a cigar hanging out of her mouth. The story followed her through countless interrogations with each person giving just a little bit more insight than the last, but each still withholding more. It drove me nuts. Angie was like on a war path for vengeance. It overshadowed any other emotion inside of her. There was no grieving for a lost friend, it was who had a hand in her death and how can I make them pay? She was manipulative, rude, arrogant and entitled and it really turned me off from her character.

Then there was the diary of Lizzie. These passages seemed like they were written by a completely different author. They were a tad dramatic, but I guess that was Lizzie (?).

Tonight I etched the word into me with a blade from my father's razor. Small, red letters above my hip. I romanticize the idea of being branded. It's the only choice I can make. There is no coming back from where I've been.

I enjoyed reading these parts and wish the entire story could have been told from her diary. They revealed more of the story than anything else and flowed better than the rest. Everything else just seemed like a filler.

Other characters didn't really register on my radar. They all seemed like unrealistic sterotypes of what we expect to see in a high school; head cheerleader and her minions, drama queen, resident nerd, jock. The only interesting character was Jesse, yet I feel like his character was never described well. Honestly, he confused me. He was the best character, but confusing.

Good plot line with major issues that we need to shed light on, but just not executed in the best way.

I received an e-copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This review can also be seen at Book Jems.

[Jillyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After she was caught in a hotel room on prom night with her best friend's boyfriend, Lizzie is labelled as the school slut. The students taunt her, and her locker becomes riddled with that word, over and over again. Slut. Shortly after, Lizzie commits suicide. Her best friend, Angie, cannot let sleeping dogs lie and begins to dig into the secrets of the school's student body, unraveling them bit by bit in an attempt to find out what really led Lizzie to end her life, and who was behind it. But can Angie handle what secrets she uncovers, and more importantly, will she be able to tame the raging, vengeful curiosity that has begun to consume her?

----

Wow. I wasn't sure how I was going to enjoy this one, but it was a raw, emotional ride from start to finish. I give it 4.5/5 stars, rounded up.

+I really enjoyed the writing itself. It was gritty and honest, and not always pleasant, but portrayed a gorgeous portrait of the darker side of high school. I found the language to be modern without trying too hard to be young, which is an issue I have with a lot of other contemporary novels.

+I honestly had no idea what was going on- and I mean that in a good way. Though this book isn't a traditional "whodunnit", there is still a mystery taking place. Up until the end, I had no idea how it would end. I had theories and thought processes that rearranged several times throughout the course of the book, and I was still taken by surprise. That is a great trait in a book for me.

+I'm pretty sure a large reason as to why I... Enjoyed isn't the right word. Why I connected to this book is because I've witnessed it happen, to a lesser extent. A girl in my high school committed suicide after a trio of her friends took a rumor as true and turned it against her. After her death, the friends came undone and grieved in the same way some of the characters do in this story. Though there was far less drama and vengeance in my real-life witnessing, I couldn't help but to picture my acquaintance as Lizzie. This is a topic that needs to be expressed more in young adult literature. Suicide, and slut shaming and bullying, are so much more frequent with technology what it is, but the stories seemed to be glossed over. It happens every day, and stories like The S-Word remind us of that fact.

+ As a member of the LGBT community, I really appreciated some of the queer themes that appeared, if only briefly, in this book. This was another part of the book that made me connect more strongly, and made the book more "real."

-The only real issue that I had with this story was the amount of digging and spying and lying that Angie went through. I understand the guilt and grief that she felt, but it was downright psychotic at times and made it a bit uncomfortable to read. As a whole, these parts helped to shape the novel, but at times they seemed just a bit too much.

I recommend this book to any young adult, and to any fan of young adult literature or contemporary story. Be warned, this story contains very serious topics such as rape, self-harm, LGBT identity, suicide, and sexual abuse. This isn't a light-hearted read. If any of those topics bother you, than give this a pass. Everyone else: Give this book a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gallery Books for my ebook copy. This review can also be found on my humble little blog, Bitches n Prose.

[Naoms · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally Posted on Confessions of an Opinionated Book Geek

Decades ago, before blockbusters and television, there were these black and white movies about guys who wore trench coats, talked really fast and fell in love with bombshells with big secrets. Film Noir is a specialized genre of fiction that has inspired many student films and Indies like “Brick” starring Joseph Gordon Levitt. Someone is dead or something valuable is missing or a wife wants to know if her old man is stepping out on her. These movies were filled with shifty characters, secrets and layers of twists that kept the audience guessing.

I don’t usually read mystery novels or investigative books, so while reading “The-S Word” I thought about movies like “Double Indemnity.” I liked Angie as the teenaged prom Queen gumshoe, investigating who pushed the girl who betrayed her into suicide. In Noir private investigator fashion, Angie combs through her school in search of the truth. Someone is writing “suicide sluts” all over the school in a dead girls handwriting and Angie not only wants to find out who is doing it now, but she also wants to discover who originally branded her ex-best friend a slut.

Angie follows her clues to the usual suspects. The mean girl cheerleaders, the bullied nerd and the jealous drama club star. The drama unfolds in an entertaining fashion, which is both classic and surprising all at once. This book is about high school, but it is a mystery where more than one answer is found and even more secrets are exposed.

The-S Word is as much a story about revenge as it is a love story. Angie is determined to find the people who tortured Lizzie into killing herself, so that she can make them pay. There’s your vengeance, quite straightforward. The love story not so much. The love is layered. It is unexpected and comes in different shapes and forms. It’s the discovery of forbidden love, secret friendships and devotion so strong it kills.

What I really liked about “The S-Word” is that just when you get a handle on the story and you wonder how the author can keep it going, she switches it up. What you think you know, you don’t actually have a clue! It seems simple. Find out who bullied Lizzie and why she killed herself, but the truth is that Lizzie was more than bullied. She was tortured at every turn. By her classmates, by her overbearing parents and by the emotions she locked away within her.

The more I think about this book, the more I like it. It’s not a romance. It’s not a story about being popular, or getting the cute boy to like you. It’s about choices and how we treat each other. The story of Elizabeth Hart is the story on how we destroy each other. It’s the story of our cruelty, of the things that we say and do to each other that can affect the course of someone’s life.

A unique take on not only school bullying, but high school and the art of getting even. I highly recommend it.

[Amy_Read to My Heart's Content · Rating 5 out of 5]

http://readtomyhearts.blogspot.com/20...


My Thoughts:

I was nervous about reading The S-Word at first because it didn't have any werewolves, vampires, or demon battling slayer in it and that is usually my go to books. My comfort zone if you will. But I was definitely intrigued reading the synopsis and I have to say I am so happy that I decided to take a chance.

I feel absolutely changed from reading The S-Word. For me, this was a very powerful piece of literature that really makes the reader take a deep dark look into the effects of bullying, labeling and rumors. I really feel like this a story that every person could benefit from by reading it.

I was just blown away by the dark and gritty nature of the book. It isn't this light hearted fun romantic read. No. The S-Word is a heavy, get lost in the narrator's sadness, kind of book. It is hard not to feel the pain that Angie is feeling from Lizzie's suicide. From the writing style, we can see the emotions playing upon Angie as she tries to get through Lizzie's death. I think the fact that the writing is all over the place shows us physically how Angie is at her rock bottom right now.
Because this high school that these young people have to deal with now? It's nothing like I had to deal with growing up. Sure I had bullies; I think bullies exist everywhere (though I wish they didn't) but nothing this harsh. And yet I still found myself relating to Lizzie, Angie, and Jessie as their raw emotions poured from these pages. I am going to tell you right now: I literally did not have a dry eye left by the end of this book, which I finished in about two days.
I had to take a step back from the book and take a deep breath to get my bearings. The ending completely took my breath away and I knew right then that The S-Word would stay with me forever.

Now, there were some unknowns that I did figure out right away. Where Lizzie was coming from in her diary pages, as well as prom too. But there were other plot threads that totally eluded me and I never would have guessed it in a hundred years. I feel like in a lot of ways, the author wanted us to understand some of the mysteries before the characters. This way it caused what we, the reader, didn't get right away to be even more of a shocker.

Sorry guys, I know I am being so cryptic right now but I don't want to give anything away that might influence your initial reaction to this superb piece of writing. Just trust me on this please.

The S-Word is full of deep dark secrets everywhere we turn. Nothing is as it seems and yet some things never change too. It has this dark crime noir feel to it but for young adults. There are some real heartbreaking issues that are dealt with in this novel. These secrets could shatter the lives of everyone in this novel about lies, truths, and a case of revenge....and forgiveness.

[Judith · Rating 2 out of 5]

(Full review can be found on my blog, Paper Riot.)

First thought
Innnnnteresting.

More thoughts
What surprised me most about The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher was how very dark it was. Though the beginning of the book wasn't at all light, after about 40% it started to get so dark and complex that I was both intrigued and appalled by what was happening (and more importantly: what had happened before). I had some trouble finding myself in the story at first, because there were so many different characters and storylines that seemed to be randomly put together just to create the feeling of complexity. It felt... unstable. Forced, even. The fact that I didn't feel anything for the main character certainly didn't help.

But as it turns out, it was more complex than I'd thought it would be. Because after the first couple of chapters, the storylines became more intertwined, the secrets became darker, and I became more and more intrigued. And though I was feeling quite distanced from the book at first, I ended up being unable to put it down and drawn into it in a way I can't explain. If anything, I am impressed with Pitcher's writing and the way she created such a multi-layered, unexpected story. Pitcher tackles some tough topics, but not in a way it was too much for me. Just in a way that I was glad that my high school experience was nothing like what is described in this book, because man. It was pretty intense.

As for Angie, she certainly doesn't deserve the award for most likeable character. I didn't really hate her, but I definitely didn't like her either. I was mostly unattached to her, though I did begin to find her more interesting as the story continued. Or maybe I was more disgusted by her dark humor and cruelty. Either way, there were some secrets about her character that came as a surprise to me, and made me realize just how much Lizzie's death had messed her up. But the only times I liked Angie were when the romance was involved, a romance I was particularly invested in because it was so refreshing and unique (and also intense).

What I liked about this book was that, even though she's already dead in the beginning of this book, we get to know Lizzie through the pages of her diary, and sometimes, I felt like I knew her better than Angie. Overall, The S-Word gave a very clear message: maybe we don't know other people like we think we do, even (or especially) the people closest to us. Filled with lies and secrets and betrayal, it was mostly an intense read for me, surprisingly dark and strangely compelling. And though it won't end up on my favorites shelf, I am glad that I read it, because it was... something.

[Kristen Jett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short Review
I cried. I gasped. I ached. I was inspired.

Full Review
As reviewed on PenandMuse.com
I was intrigued immediately from the synopsis of The S-Word. Is it a mystery? Is there a ghost? What really happened to Lizzie? When I actually got my grabby hands on the ARC, I was blown away. At one point I emailed Chelsea Pitcher to say “I am in full blown tears reading THE S-WORD. Also, I love you for this book. Sheer love.”

Authors: if your book gets me declaring love for you, you’ve done something right.

One moment. One night. That was it all took for Lizzie to be labeled a slut, lose her best friend, and be labeled as the town pariah.
Months of torment. One decision. One free fall. That was it all took for Lizzie to end her life.

What if Nancy Drew was a modern day teenager looking to solve the mystery of why her (former) best friend killed herself? What would happen to cause a young girl to take her life? The loss of a friend? The bullying? Everything combined? This is a honest, raw look at high school – with the stark reminder that everyone has a secret. Everyone has something that they’d like to keep buried in the dark. In a small town, those little secrets can affect everyone.

Bullying is a really prevalent issue with teens today and I love the way that The S-Word shows the problems with it without being preachy. It’s a cycle. To keep your own self safe, you direct the attention elsewhere – but does anyone ever try to stop the cycle? To just let everyone be?

What I enjoyed most was how relatable the characters were. I really felt for them. For Lizzie. For Angie. For Jesse. I wanted to shield them. I wanted to defend them. I felt a wide variety of emotions for them. I solved pieces of the mystery early on, but was still surprised and awed when the entire story unraveled.

End of story: If I had a daughter, I’d have her read this book. If I had a little sister, I’d beg her to read this book. Since I have neither, I’ll just reread the story…often. No doubt – Chelsea Pitcher has made a fan out of me.

[Patty · Rating 5 out of 5]

The S-Word
by
Chelsea Pitcher

My "in a nutshell" summary...

Mean girls...bullies...suicide...mysterious notes...a quest for the truth...the loss of a friend.

My thoughts after reading this book...

Angie and Lizzie are friends...best friends...until Angie finds Lizzie hooking up with Lizzie's boyfriend, Drake, at prom. Angie can not forgive. Then...Lizzie is tormented and bullied at school. Angie doesn't help her...and Lizzie takes her own life. Angie is now on a quest to find out what caused Lizzie to do this. She seeks the help of Jessie to help her. There are many unanswered questions. Lizzie and Angie are both sad characters...but Lizzie has been hiding her secret for longer than she probably should have.

This book truly delves into the bad side of high school. The bullies, the drinking, the far too silent victims...the torturous part of being anyone who is different. It is exquisitely insightful and sad. Angie is tormented and persecutes herself for not forgiving Lizzie. She is relentless about finding the pieces of Lizzie's diary to find out what the truth really is. There is a danger that she might lose...destroy...herself in this process. Finding out what Drake really did to Lizzie that night...has shocking repercussions. And then there is Jessie...mysterious...passionate...with his questionable sexuality. Angie is drawn to him.

What I loved about this book...

This book had a beautifully clear voice in Angie and actually in Lizzie, too. It was heartbreakingly beautiful to learn about Lizzie from the soulful pages of her diary.

What I did not love...

I found it so sad to relearn how horrible life in high school can be. Cheerleaders, cliques, jocks...were all so terrible to anyone slightly different.

Final thoughts...

I really found this to be a truly thought provoking glimpse into the lives of these characters.
It was sad, sometimes cruel but ultimately fascinating.

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Characters: The protagonist, Angie, is all over the place. It's understandable for her to be confused after everything that happened, but she doesn't really seem to know what she's doing. Lizzie was branded a slut for sleeping with one guy, so she is painted by Angie as a perfectly innocent angelic character who would never be capable of expressing sexuality, which was unbelievable. Jesse was interesting, but Angie's relationship with him was rather sudden and odd. There wasn't enough background to Drake to be able to develop an idea of his motivations.

Plot: There wasn't much structure to the story at all. When the 'slut' graffiti carries on after Lizzie commits suicide, Angie suddenly decides to investigate and play detective... but most people refuse to just say what they know, which drags things out for no apparent reason. Then there's a sudden reveal of something that happened to Lizzie and Kennedy which Angie doesn't really seem to care about because she's too busy trying to plot revenge against everyone who contributed to Lizzie wanting to kill herself (despite the fact she was one of them and spent her time ignoring and resenting Lizzie up until her sudden change of heart). Then when she finds out what really happened on prom night, she goes slightly crazy and starts planning revenge for their graduation day. The whole thing is slow-paced and disjointed and Angie's flip-flopping attitude is too disconcerting to be able to connect with the story at all, and her way of dealing with it is hard to condone.

Other Comments: I was hoping for a thought-provoking serious look into bullying and slut-shaming in high school, but sadly for me this book did not deliver.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Angie and Lizzie were best friends, until Angie caught her boyfriend Drake cheating on her with Lizzie. After being branded a slut by whole school, Lizzie commits suicide.

This books starts a couple of weeks after Lizzie's death. It follows Angie as she tries to figure out exactly what happened and whose fault is it that Lizzie committed suicide. Angie lies and manipulates people to get what she wants from them. She questions everyone around her: her ex-boyfriend Drake, the weirdo of the school Jesse, Lizzie's strange neighbor Marvin, the cheerleader Kennedy and Shelby, the girl who worked with Lizzie on a school play.

I thought that characters were well developed. Every character has some secret they don't want anybody to know about. It made for a very interesting story, but the book deals with so many big issues concerning sexuality and abuse that that I sometimes thought: WOW, TOO MUCH, TOO FAST. It good that the author wanted to explore important issues, but it could have been handled better.

I enjoyed the writing style, even though there were some confusing sentences. Lizzie's diary entries seemed quite childish. I get that she's supposed to be more innocent than other characters, but it's just not that convincing to me.

I like the questions at the end of the book. Especially the one about which word is the S-word? When I was reading the book, I thought it definitely stood for 'slut', but it turns out it's more complicated than that. There are other possible words listed on author's site: shame, secret, scorned, silence... And each one of them fits the book.

[AdriAnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE S-WORD is full of possibilities, with twists and turns both good and bad that let the reader take what they will from the story. I love that the “s-word” itself can stand for so many things: slut, suicide, secret, shame, etc. And yet other words come to mind in relation to some of the amazing characters: sweet, smart, sassy, surprising….

THE S-WORD is both dark and hopeful, shocking and seductive, and about revenge and redemption. It’s not a story for the faint of heart, and yet, it is a story that should be read, period. It deals with many real issues that teens face every day: suicide, slut-shaming, bullying, and double-standards—for example, a guy gets called a rapist, and his friend laugh and slap him on the back; a girl gets called a slut and her life is destroyed. Literally. It doesn’t censor or sugarcoat the realities of many high schoolers’ lives, but it also doesn’t leave you without a light at the end of the tunnel. By a feat of excellent writing, THE S-WORD proves that hope, love and forgiveness are not impossible, even in a terribly dark situation.

The book also has one of the most unique love interests of all time: Jesse, who is cool, sensitive and cross-dressing, with a sexuality that's hard to pin down (intentionally, on his part). Any story would be worth reading with him in it, but he just makes THE S-WORD that much better, as a bright light in an already colorful cast.

So! I highly recommend it. For the full review, see the post on my website/blog: http://www.adriannestrickland.com/201...