Whistleblower

by Kate Marchant

Laurel Cates loves her friends, her role on the college paper and keeping a low profile. But when she uncovers a scandal involving the head coach of Garland University's beloved football team, she knows she has to do the right thing. Even if the whole team despise her for writing the article that puts their coach under criminal investigation. Even if her classmates don't believe her. Even if her boss tries to fire her from the side job she desperately needs. Even if the heart-of-gold, gorgeous, star quarterback, Bodie St. James, seems hell-bent on hating her...A gripping depiction of one girl who is brave enough to take on the establishment - and the boy who has to learn to trust her.

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Sports Romance, New Adult, Sports

368 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 11, 2020

About the author

Kate Marchant is an author of Young Adult and New Adult contemporary fiction. She holds a bachelor's degree in creative writing from the University of Southern California and lives and writes in San Francisco. Her debut novel, FLOAT, is being turned into a feature film.

Reviews

[cate · Rating 5 out of 5]

kate marchant is the love of my life

[Ksia_zkowe Oliwia · Rating 3 out of 5]

2,5/5

bohaterką #whistleblower jest Laurel Cates - studentka dziennikarstwa, która uwielbia pisać artykuły do studenckiej gazetki. hej sytuacja obraca się o 180 stopni, gdy pisząc o trenerze futbolu, odkrywa plotki na temat jego okropnych zachowań, co do których zamierza się upewnić, zebrać fakty i wyłożyć je na światło dzienne.

„problem” robi się w momencie, w którym Laurel zaczyna rozmawiać z chłopakiem z drużyny trenera - Bodie’m, dla którego ten, jest niczym własny tata. nie chce pozwolić, by krzywdzące fakty, w które nie wierzy, obarczyły trenera.

i mimo, że cały czas oboje próbują udowodnić, że drugie się myli - zaczynają pałać do siebie uczuciem, które może dużo namieszać. czy któreś z nich odpuści? a może skłonią się ku prawdzie?

powiem Wam, że mi w tej książce po prostu czegoś zabrakło. to jedna z tych, którą przeczytałam, ale zbyt wiele za sobą nie pozostawiła. była dobrą rozrywką, ale ani za bardzo nie polubiłam się z bohaterami, ani za bardzo cała akcja mnie nie wciągnęła, choć początek był serio super! po pierwszych stronach liczyłam na dochodzenie do prawdy, staranie się o to, a im bardziej uczucie bohaterów wypełniało strony, tym ten artykuł i sytuacja z trenerem już nie miała mam wrażenie znaczenia, schodziła na dalszy plan. bo wiecie, bohaterowie, a w większości Laurel musiała właściwie stanąć po jednej ze stron: własne szczęście czy prawda?
ale! miała dojrzałe podejście, które mi się podobało i to zdecydowanie zaplusowało. i też co jest według mnie dość trudne, a tu również fajnie zostało przedstawione i wykonane - balans między tym, co straszne i co piękne, przy tak trudnych tematach. +!

ma sporo plusów! ale też moje subiektywne minusy. przeczytajcie sami, by się przekonać, co o niej myślicie! ❤️

[jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

When the physical copy is out next year I’m literally going to grab one without hesitation, and I’ve never looked forward to getting a published Wattpad book like that before. As the author says herself, this book is 75% cliffhangers and 25% puns, which I fully agree with because this book got me hooked and some of the jokes are so dry that I’m supposed to hate them but I can’t because they just work so well with the book. This book is over 100k words, but it certainly isn’t dragging, matter of fact, I still wanted more after I finished reading it. I love the feminist element in this book and I admire how the romance works perfectly as well. This book is also a wonderful portrayal of a "dream" college life with rich side characters and quite a lot of vivid scenes.

[Ashley (wickedreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While I absolutely loved this book and do recommend it (pls check trigger warnings) I do want to note a small thing at the end: there’s a scene where our main character is describing the villain as having a “witchy nose” while describing all the things about him physically that bother her—referring to his large, hooked nose. Which, while I’m sure the author did not intend it to be, is antisemitic. I hope that since this line is unnecessary anyways it can be removed or changed in future prints!

[Rayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me by surprise. I did not expect to be as invested it the plot as I was. Our girl Laurel is a journalist who started to get hints that the football coach wasn’t as great as he was made out to be. But when she starts exposing him, loveable quarterback, Bodie, refuses to believe it.

I would say this book is 35% romance, 50% uncovering the evils of their football coach, and 15% plain college vibes. I liked the balance it had between these twenty year olds just getting through college and more serious life topics. The stakes for Laurel were just high enough to keep me reading, needing to figure out what happened next. The characters also felt very natural to me. None of them were perfect, and they were all complex in their own way. The romance was also very cute. I’m glad I picked this one up!

[nelka9books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25⭐️

[shre ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

ugh, just as good as the first time

[book.touch · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5

„Whistleblower” to książka poruszająca niezwykle trudny temat. Z jednej strony spodziewałam się mniej więcej co mogę w niej znaleźć, ale z drugiej nie wiedziałam że uderzy aż tak mocno…

Laurel, studentka dziennikarstwa podczas pisania artykułu o szkolnej drużynie futbolowej, odkrywa że ich trener dopuszczał się wielu nadużyć, m.in. seksizmu, przekrętów finansowych czy przemocy seksualnej..

Najgorszy jest fakt że to nie to uderzało tak bardzo a to jak uczelnia wyciszała głos młodych kobiet walczących o bezpieczeństwo innych kobiet…

To nie jest pozycja do przeczytania na raz, przynajmniej dla mnie, często musiałam ją odkładać, oczyścić sobie głowę, by znowu do niej wrócić.

Bardzo podobało mi się w niej to że wątek romantyczny nie był na pierwszym planie. Tak naprawdę coś zaczęło się dziać między nimi dopiero przy ok 200-150 stronach do końca książki, mimo że było widać że między bohaterami jest coś na rzeczy.

Rzeczą która najbardziej mnie irytowała to nieprzetłumaczone hiszpańskie słówka, których nie potrafiłam sobie nawet skojarzyć na podstawie danej sceny. Wszystko musiałam wbijać w tłumacza, a nie oszukujmy się, sięganie po telefon podczas czytania jest bardzo rozpraszające, po chwili zapominasz że czytałaś książkę i siedzisz na tiktoku haha

Naprawdę nie powiedziałabym że jest to książka z wattpada, a raczej już takiej wprawionej pisarki. Pozycja bardzo mi się podobała, jeśli mogę użyć takich słów.

„Whistleblower” Kate Marchant to książka, która udowodni ci, że nawet najcichszy głos w słusznej sprawie ma ogromne znaczenie.

[shre ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

third reread: could use some more editing but i still stand by this being one of the few wattpad books that deserved publication

——

ugh, just as good as the first time

[Booktastically Amazing · Rating 4 out of 5]

I completely forgot to rate this or mark it as read but since I'm here and my chaotic self is present- I NEED SOMEONE TO GRAB THE AUTHOR BY THE LAPELS, AND PORFAVOR MAKE HER WRITE ANOTHER BOOK IN ABOUT FOUR TO SIX WEEKS.

I would do it myself but authors have gotten the gist that I'm an overly sensitive reader and have thus, ignored my telepathic suggestions.

[vxmpslibrary [mental health break] · Rating 4 out of 5]

.4.5 stars.
.drafted version.

"I never meant to -- when I quoted you, it - you're not an investment to me"

Kaz brekker should take notes right now jk

I really had a fun time with this book! This book had all the feels and it genuinely made me laugh a lot amount of times!

also Kate Marchant knows how to build up tension and anticipation, I genuinely could feel the tension when Boddie would find out the truth!

I don't have much to say but I would definitely recommend this book a lot!

Bodie is a whole amazon forest!! He's a sweet guy around everyone and it's genuinely a hard time trying to believe it for Laurel and Andre. He's a golden retriever but at the same time he's so quiet, but whenever he opens his mouth it's for something sweet and genuine. I loved his character and how I related to him most of the time! I just wanted to give him a huge hug you know?

Laurel is so smart and lovely! i genuinely loved her because her internal monologue was so funny but also how relatable she was as well. She would be ready to help others but when it comes to herself she finds it hard to share to her friends

I am glad the girl got the justice she deserved. So many in reality don't get justice for the sexual assault they recieve by someone, and the author mentioned in her notes as well, even though the girl has trauma she didn't wrote it much [in the drafted version I don't know about the new one]. The reality is that money can win anything, but not justice. while ignorance could be bliss, it would lead to harm to us and others around us.

Bodie stood up when he realised he was wrong, he learnt from his mistakes and stepped forward to help Laurel. that's what I loved a lot about him. he's such a great example to the society.

Hanna was such a great bestfriend so I loved her a lot! when she realised what happened with Laurel and she felt for Laurel I thought she was such a great friend for that! also when she tried to set up Bodie and Laurel together and played cupid omg🤭🫶.

Andre, I am so sure that Bodie and him are going to such great friends due to their personalities! he's such a helping friend and genuinely cares a lot about Laurel, helped her as becoming her human shield to protect her. The characters were so loveable!

Ellison, oh my she's such a badass for some reasons like whenever she opens her mouth idk why but I just love it and her!

Rebecca can just go and stay in a hole or whatever.

I felt the main focus could revolve more around the plot of the girl but it was more focused on romance, but I loved it nonetheless. absolute gems

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Sometimes I felt like I was an extra in a movie. Like somehow the role I'd been given in life wasn't a speaking one.”

1 Sentence Summary: Laurel Cates is used to being silent and overlooked, but when she uncovers buried secrets about her school's beloved football coach while writing an article for the school paper, she knows she has to speak up, even if it means risking her job, reputation, and even safety.

My Thoughts: Wow! Amazing! I stayed up until 2am to finish this (maybe not my best decision making moment seeing as I almost fell asleep during class…oops).

This was really well written and the characters were so well developed! And the relationships! There was some cute romance but it wasn’t the main focus of the story, and the friendships were so amazing. (I love when a boy and a girl can be really good friends w/out one of them being gay or one of them being in love with the other. Normalize more boy-girl friendships!)

It explored a lot of important topics including sexism, racism, and sexual assault & rape really well. And it doesn’t feel preachy at all. The story pulls you in, and the best part is that it leaves you feeling so EMPOWERED! I literally got chills during one of the ending scenes.

Also, the journalism and the college vibes! Yes!! And the Mexico City references made me happy (I used to live there).

Recommend to: People interested in feminism, college stories, journalism, & standing up for what’s right.

(Warnings: swearing; alcohol; harassment; mentions of sexual assault & rape)

***
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me an eARC in exchange for an honest review

[Yarany · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I originally read this on Wattpad but forgot most of it. Now for the second time, I enjoyed this still. This book borders on New Adult and YA. At first, it was hard to get into the story, but once I did, it was gripping. I also liked how the main conflict was handled realistically.

However, the best part of the story was the characters. Laurel is a college student studying journalism and she wants to expose the college's revered football coach for fraud and sexual abuse. Laurel was likable and brave to shed light on a relevant problem. Then there's the team's star quarterback, Bodie, who's like a literal golden retriever and helps Laurel through her investigation of the coach. The two had a subtle relationship that grew naturally. There was romance, but not as much as there tends to be in New Adult books.

While Lauren's relationship with Bodie was important to the story, it wasn't the main focus of the book which was firmly centered on the investigation and the repercussions facing Lauren if the story was made public. Personally, the drawback of the book was I would've liked more hate-to-love banter moments, there just lacked a bit of tension in Laurel and Bodie's interactions. I also disliked the pacing and use of time jumps to drive the narrative forward. It made the book drag in the end or in certain parts. Other than that, the story was a solid read.

Tw: sexual abuse and harassment

[✧ Beanie Reads ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

❧ College journalist Laurel Cates believes her latest article is little more than a gossip piece. She could never imagine the threads it would unravel involving the much darker going-ons of the college’s worshipped football coach. As she delves into the case, she’ll go head-to-head with the very handsome football golden boy. They should be enemies, but he has a good heart, and feelings spark. Laurel will stop at nothing to expose the football coach, but it may cost more than she ever expected.

❧ I read Whistleblower originally on Wattpad. I have read very few other Wattpad-published books, and my experiences have not been amazing. One I almost DNF-ed, and the other I saw noticeable dry spots that were clearly Wattpad editor interferences. So, I was very worried that Whistleblower would come out worse in its published form than its Wattpad form.

This was not the case. Of the few differences I noticed, they were actually improvements. Granted, I do not give this credit to Wattpad (#sorrynotsorry Wattpad :P) but rather to Marchant, but it was still a very pleasant surprise. The primary improvement was Brodie. He was not badly handled, but messy. He seemed a lot more back-and-forth, not in the indecisive sense, but in the plot-needs-drama sense. It was cleaned up so much, making both the romance and the handling of his involvement in the message just so much cleaner and more improved, and it made the book overall just so much more powerful.

❧ My thoughts on the book overall are very positive. It’s very much a 4.5 star for me. I ate this book up very much the second time just like I did the first. It has lovable main and side characters, hilarious dialogue, gut-punching scenes, and a strong message. They all balance very well together as well, and that’s something a lot of books struggle to find—balance. Sometimes the authors choose to focus on one more than the other, and that’s fine. I just prefer there be more of a balance between message and character and humor and all of that. And this book just nails all of the right things for me.

This is a great #MeToo book that also avoids accidentally veering into being attacking of anyone or dragging down. It just wants to help those who have been wronged and lift them up. I will say that one of the negatives of this book are that a lot of the more powerful moments are just skimmed over. It could be because Marchant wanted to keep the book lighter, or because this book’s focus was on Laurel and her journalism, but it felt like a lot of the heavier details were just pushed to the side.

So yes. Literally I took of 0.5 stars purely because I felt like there was too much brushing over the heavier bits. This isn’t necessarily because I felt an intense need for them, but rather because it always felt like the narrative jarred a bit when we got to those parts.

This is a book that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys fun college romance stories. Because even with its strong message, it is a lot of fun. I don’t typically read romances, and I definitely don’t typically re-read them, but this was a re-read for me, and I still devoured it. So let that say for you what it will.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

the wattpad of it all was extremely obvious in this one. purely a YA story masquerading as a New Adult novel. i’m not happy.
the one thing that really got to me was the fact that the book didn’t have a dual POV? this is THE story to show the reasoning and thought processes behind two sides of a situation as complicated as sexual assault allegations. i’m actually shocked the author didn’t do it. i want to know what bodie’s thinking!! his story is arguably more interesting than laurel’s. speaking of bodie - i didn’t buy the romance for one second. it was completely half-assed and boring with the characters having no tension or interesting personalities. i couldn’t care less about them and i HATED THAT. i can of course understand the book was written to focus mainly on the investigation and journalistic elements but come on. at least have an interesting take on the whole whistleblower stuff and a plot that isn’t ridiculously predictable and shallow.
i’m mad because now i have to go hunt down a book that will satisfy my fluffy needs because god knows this book left me wanting.

[jov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this so much

(unfortunately my vocabulary is not big enough to be able to properly explain my feelings)

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow wow wow wow

I will post a full review soon, but all I can say for now is that this is a piece of work I hope everyone reads.

Kate you killed it.

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had my doubts when I added this book to my TBR. A Wattpad book - my experience with such can't be described as positive which would usually end up in DNFing. But Whistleblower was on my mind for a long time and finally curiosity took over reason. Fortunately, this time it didn't kill a cat and even gave it some treats.

Can't tell everything worked story-wise and I might have expected something more but I needed to remind myself that it's not nonfiction nor journalism.

The author has a witty and simple writing style which is why I read the book so fast. Thank God, I didn't notice much of a typical YA/Wattpad terminology used for male leads' descriptions. It let me enjoy the story far more than I would, had the author decided to fill each page with anatomical depictions of American football players. That was one of my fears when I started this sport-related book but fortunately I was spared.

What I appreciated is the story that made it harder for me to put the book down. Sometimes I needed to do that to process what I read and what I felt in relation to that. I also wanted to know what happens next - what parts are discovered during investigation? What is revealed next and in what circumstances? How other character react to it? I needed to know so I kept on reading and reading and reading. Not that the book reads as a thriller or another episode of Criminal Minds, but it does pull you in and the curiosity is hard to fight. Who doesn't want to see the bad guys get the punishment they deserve?

The male lead wasn't someone I expected and I love his characterization. We need more cinnamon roll men as male leads! Blushing smiling soft bears that can kick your ass when needed! Thank you, author, for Bodie! Wattpad curse is broken!!

The female lead was a great character as well. I liked how realistic she was, how realistic her fears and struggles were. I saw a bit of myself in her and boy did it hit close to home at times.

Romance between the two was done with tact and in a very realistic way. I love how their bond develops organically fueled by their natural chemistry. Don't get me wrong, I know they started off as two people physically attracted to each other but it was written so well and without any forceful narrative that I believed in the genuity of their feelings etc. Their banter, dialogues in general weren't forced either and I liked each of their encounters. Ladies and gentlemen, that's how you write a realistic college romance without making it so "in-your-face" or shoving it down reader's throat.

The main theme of sexual abuse was also done tactfully and even though I expected more investigation than everyday life in the book, I still find it satisfying enough. Maaaybe some moments were too "sugary" and convenient in resolution but it's not something I'd hold against this book. Especially when the author introduced such a varied cast of "women supporting women" characters. Well, not only that but that's for you to discover, dear reader! 👀

... or maybe I do hold it against the book because I took 1 star from the rating. We can't have everything, right?

The ending scene was so good and satisfying. A shame we didn't see another confrontation but maybe that's for the better (better for the leading characters). All in all, a solid 4/5 from me.

[Kira · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5- Just as with Float (the first book by Kate Marchant), this book was such a pleasant surprise. I picked it up on a whim because it honestly sounded like the plot of All American (lol), but wow did it blow all of my expectations away! Laurel and Bodie were both such well rounded, deep characters, and I thought Marchant did a great job handling the subject matter!

[martucha czyta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laurel Cates studiuje dziennikarstwo na Uniwersytecie Garland. Podczas pisania artykułu dkrywa pewien bardzo mroczny sekret swojej uczelni, im bardziej drąży, tym gorszych rzeczy dowiaduje się. W roli głównej afery: trener futbolu. Dziewczyna staje przed trudnym wyborem, milczeć i pozostać niezauważoną czy wyjawić prawdę, na temat kogoś kogo autorytet wydaje się być nie do zburzenia.

Tworzenie artykułu, przeradza się w swego rodzaju dochodzenie, które może zepsuć nie tylko reputację uczelni, ale również zawodników drużyny futbolowej, w tym Bodiego, który nie jest obojętny Laurel. Ich relacja nabiera tempa w atmosferze narastającego napięcia, podejmowania bardzo trudnych decyzji i stawianiu czoła prawdzie.

Książka zaskakuje, porusza, ale też skłania do refleksji nad wlasnymi wyborami, przekonaniami i wartościami. Jak daleko możemy się posunąć, aby ujawnić prawdę? Opłaca się takie ryzyko?

[Marta :) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 Not bad at all. Not sure what I expected from a wattpad published book, and this was not it, it was a pleasant surprise ( disclaimer: not judging but the only one i ever read from them was AFTER simply to explain where i’m coming from)
I found it by chance and it was described as a not cringey at all love story. And you know what? Not only it wasn’t cringe at all, but the love story was so subtle and marginal, that the plot really shone out. It was set in a campus college, and the main character was a girl trying to start a me too movement through the university newspaper against a certain football coach.

If you have any wattpad underrated novel, feel free to share them with me.

XOXO

[leyla · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's time to confess i first read this story on wattpad years ago and i think about it every year since

-------------------------
I really enjoyed this story! This is a classic story trope but I loved how Merchant used it. Bodie and Laurel are two complex characters and I loved seeing the relationship between them bloom and change. This was a good story that also had a good plot that kept you coming back for more. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

[Zadie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh

It wasn’t… bad. It just wasn’t amazing.

[JS · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is such a cute, easy, and heartfelt read. It’s one of my favorites from my Wattpad days and maybe I’m biased but loved it. I loved all the changes made I think Kate made a stronger case. Also it gives me hope for a golden retriever boyfriend. It’s not an intricate read but it deserves its stars

[... · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh that was so good somehow rr it made it sm fun I love this god need a book for hanna and andre they are my favourite people ever

[vkngsdv · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 🌟
nie chcę mi się wypisać, co mi się w tej książce nie podobało - po przeczytaniu opisu miałam totalnie inne wyobrażenie i ogólnie było ok, jednak liczyłam na coś zupełnie innego.

[Oliebook · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Jest to moje ogromne zaskoczenie. Nie tylko pod względem pięknego wydania, ale również samej treści. Książka w ogóle nie przypomina mi innych powieści, które swój sukces początkowo odniosły na platformie Wattpad. Jest to chyba jedna z lepiej napisanych powieści z Wattpada, które przeczytałam i mimo iż nie jestem jej docelowym targetem, jako osoba, która częściej sięga po literaturę z działu New Adult, bawiłam się przy niej dobrze. Jest to ten typ lektury, którą bez problemu można przeczytać za jednym posiedzeniem. Mimo trudnego tematu, który porusza, jakim jest problem nadużyć seksualnych, jest napisana w sposób lekki i przystępny w odbiorze. Momentami brakowało mi niestety trochę akcji i może większego rozwinięcia wątku romantycznego, ale poza tym, książka była naprawdę w porządku.

[books.of.youth · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3,25✨)
Autorka w umiejętny sposób łączy trudniejsze tematy z romansem młodzieżowym, w porównaniu do innych książek z Wattpada jestem tutaj całkiem pozytywnie zaskoczona. Jednak w tym wszystkim zabrakło mi emocji i pogłębienia psychiki naszych głównych bohaterów, mam wrażenie ze kompletnie się z nimi nie związałam i ostatecznie czułam niedosyt wątku miłosnego :(

[a little bit of everything. · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO FREAKING GOOD!

just finished this book and seriously want to read it again!
cant wait for it be publish in 2020! 🙌🏼😭✨

[Syeda Zainab Salam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ya'll this book is gonna be published and everybody better read this BECAUSE IT IS AMAZING.