Book review of What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

Last 12 months, Rachel Riley was the most well-liked lady at East Middle School in Madison, Wisconsin. This 12 months, she’s persona non grata with your complete eighth grade class—apart from Anna Hunt. 

Anna, the brand new child on the town, is an aspiring journalist who loves listening to podcasts, studying and emailing her grandmother, Babcia, who lives in Poland. Anna desires of being accepted to the summer time podcasting camp at Northwestern University, however she wants to create an impressive podcasting pattern for her utility. In the meantime, she’s additionally making an attempt her greatest to make buddies at her new faculty.

When Anna’s Social Issues instructor assigns a semester-long “un-essay” undertaking about any social query of private curiosity, Anna decides that investigating Rachel’s precipitous fall from grace is the right method to obtain all her targets. She’ll interview Rachel and their classmates about what occurred and get to know folks alongside the way in which. Sure, she may ruffle some feathers, however that’s half of being a journalist.

Text messages, handed notes, emails, flyers and interview transcripts allow readers to be part of Anna as she positive factors perception into East Middle School, deftly illustrating how even informal conversations can layer upon each other and develop right into a rising tide of peer stress. When Anna realizes that Rachel’s ostracization is tied to a sexual harassment “game” that the boys have been taking part in on the women’ expense, she’s understandably unsure about what to do subsequent. Through Rachel’s experiences, Anna has seen how harmful it may be to reveal secrets and techniques, to make a fuss and stand out from the gang. But may or not it’s value doing anyway, if it leads to actual change?

Claire Swinarski has created a strikingly practical depiction of what it’s like to navigate the minefields of center faculty whereas making an attempt to work out what you stand for—and what you’re keen to arise for. What Happened to Rachel Riley? is each well timed and, sadly, timeless in its depiction of systemic sexual harassment and and frustratingly inappropriate reactions from authority figures and friends. This compelling novel urges readers to take into account what they may do in related conditions and reminds them that “sometimes, fairness has to be demanded instead of waited for.”