First published 2013
At Noble High, five students rule the social hierarchy. Three girls and two guys maintain their status through carefully crafted images. Each keeps a private journal filled with secrets they never intended to share. When one member of their elite circle decides to leak the private entries, the group's hidden truths spill into the open. The anonymous whistleblower grows tired of the constant performance required to stay on top. Everyone filters their Instagram posts, embellishes their Facebook profiles, and edits their photos. Reality TV scripts its drama, athletes use performance enhancers, and people surgically alter their bodies like updating computer programs. The leaker realizes that nothing feels authentic anymore. The pressure to succeed has grown so intense that deception becomes the only survival strategy. As the journal entries surface, each student must confront the gap between their public persona and private reality. Harrison explores how social media and competitive culture push teenagers to become performers in their own lives.
Genres: coming-of-age, contemporary, social-issues, young-adult
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: performance, secrets, social-hierarchy
Period: 21st-century
64 pages · Kindle Edition · Poppy