by Chris Colfer
First published 2013
Carson Phillips faces a problem. The high school senior desperately needs content for his literary journal to strengthen his Northwestern University application. His dream of editing The New Yorker depends on getting into college, but his classmates ignore his magazine. Carson decides to take drastic action. He digs up secrets about the most popular students at school and uses what he finds as leverage. The cheerleaders, jocks, and social elites suddenly find themselves forced to contribute writing to Carson's publication. As an outcast among his peers, Carson navigates the dangerous territory of high school politics while pursuing his ambitious goals. The blackmail scheme reveals the hidden scandals lurking beneath the polished surface of teenage life. Carson's ruthless tactics raise questions about how far someone should go to achieve their dreams and escape their circumstances.
Genres: fiction, coming-of-age, contemporary, young-adult
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: outcast, secrets, social-climbing
Setting: Northwestern University
Period: 21st-century
258 pages · Paperback · Little, Brown Books for Young Readers