The Sharp Edge of Silence: A Gripping YA #MeToo Novel About Sexual Assault and Toxic Masculinity at Elite Schools - Hardcover

Rosenblum, Cameron Kelly

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0062932101 ISBN 13: 9780062932105

Publisher: Quill Tree Books, 2023

Synopsis

Tradition meets People Like Us in this timely and haunting YA contemporary standalone that tackles the contagious nature of toxic masculinity at an elite New England boarding school clinging to its past, and the sexual assault that changes everything.

WHO WILL YOU BE AT LYCROFT PHELPS?

This is the question all Lycroft applicants want to be asked. It means they’ve been accepted to one of the most prestigious private high schools in the nation.

Over 150 years is plenty of time for traditions to bake into the campus’s bricks and ivy. Ceremonies. Athletic rivalries. Secret societies. Pranks taken too far. But navigating it all will make Charlotte (perfect, straight-A student), Max (scholarship kid and STEM whiz), and Quinn (artist, dreamer, Lycroft legacy) question all they thought they knew about themselves…and the school.

Especially when Quinn’s sexual assault becomes public and implicates one of the top-tier athletes on campus.

Told in alternating perspectives, this gripping, fast-paced narrative is perfect for readers looking for their next empowering #MeToo read.

When the school’s reputation is on the line, who will be protected and who will be silenced?

• Multiple POV: See the scandal unfold through the eyes of the dancer, the scholarship kid, and the survivor whose story changes everything.
• Class & Privilege: From the scholarship kid trying to fit in to the powerful legacies who own the school, this story explores the sharp divide between the haves and the have-nots.
• A Gripping Revenge Plot: As Quinn seeks justice on her own terms, she’ll discover how far she’s willing to go to make her attacker pay.
• For Fans of YA Social Thrillers: A powerful and timely standalone novel perfect for readers of Courtney Summers and Kathleen Glasgow.

About this title

About the Author

Cameron Kelly Rosenblum grew up in Connecticut. She studied English literature at Kenyon College and earned a master’s in education at Lesley University. Her time as a teacher and children’s librarian inspired her to write for young people. The Stepping Off Place is her debut novel. The Sharp Edge of Silence is her second. Cameron lives near Portland, Maine, with her husband, son, daughter, two dogs, and a cat. Visit her online at www.cameronrosenblum.com or on Twitter @ckellyrose.

Reviews

Gr 9 Up—Quinn (artist, musician, and legacy student), Charlotte (dancer and high achiever), and Max (scholarship student and math genius turned varsity crew coxswain) all attend the elite boarding school Lycroft Phelps. When Quinn is raped after their spring formal, she returns to school the next fall changed. Her roommate, Alex, can tell and even her "Big Sister" Charlotte from the year before can see something is wrong, but Q doesn't want to tell anyone. Told from the multiple perspectives of Quinn, Charlotte, and Max, this novel examines elite athletics, secret societies, male toxicity, and a culture of silence. Once Quinn's secret is exposed, who will rise to help her and who will choose to support the status quo? Rosenblum's thoughtfully crafted, moving narrative allows for the time and space needed to address the complexities of how sexual assault is dealt with on a high school campus. She deftly weaves the stories of three very different students whose lives are intertwined and who must all find the person they want to be. VERDICT A beautifully written novel that tells a powerful story of survival, support, and finding voice.—Rebekah J. Buchanan

Edition details

• Publisher: Quill Tree Books
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0062932101
• ISBN 13: 9780062932105
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 496