Circle of Silence

Circle of Silence
Age Range
13+
Release Date
July 24, 2012
ISBN
978-0373210626
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It’s my turn to run a Campus News crew, and I’ve put together a team that can break stories wide open. And Washington Irving High has a truly great one to cover, if only we can find a lead.

A secret society has formed in our school. It announced its presence with pranks: underwear on the flagpole, a toilet in the hallway, cryptic notes. A circle of silence keeps the society a mystery. No one knows its members, agenda or initiation secrets—until a student lands in the hospital under strange circumstances.

I will blow this story wide open and stop others from being hurt...…or worse. And while my ex, Jagger, might want to help, I don’t trust him yet. (And, no, not because of our past together. That is not important to this story.)

But whether you find me, Valerie Gaines, reporting in front of the camera, or a victim in the top story of the newscast, …be sure to watch Campus News at 9:00 a.m. this Friday.

User reviews

2 reviews
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0(2)
Characters
 
3.0(2)
Writing Style
 
3.0(2)
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A(0)
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Circle of Silence
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I think I missed the memo that Circle of Silence e is actually a member of a series; I’m a very strictly chronological reader—I don’t even re-read books outside of series order. However, I found out that Circle of Silence and its prequel, dancergirl , are actually standalones that take place in the same high school, so I figured my chronological self could let it slide.

So here’s the story: Val is in charge of WiHi’s student-run news broadcast, and she’s in search of a shiny award. When a bunch of weird pranks all signed “MP” crop up around school, Val sees it as the perfect opportunity. However, things escalate and things get dangerous, and pretty soon Val and her news crew find themselves way over their heads.

One of the coolest things about Circle of Silence is the premise/plot. I loved the high school journalism scene, as well as the really edgy fast-paced mystery Tanzman wrote. And the secret society was just awesome.

Are there other YA books that deal with subjects like this? If there are, I have to get my hands on them.

The main character, Val, I didn’t really relate to, and I don’t think that characterization is Tanzman’s strong point. However, though Val and Company were a bit unreachable, I still enjoyed their interactions and personalities.

Tanzman’s prose was a bit stiff, too, and since characters and prose are things I value most in any given book, I didn’t like Circle of Silence e as much as I could have.

Verdict: This book is edgy, fast-paced, and thrilling. Circle of Silence definitely brings something new to the table, and though I wasn’t blown away, I’m still really glad I took the time to read this.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0
Circle of Silence
Overall rating
 
3.0
Plot
 
3.0
Characters
 
3.0
Writing Style
 
3.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
 
N/A
I think I missed the memo that Circle of Silence e is actually a member of a series; I’m a very strictly chronological reader—I don’t even re-read books outside of series order. However, I found out that Circle of Silence and its prequel, dancergirl , are actually standalones that take place in the same high school, so I figured my chronological self could let it slide.

So here’s the story: Val is in charge of WiHi’s student-run news broadcast, and she’s in search of a shiny award. When a bunch of weird pranks all signed “MP” crop up around school, Val sees it as the perfect opportunity. However, things escalate and things get dangerous, and pretty soon Val and her news crew find themselves way over their heads.

One of the coolest things about Circle of Silence is the premise/plot. I loved the high school journalism scene, as well as the really edgy fast-paced mystery Tanzman wrote. And the secret society was just awesome.

Are there other YA books that deal with subjects like this? If there are, I have to get my hands on them.

The main character, Val, I didn’t really relate to, and I don’t think that characterization is Tanzman’s strong point. However, though Val and Company were a bit unreachable, I still enjoyed their interactions and personalities.

Tanzman’s prose was a bit stiff, too, and since characters and prose are things I value most in any given book, I didn’t like Circle of Silence e as much as I could have.

Verdict: This book is edgy, fast-paced, and thrilling. Circle of Silence definitely brings something new to the table, and though I wasn’t blown away, I’m still really glad I took the time to read this.
Report this review Comments (0) | Was this review helpful? 0 0