THE SHARP EDGE OF SILENCE By Cameron Kelly Rosenblum

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

The Sharp Edge of Silence by Cameron Kelly Rosenblum
Published by Quill Tree Books on 4/11/23
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Pages: 492
Format: eARC
Source: Publisher
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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.

Short and Sweet Review

To be accepted into Lycroft Phelps is a great accomplishment as it’s one of the most prestigious private schools in the nation. Charlotte is an Straight A student and a dancer, Max is a scholarship kid who excels at STEM, and Quinn is a Lycroft Legacy, and an artist. Each of these three think highly of Lycroft Phelps until the news of Quinn’s sexual assault at the hands of a popular athlete becomes public and makes them rethink everything they thought they knew.

The book is told in all three characters POVs and we see how they’re all entangled in each others lives. Quinn obviously has PTSD after what happened during summer send off, she tries avoiding her friends and she plans on getting revenge on Colin by doing things she thinks will bother him, and trying to anonymously spread the word about him. Charlotte is dating Seb which is one of Colins best friends, she knows somethings up with Seb and his group of friends but she can’t really put her finger on it. Max on the other hand becomes friends with the group of guys after he gets on the rowing team and he sees how awful their behavior is.

I will say that the synopsis is a little misleading, it isn’t until almost 60% through the book when Charlotte finds out about the sexual assault and almost 90% when Max finds out, so before than this is something Quinn has been dealing with on the down low. Even though this is about Quinn, Max and Charlotte added a lot to the book we see from their POVs how everything just comes together. Charlotte was determined to reconnect with Quinn even before she knew what was happening and was a big reason why Quinn was okay with coming forward. Max does something the guys encourage him to do and it gets the ball rolling. I did like the encouragement Quinn received from a few girls who were close to her and even teachers who were cheering her on from the sidelines without her knowledge. The ending was good and I just enjoyed seeing the support that she had around her.

This book has some tough content, but I think it was written in a way in which you can get through it and fully understand what the characters are going through. I would recommend this book.