Book Review: Circle of Silence by Carol M. Tanzman

Book reviews

7 Sept

Circle of Silence (WiHi #2) by Carol M. Tanzman Paperback Review copy provided by DMCPR Media Harlequin Teen, August 2012 Synopsis-The biggest story of my life could be how it endsIt’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 newscastbe sure to watchCampus News at 9:00 a.m. this Friday. Review- Valerie Gaines (a.k.a ValGal) has just been appointed producer of the Campus News B Team crew at Washington Irving High and is determined to cover a big story to get her into college. She is thrilled to be teamed up with dedicated students, including her best friend Marci until Jagger, Valerie’s ex-boyfriend makes a late entrance and is also assigned to the B team. Valerie struggles to be indifferent to Jagger’s charm but her desire to succeed in her position pushes her through any unease.An underground group known as M.P are pulling pranks and leaving cryptic messages; initially causing a bit of excitement at school soon turns serious when students wind up injured and Valerie is warned off covering the story. Circle of Silence really surprised me. At first I thought, okay young adult novel, there will be some kind of flightly problem and a predicatble love interest. Boy was I wrong! Circle of Silence is indeed young adult but from page one, it proves how quickly it strays from the usual YA framework. Instead, it’s a fast-paced suspense novel with a strong-minded, hard-working and career driven protagonist who displays all the qualities a great journalist possesses. The love interest with Jagger gives just enough for the reader to be interested in the outcome without taking over the plot.The writing style is refreshing- fast paced, no nonsense and avoids information dumping. It’s apparently the second book in the WiHi series, following on from Dancergirl (which I haven’t read) but with a new protagonist, so this story can easily be read as a standalone novel.A very engaging YA mystery novel with smart and likeable characters.