At a New England boarding school, a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the sexual acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. A Pandora’s box of revelations, the tape triggers a chorus of voices–those of the men, women, teenagers, and parents involved in the scandal–that details the ways in which lives can be derailed or destroyed in one foolish moment, the needs and fears that drive ordinary men and women into intolerable dilemmas, and the ways in which our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.
Anita Shreve is one of my favourite authors, and this book is a perfect example why. Beautifully written, this novel is a cautionary tale that explores the precipitating factors and aftermath of a student sex scandal at a private Vermont high school. Told through the alternating personal testimonies of 21 people involved or impacted, its creative structure is an all-out exploration of viewpoint: first-, third-, and even second-person, in past and present tenses.
The writing style of this book was very clever and wove all the parts of this challenging topic together seamlessly. For what could have been an uncomfortable issue (and sometimes was when reading the novel) it brought together each point of view to give the reader an overall picture on what went on, and your opinion on the matter at the beginning of the book, might not necessarily be the same once you finish reading.
Full of strong emotion, without the melodrama, this one is definitely worth a read (and re-read!)
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