DEFYING THE DIVA

When 14-year-old freshman journalist Haley Patterson reported on Camilla Quinn’s unsupervised bash in her school paper’s supposedly anonymous gossip column, she thought the freedom of press would protect her. However, shortly after publication, Camilla, her school’s most popular diva and vicious bully, launches an attack on Haley’s reputation, making her a social outcast, ignored by even her two best friends. Fortunately for Haley, she’s scheduled to spend the summer at her spunky aunt’s home in Copper Springs, where no one knows about Camilla. However, even in Copper Springs, Camilla’s hate campaign haunts Haley until she takes a job at the local resort where, with the help of co-workers, she slowly gains the courage to confront Camilla. Concluding with a serious author’s note on harassment, which includes information on getting help, this text skillfully captures the painful reality of teen bullying while also telling Haley’s humorous and sincere story of growing up. (Fiction. YA)