SOURCES SAY

Politics, ethical journalism, and social media intertwine in this contemporary story of two sisters with a strained relationship.

The newsroom is Cat’s home away from home, and now, as a high school senior, she is finally editor-in-chief of the school paper. Not that anyone reads it: Her earnest exposés of an unhealthy student culture don’t sit well with many. Her sister, Angeline, is a popular social media influencer who has worked hard to make her YouTube channel, “Ask an Angel,” a success, even though Cat dismisses the work and focus that go into being a vlogger. The upcoming student council election sees Angeline and her ex-boyfriend, Leo, running for class president in a very public battle. While Angeline starts by making campaign promises based on popular demands, she comes to realize there are real problems that need to be addressed. Meanwhile, Cat’s reporting skills and journalistic ethics will face their greatest challenge against the competition of social media and the danger of fake news. Alternating chapters between Angeline and Cat, this fun and provocative novel sees the sisters growing in their relationship while dealing with thorny issues of accountability, truth, enacting change, and the systemic sexism prevalent in their school. Cat and Angeline are cued as white; Leo is the son of Venezuelan immigrants, and there is diversity among the supporting characters.

Entertaining, thought-provoking, and heartwarming