What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski

Abstract

Reviewed by: What Happened to Rachel Riley? by Claire Swinarski Natalie Berglind Swinarski, Claire What Happened to Rachel Riley? Quill Tree, 2023 [352p] Trade ed. ISBN 9780063213098 $16.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9780063213111 $11.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 5-8 Anna Hunt has a unique insight into the eighth-grade class at East Middle School, having just moved to Madison, Wisconsin, from Chicago, and she’s confused but intrigued by a story that involves the once-popular student Rachel Riley—a story no one wants to talk about. As Anna takes on a podcast project for her Social Issues class she interviews her peers, steps on many toes, and tracks down the events that led Rachel to burn down a barn in the middle of the night the day before the seventh-grade dance. What starts as curiosity ends with the discovery of a sexual harassment game the boys of East Middle School play on the girls, and now Anna’s stuck figuring out what to do with that knowledge. Anna is likeable and compelling, utilizing humor and quirkiness to get the information she needs and providing a buffer to some of the dark themes of the novel. Her narration is interspersed with her findings: voice recordings, emails, notes passed in class, flyers, and text messages provided to her as evidence. The unraveling mystery of the game itself is compelling as Anna identifies the players as well as the people who are complacent in the harassment and other girls who blame Rachel for ruining their dance. If the administration’s eventual response is a bit too neat, the story ends on a hopeful but bittersweet note as Anna understands the culture that feeds sexual harassment behaviors can’t end overnight. Pair this book with Maybe He Just Likes You (BCCB 10/19) for a much-needed conversation with middle schoolers about the harassment they will likely face at school. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois