Cheat

Gr 7 Up—While pondering her next big story for the high school newspaper, Laurel Quinn stumbles upon a cheating scam in her math class. Shocked by the idea of her fellow students engaged in such a dishonest enterprise, she immediately writes an exposé. Instead of gaining her recognition, she is viewed by her classmates as a traitor and her article results in increased scrutiny by the teachers. Instead of backing away from the issue, she follows an anonymous tip and finds out that the cheating is widespread. Laurel's quest for the truth alienates her star athlete brother and his friends, and she ultimately discovers that the scandal hits closer to home than she realized. Despite some minor, unrealistic plot points, including an instance where an administrator simply hands Laurel class lists and students' grades, Butcher's portrayal of high school cheating is believable, with actual consequences. Teens may initially struggle to empathize with the self-righteous protagonist, but the pacing will keep reluctant readers hooked until the very end. Michael Laser's ZCheater (Dutton, 2007) and J.M. Steele's The Taker (Hyperion, 2006) cover similar ground with a little more depth.—Lalitha Nataraj, Escondido Public Library, CA