In one of the biggest scandals Verity High has ever seen, the preacher's daughter is found in bed with her best friend's boyfriend. On prom night. And instantly good girl and "untouchable saint" Lizzie Hart is branded the S-word. People have covered her locker, her notebooks, her book bag - and even her car - with a single word. The S-word. Slut. 
 A week after Lizzie takes her own life the words "Suicide Slut" start appearing all over the school - in Lizzie's own distinctive handwriting. Lizzie's former best friend, Angie, sets out to find out the truth. The truth behind prom night, the graffiti on Lizzie's possessions and Lizzie's death. 
 This is a book about the power of labels. As Angie investigates the circumstances Lizzie we get to meet a cast of colour characters. There's a boy who wears women's fashion with a certain flair, borderline alcoholic cheerleaders, the straight A students who would do anything for a glowing reference and slightly creepy computer nerds. But they are all so much more than who they first appear at a glance. They have layers and yet most people never get to see beyond the superficial front. 
 I liked reading about the characters - Angie is a fantastic lead. She's trying to repent for the apologies she can never make. Like a dog with a bone she won't give up the search to find out who's responsible. The mystery angle was an interesting take to a novel that's about some rather serious issues. Lizzie - who we never get to see in person - makes an impression from her diary entries and memories Angie shares throughout the novel. I found her harder to relate to - in many ways she felt unrealistic. Her diary entries were awkward in their style and took me out of the story slightly. That said - there were lines and passages in this novel that were beautifully written and really got to me. The ones that make you think about how applicable the message in this book is to real life and situations. 
 Overall I enjoyed reading the S-Word. I found the characters engaging and dynamic. The plot contained so many of those issues that people don't talk about for whatever reasons - abuse, neglect, racism, bullying and teen suicide - and I felt like most of these were dealt with in an appropriate way. 
 The S-Word is a novel that deals with the darker side of high school. I recommend this book for anyone looking for a YA contemporary novel that's a bit edgier than the usual and doesn't mind touching on serious issues.