Revenge of the Sluts

Cell phones light up simultaneously when intimate photos of seven girls are sent to the entire student body of St. Joseph’s High School. As a reporter for the school paper, Eden feels driven to follow up on the story and discover the person behind the online “Eros” who is responsible. During her investigation, Eden finds that some students sympathize with the young women, condemning anyone who would make public such private information without permission. Others are less supportive, questioning why females would ever choose to send intimate photos in the first place. Events heat up even more when additional threatening emails are sent and the young women decide to take action rather than being targets. Thus, the Slut Squad is born.

Eden is the main character of Revenge of the Sluts and tells the story from her perspective both as a journalist on the school newspaper as well as a young woman who sent photos of herself to an ex-boyfriend. Fortunately, hers were not included in the mass email. She takes her journalistic responsibilities seriously and matures and finds her own power within the novel just as the women of the slut squad do. Eden is focused, serious and mature and absolutely determined to solve the mystery of the real identity of Eros.

The women of the Slut Squad come from various backgrounds and interests and eventually are able to focus on helping and supporting one another rather than being rivals. They are not ashamed of their sexuality and have to fight against the fact they feel they are constantly being judged, particularly by the males in senior year. This affects their self-esteem, and each woman reacts in her own way to this sudden and unwanted sensationalism. Just at a time when they are growing and finding out who they are, the impact of the email could potentially be disastrous for them both as high schoolers and throughout their lives.

In this debut novel, Natalie Walton takes on a variety of very difficult themes. Sexual violence is the obvious theme of the book, and Walton uses the topic of revenge porn to make her points. What is fine for the “guys’ locker room” drastically changes when female students get involved and the age-old double standard persists. Walton also looks at victims’ rights when intimate photos are shared without consent, and readers quickly realize that laws need to change to keep up with the reality of technology and the cyberbullying which is the focus of the novel.

While the women of the novel are painted as strong and motivated, most adults are not portrayed in a positive light. One teacher helps and supports Eden and the newspaper staff, but the administration prefers to sweep the entire issue under the carpet, thus hopefully keeping the school’s reputation intact. They weakly assure the Slut Squad that counsellors are available if needed. Hardly the strong reaction the women want or need. The local police, too, seem impotent to act, focusing readers’ attention on the fact that laws are not keeping up with the times.
Another theme in the book is that of journalism and censorship. Eden believes strongly in freedom of speech and is adamant that the Nudegate/Slut Squad be thoroughly covered by the school paper. The principal disagrees and insists that she have final say about what is published. Compromise seems impossible, and it is interesting how Walton helps her characters find their way out of the dilemma.

There are sections of the book which seem very slow, with much of the action in Eden’s mind as she interviews people and works at solving the Eros mystery. There is a great deal of detail about her journalistic point of view and mindset which becomes tedious at times. On the other hand, the denouement in the last few pages quickly reveals the identity of Eros and seems a little rushed.

As the title suggests, this book does not hold back on its strong themes of toxic masculinity, sexual freedom and the effects of the digital age on relationships and private matters. Teen sexuality is a major focus of Revenge of the Sluts, and Walton does not sugarcoat the details. As well, perhaps in her effort to make the characters seem realistic, Walton uses language which may be offensive to some readers. If the title seems too strong for a reader, then this is perhaps a book best left on the shelf.

However for those who want to dig into issues such as slutshaming, nonconsensual pornography, cyberbullying and other difficult but current topics, then Revenge of the Sluts opens a door into this world, and, while far from comforting, it is gritty, thought-provoking and enlightening.