e-Audio, 07:32:27
Narrated by: Emily Ellet
Release Date: January 30, 2024
Published by: Podium Audio (Union Square & Co.)
Read from: July 17-18, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Library’s Libby
Content Warning: Religious Bigotry, Bullying, Adult/Minor Relationship, Abortion, Sexual Assault, Toxic Relationship, Cancer, Sexual Violence, Death of a Parent
For Readers Interested In: Audio, Contemporary, Family Diversity (Loss of a Parent, Lived with grandparents), Realistic Fiction, Religious, Retellings, Stand-alone, YAMoving to Hawthorne was something Tess and her mom never anticipated, but after Tess’s mom loses her job, it’s their only option. Tess’s grandparents welcome them into their home, but with the condition that Tess and her mom attend church, something Mom isn’t too pleased about. But Tess enjoys the church community, finding a place in youth group and the church choir. Faith fills a void Tess didn’t know she had.
After a very personal decision goes public, Tess faces daily harassment and rejection by her former friends, and singing in the church choir is no longer an option. When she meets some kids in the music room, her only place of solace in the school, who don’t judge her for what’s happened, she learns to find her voice again. Against the backdrop of the Spirit Light Festival, Tess will need to find the strength to speak out if she has any chance of ending a silent cycle of abuse in Hawthorne.
*MY THOUGHTS*
There’s only 4 classics that I read when I was in high school: Night, The Great Gatsby, The Catcher in the Rye, and The Scarlet Letter. So imagine how excited I was when I saw that the latter was getting a retelling. There’s not many, but I knew from the source material, and the current climate that this was going to slap. And slap it did.
This retelling is so important. Especially right now. I hope that y’all not only read this, but also take the message. Which side of history do you want to be on? They were terrible to this girl and literally none of them knew what really happened. Even still, she was able to get it done and I can’t tell you how much I admired her strength. Standing up to all those people and then going back to church where those terrible people were? This girl was bad ass. And I just feel like it’s important to show young girls that standing up for themselves and doing what they need to for their own lives is exactly what we need right now.
As for the retelling part, everything was good. I recognized every bit of the original. I can’t lie I did get worried on how they were going to make her put the red A on her shirt, but they carried out this part in a different way. And I thought it really fit with today’s society. I also liked the way they changed the big thing. It also really fit today’s society and I think it worked better in my opinion. Only because this one has updated language that they’ll understand and a situation that I also think they’ll understand.
I will say tho, if you aren’t super familiar with the original, you might find this a bit boring. The writing style was so basic. It wasn’t bad, but it also wasn’t something I would write home about if that makes sense. Also, while reading this, take some time and take a break or something. Do not read this straight through like I did. I was mad for the entire rest of the day. These religious people were so Anti-Christ like that it was disturbing. I was mad and cussing alsmost every other minute. And I’m not talking just the kids at school. I’m talking family members as well. I felt for Tess so much, because these people were fucking awful. I hated almost everyone in this book because of it. The only person who I actually liked was her mom. And her grandpa once he realized that he and the grandma were a package affair and the way she treated Tessa counted as how they both treated her.
I really hope y’all read this and take a huge message from this. That there are gray areas to everything, religious people are not nice, and modern retellings of the classics are in. This was enjoyable and important, and I wouldn’t have my retellings any other way.
Overall, I give this
