When three popular girls go on trial in Government class for their ruthless bullying of a girl named Ivy, it seems like the misfit will finally get her revenge. Eight first-person narrators give different versions of the event: Ivy—this victim doesn’t want revenge, she just wants to be left alone; Ann—she’s the beautiful, but infamously cruel, leader of the bullies; Marco—he may be the only person involved who has any morals, but he’s also the target of Ann’s persuasive affections; Daria—Ivy’s painfully shy lawyer doesn’t stand a chance; Bryce—the goofy court reporter knows all the real dirt, even if he doesn’t care; Cameron—he sleeps through the proceedings but might wake up just in time to make a difference; Wayne—a true devotee of the legal process, too bad he’s on the sidelines; and Faith—as the only witness for the prosecution, it all comes down to her. But where do her loyalties lie?

As if it doesn’t suck enough to have cancer, practically every time you pick up books or see movies where characters get sick, you know they’ll be dead by the last scene. In reality, kids get all kinds of cancers, go through unspeakable torture and painful treatments, but walk away fine in the end. From the acclaimed author of The Girls and Poison Ivy, Side Effects is about the pain, fear, and unlikely comedy of 15-year-old Izzy’s journey, told in her own powerful and authentic voice. It is Izzy’s story—screams and all.