Emos, Posers, Goths, & Haters

De: John Randall

Narrado por: Macey Mott

There are Rules! Andrea Cox heads into her Senior Year of High School at Evergreen High, just outside of Seattle, on top of the world. Her initiation into the Empresses is a foregone conclusion. The Empresses are at the top of the food chain of the eight different cliques. Andrea’s ambition may get the better of her as she tries to outshine the clique's president, Charlotte Davis.

As the winter semester turns to spring, the old wounds of Evergreen High of what is known as “The Reckoning” cast a disturbing shadow leading up to Prom. Will Andrea’s ever-increasing need for popularity and social media success be her undoing? Meanwhile, bullying has consequences!

©2024 John Randall (P)2025 John Randall

The Rules at Evergreen High

Andrea Cox is about to dominate senior year at Evergreen High. She’s next in line to join the Empresses, the school’s untouchable elite. But surviving high school isn’t just about fitting in. It’s about knowing your place, following the unspoken rules, and pretending the past didn’t happen. As Andrea climbs the social food chain, things start to crack beneath the surface. Secrets resurface, tensions rise, and a shadow from the school’s past threatens to wreck everything before prom. What starts as a popularity quest spirals into something darker. And the consequences hit hard.

Spillin’ the Book Tea:
Let’s start with the obvious: this book doesn’t hold your hand. It throws you straight into the social trenches of Evergreen High where every clique has its own rules, alliances, and traps. Thankfully, Randall includes a character breakdown at the front because otherwise I would’ve needed a seating chart and flowchart. That section was gold.

At first, I thought I was in for a snarky, Mean Girls-adjacent ride. And sure, some of that flavor is here. But this book digs deeper. It unpacks the mess behind the cliques, the labels, and the silent rules that shape teen life. It’s sharp. It's raw. And it’s painfully real.

You get a full spectrum of characters, some you’ll want to protect, others you’ll want to shake. The teachers aren’t just cardboard cutouts either. Mr. Rush in particular gives off big "cool elder who’s seen some things" energy. But let me be clear: this book isn’t just about high school drama. It’s about the emotional toll. The masks people wear. The quiet damage left behind by bullying, popularity politics, and social survival.

Randall doesn’t gloss over any of it. He tackles mental health with care and empathy, but without softening the truth. Some moments felt like a gut punch, especially toward the end. That final chapter? It leveled me. I cried. Not misty eyes. Full-on crying.

Yes, it’s a YA book. But honestly, adults need to read it too. If you've ever been a teenager (which I’m assuming you have), you'll find something here that hits a little too close to home.

The Vibes It Brings:
🎭 Clique Wars
📱 Social Media Pressure
💔 Unrequited Crushes
🖤 Goth Drama
😔 Bullying and Mental Health
🎓 Senior Year Chaos
😭 Gut-Punch Ending
🧠 Teacher Wisdom Moments
🔥 Popularity Power Struggles
🤐 Dark Secrets, Slow Burn Reveal

Narration:
Macey Mott had a wild juggling act with this one. So many characters. So many tones. But she handled it like a pro. Each voice felt distinct without being overdone, and the emotional weight of the story came through loud and clear. Her pacing, inflection, and tone fit the tone of the book perfectly. She made the emotional parts hit even harder.

TL;DR:
This book cracked open the high school experience and poured salt in the wounds. It’s uncomfortable, necessary, and deeply emotional. If you think you know how this ends, you don’t. A YA book with bite, depth, and zero sugarcoating.

Dramatic and humorous

“Emos, Posers, Goths, & Haters” by John Randall is a sharp, funny, and brutally honest look at teen subcultures and identity. Randall captures the drama, humor, and struggles of fitting in (or not) with both wit and seriousness. I listened to the Audible version, and the narrator did a great job bringing the story to life. It’s entertaining, relatable, and a little nostalgic for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider.