Review: The Scoop by Erin Van Der Meer

The Scoop by Erin Van Der Meer

Blurb from Goodreads:

A piercing satire about a journalist working the night shift at a tabloid and the explosive consequences of her “harmless” clickbait.

 

Washed-up New York journalist Frankie Miller is getting desperate. Since the twenty-nine-year-old lost her dream job at a glossy magazine three months ago, her days have been filled with overdue bills, cereal for dinner, and a flood of rejection emails (not to mention her ex has a new girlfriend). So when she’s offered a job at The Scoop, a tabloid website run by tyrannical editor-in-chief David Brown, she can’t exactly afford to say no—even if it means swallowing her pride for clicks. Besides, for Frankie, it’s just a paycheck, a temporary detour. It’s not forever.

 

But the deeper she’s pulled into the breakneck world of tabloid journalism, the blurrier the line between ambition and morality becomes—until she crosses it. When her reporting humiliates a beloved pop star and dredges up grief over her late mother, Frankie sets off a chain reaction that spirals beyond her control. In an industry where reputation is currency and outrage sells, how far is Frankie willing to go—and how much is she willing to lose—to win at this ruthless game?

 

Sharp, witty, and unflinchingly bold, The Scoop is a searing exploration of ambition, exploitation, and the human toll of the 24/7 news cycle.

 This was pretty sordid but maybe accurate for a job in journalism?  I didn't much enjoy reading it but it did have very good pacing.  It was just a lot darker than I anticipated. Hope you have better luck!

The Scoop comes out next week on April 21, 2026 and you can purchase HERE.  

THE RETIRED DETECTIVE BEING INTERVIEWED in the documentary about the murdered child beauty queen was describing how an undigested piece of pineapple was found in the girl's stomach. This fruit clue, he explained, helped investigators establish a timeline of her death. I shoved another sticky red handful of Swedish Fish in my mouth, considering as I chewed: If I were to die right then on the couch, what would the medical examiner think of what they'd find inside me? 

Twenty-nine years old and eating cereal and candy for lunch, I imagined the doctor saying, tsk-tsking as their gloved hand fondled my small intestine, my secret shame exposed in the most undignified and unlikely of ways. 

I swore to start eating healthier.