Can you believe the 'excuse' the disgraced author gave?
"When I sat down to write my novel, my only intention was to tell
the story of Opal," she said in a statement earlier this week. "I
was so surprised and horrified when I found these
similarities."
Extracted from : http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1685406,00110004.htm
And, this :
"When I was in high school, I read and loved two wonderful novels
by Megan McCafferty, Sloppy Firsts and Second Helpings, which spoke
to me in a way few other books did. Recently, I was very surprised
and upset to learn that there are similarities between some
passages in my novel and passages in these books," Viswanathan, 19,
said in a statement issued by her publisher on Monday.
"While the central stories of my book and hers are completely
different, I wasn't aware of how much I may have internalised Ms
McCafferty's words. I am a huge fan of her work and can honestly
say that any phrasing similarities between her works and mine were
completely unintentional and unconscious. My publisher and I plan
to revise my novel for future printings to eliminate any
inappropriate similarities.
Extracted from : http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1683923,00110004.htm
I've read and loved several books but when I write, I don't think
I'm able to capture some of the paragraphs I've read, almost
verbatim! 
What a load of hogwash! 
