TILL HUMAN VOICES WAKE US

Seventeen-year-old Silencia Lucero investigates the disappearances of teens in her town after her best friend dies under mysterious circumstances.

Despite insinuations by the Summerset police, Cia is certain that Alice Booker, an aspiring journalist, did not drown herself in the local quarry over a broken heart. Alice’s search for her ex-boyfriend, Noah, had led her down a trail that connected his case to those of other missing teens from their town, and the morning before she died, Alice told Cia what she’d learned. Alice also voiced her suspicions about the relevance of bonedust, the drug that’s been sweeping through Summerset in recent years. Cia is no stranger to bonedust: Her biological father produced it in his basement, until he was killed in the same house fire that left 5-year-old Cia an orphan with burn scars and a prosthetic leg. When Cia finds Alice’s carefully hidden phone, it reveals that Alice had stumbled onto something much more dangerous than she could handle. Roque delivers a gripping debut centered on a town that has turned away from its most vulnerable population and allowed them to fall prey to sinister forces. Themes of addiction and systemic corruption weave through the tense central mystery, which pits Cia against a killer who doesn’t hesitate when choosing targets. Cia is white and has two dads; there’s diversity in race and gender identity among the supporting characters.

An absolute nail-biter.