LYING, STEALING, AND OTHER WAYS TO SAVE THE PLANET

A high school investigative journalist goes all out to save a beloved habitat—but do the ends justify the means?

Eleventh grader John O’Neil is on a mission. His grandparents once fought to protect Radlaw’s Trail, a fragile habitat for the blue-bellied sapsucker. The endangered bird is now under imminent threat from a luxury spa development backed by the mega-wealthy McPhee family of rural Mason County. Determined to honor their legacy, John, who reads white, is intent on stopping the environmental destruction. Frustrated by the limits of the school newspaper, he and his friend Rachel Miller, who’s a Black lesbian aspiring environmental journalist, launched an alternative rag, the Mason Observer. But now John goes rogue: No longer content with an exposé, he turns to blackmail, something he—a self-described “amateur blackmailicist”—has much prior experience with. Casting himself as a lone crusader, John alienates Rachel with his self-absorption, undermining what could have been a shared cause. A reluctant alliance and daring heist with a scrappy group of fellow young environmentalists helps John realize that his isolation is unnecessary—and that the classmates by his side can become trusted friends. Witty dialogue and a fast-moving plot keep readers engaged, though abrupt transitions, flashbacks, and an overabundance of secondary characters can make the narrative confusing. John is gay, and secondary plotlines naturally weave in themes of homophobia and allyship.

A clever exploration of cynicism, camaraderie, and causes worth fighting for.