THE POOLS

Two teens in love experience a shocking event in this deeply felt novel.

Lexie Weiss-Greenberg escapes an overburdened past when she drives across the country from Los Angeles with her mother and 8-year-old sister, Orly, to the small town of Covington to live with her Aunt Ida and start afresh. Covington is known for its healing natural hot springs, the pools. Lexie hopes that they’ll help her mother, who’s incapacitated by chronic pain and depression. This suspenseful story unfolds seamlessly in a variety of poetic forms and is laced with foreboding and heart. As summer begins, Lexie has a boyfriend: olive-skinned 17-year-old Chester Allegheny, who’s on the high school swim team. Chester may be Christian and come from money, but he appreciates Lexie’s financially struggling Jewish family. Then one winter day a horrifying, fantastical event occurs at the pools; the rest of the book is about how the townspeople deal with the aftermath. Ever-responsible Lexie sets out to find a solution—but the clock is ticking. The book explores themes including sacrifice, secrets, loss, care for others, self-worth, and the different ways people manage depression. Reminiscent of Michael Grant’s Gone (2008) and other stories of teen resourcefulness in the face of disaster, this book also brings fresh insights to the Brothers Grimm folktale it references. The cinematic, poetic writing features scenes of heartbreak, horror, and devotion, culminating in a gorgeous Technicolor finale.

Come for the romance; stay for the artistry.