TROUBLE GIRLS

A Thelma and Louise retelling with contemporary resonance.

Trix and Lux are two 17-year-old White girls eking out a living in small-town Blue Bottle, West Virginia. Trix works at a local diner, where men constantly hit on her despite her youth, their actions reminiscent of a past sexual trauma that she attempts to compartmentalize. Trix also cares for her mother, whose mental health and memory recall are swiftly declining. Lux is Trix’s artistic best friend, a rare bright spot amid the doldrums of their town. During a weekend road trip, a dangerous situation at a bar escalates into a deadly stabbing, with Trix holding the knife. In a shocked and traumatized haze, the friends decide that authorities won’t believe their claim of self-defense and so flee the scene of the crime. On the run, Lux and Trix become cult icons in a nationwide discussion surrounding sexual assault, justice, and revenge. On their journey west, as they hope to outrun the police, the girls also explore romantic possibilities with each other, fueled by the intensity unfolding around them. Trix’s narration—a startling depiction of a teen coping with trauma while falling in love—radiates with honesty and heart. The novel doesn’t shy away from gritty questions and gives a crucial voice to the righteous anger of teen girls.

A fiery thriller wrought with dramatic tension and social commentary.