A dark story filled with unexpected twists and turns and featuring a strong young protagonist.
A YA thriller tells the story of a teenager’s struggle to overcome trauma and her desire to embark on a new life.
Sunday Foster is a quiet, bookish 16-year old who has a boyfriend named Jack and a crush on Tyler, an older co-worker at the courthouse where she has a part-time job. Her sometimes-abusive parents, whom she thinks of only as “HE” and “SHE,” mostly ignore her; her brother died shortly before she was born. She has a plan to get into a good college, live with her boyfriend, and move on with her life, but her plans change after Tyler sexually assaults her. Afterward, she fears that she’s pregnant, and she enlists her shy, frequently bullied neighbor, Amir, to help her carry out a new plan of “pseudocide”: faking her death, adopting an entirely new identity, and leaving everything behind her. She plans to enact the scheme the week after the big school trip, but then a catastrophe occurs that speeds up her timeline. Under her new name, she makes her way to Las Vegas and finds out that a person she thought was her friend may have a dark side. Throughout this novel, Smith presents her protagonist with empathy; Sunday makes mistakes that are relatable and realistic, and her struggles as she finds her way in Vegas effectively get across how dangerous and difficult it can be to go it alone when one is young. Although the novel tackles such heavy issues as gun violence and sexual assault, the author treats the topics with the gravitas that they deserve, showing respect for her audience. This tense tale will keep readers on edge until its surprising finale.
A dark story filled with unexpected twists and turns and featuring a strong young protagonist.Pub Date: June 30, 2021
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Books With Soul
Review Posted Online: May 18, 2021
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A suspenseful story that starts off with great promise but fails to deliver.
A teenage girl struggles with the question of whom to trust in the age of social media exposure.
Thanks to Connie’s mom’s family vlog, her life is anything but private. She enjoyed it at first, but now, between the mean comments online and the cruel mockery from peers in real life, Connie feels like she’s in a prison. Her sister, Isla, says it’s worth it for the money, but Connie isn’t sure if that’s really true. Connie’s anger over Mom’s refusal to heed warnings that revealing so much puts them in danger continues to build. When she’s left alone for two weeks while Mom and Isla go on a college road trip, local girls start dying, and a fan reaches out on social media in an unsettling way, leaving Connie worried about her safety. White-presenting Connie’s sense of humor is charming, and her insights will earn readers’ sympathy as the tension builds. As emotions rise, Preston’s poetic language beautifully captures Connie’s feelings about her mom’s obsession with social media and her confusion about who is worthy of her trust. The topics of safety and the uncharted waters of social media are skillfully woven into the plot. However, some inconsistencies weaken the overall story: Apart from Connie, the characters are too lightly developed, and some plot points don’t align with earlier events and motivations, making the ultimate revelation a disappointment.
A suspenseful story that starts off with great promise but fails to deliver. (Thriller. 12-18)Pub Date: Dec. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9798217028009
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: Nov. 22, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2026
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter.
After a Nigerian British girl goes off to an exclusive boarding school that seems to prey on less-privileged students, she discovers there might be some truth behind an urban legend.
Ife Adebola joins the Urban Achievers scholarship program at pricey, high-pressure Nithercott School, arriving shortly after a student called Leon mysteriously disappeared. Gossip says he’s a victim of the glowing-eyed Changing Man who targets the lonely, leaving them changed. Ife doesn’t believe in the myth, but amid the stresses of Nithercott’s competitive, privileged, majority-white environment, where she is constantly reminded of her state school background, she does miss her friends and family. When Malika, a fellow Black scholarship student, disappears and then returns, acting strangely devoid of personality, Ife worries the Changing Man is real—and that she’s next. Ife joins forces with classmate Bijal and Benny, Leon’s younger brother, to uncover the truth about who the Changing Man is and what he wants. Culminating in a detailed, gory, and extended climactic battle, this verbose thriller tempts readers with a nefarious mystery involving racial and class-based violence but never quite lives up to its potential and peters out thematically by its explosive finale. However, this debut offers highly visually evocative and eerie descriptions of characters and events and will appeal to fans of creature horror, social commentary, and dark academia.
A descriptive and atmospheric paranormal social thriller that could be a bit tighter. (Thriller. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250868138
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Review Posted Online: June 8, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2023
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