An unflinching look at rape culture and its repercussions.
Three teens in small-town Ohio struggle with sexual violence, together and individually, in a tragic thriller.
Alex, Jack, and Peekay are white high school seniors looking ahead to the next phases of their lives. Alex’s older sister, Anna, was raped and murdered their freshman year, and she’s been quietly seething ever since. In fact, she stalked and killed her sister’s murderer so skillfully that she has evaded any legal repercussions, and her vengeful exploit has become legend in their close-knit, economically blighted town. Relationships within the group shift: preacher’s kid Peekay (given name: Claire) befriends Alex when their volunteer shifts at the local animal shelter overlap; Peekay’s boyfriend, Adam, cheats on her with classically gorgeous cheerleader Branley; swaggering Jack breaks off his friends-with-benefits arrangement with Branley to pursue Alex. This gives readers a close look at how the emotional claustrophobia of their town affects everyone. When you party in the same crumbling, abandoned church that your parents used for their illicit beer-soaked parties, how do you confide in them or the local sympathetic police officer about the rape your friend barely saved you from? All three teens are haunted by the memory of Anna’s murder, and Alex’s inclination to both considering and exacting revenge with cruel efficiency leads them all inexorably to an explosive, terrible finale.
An unflinching look at rape culture and its repercussions. (Thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Sept. 20, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-06-232089-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2016
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2016
A deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel.
A teen’s sense of self is unsettled by a kidnapping.
After a prologue reveals the hero’s captive status, the story introduces Sayers Wayte as he was before—an uber-wealthy, hard-partying, privilege-flaunting Texas teen who’s falling in with a meaner crowd (including a friendship with a bully who ridicules Sayers’ best friend for his bisexuality and targets a vulnerable nerd in encounters that rapidly escalate to disturbing levels off-page). The first act balances Sayers’ charm and potential with his character failings while keeping readers guessing who the kidnapper will be (and what their motivations are). Once he’s been kidnapped, Sayers must attempt to manipulate his kidnapper by playing along with who the kidnapper wants him to be—at first, it’s a ruse to create chances to try to escape, but eventually Sayers’ identity and feelings toward his kidnapper begin to blur. A dangerous discovery pushes his mind to the brink to protect him and keep him alive. Unlike hostage stories that end with the rescue, Roe digs deep into what happens in the aftermath as Sayers tries to learn how to be a functioning individual again and struggles with rebuilding his entire self. There are no easy answers for Sayers’ issues, but with determination and help from key friends, he finds hope. Aside from a character with a Guatemalan father, most characters default to White.
A deep dive into trauma, with light at the end of the tunnel. (Thriller. 15-18)Pub Date: Oct. 11, 2022
ISBN: 978-0-06-305173-7
Page Count: 512
Publisher: HarperTeen
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2022
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2022
BOOK REVIEW
A thrilling fantasy series opener.
Gem, a transmasc teen in a small Southern town, finds it increasingly difficult to discern between nightmare and reality when a new girl comes to town and informs Gem that they’re a god.
Following a difficult divorce, Gem and their mother moved to Gracie, Georgia, their mom’s hometown, which is also closer to their ancestral Seminole lands. It’s been four years, but Gem feels alone and dreams of moving to Brooklyn, where their best friend, Enzo, a Native trans boy with a thriving queer social life, lives. Gem and Enzo talk regularly, but Gem has never mentioned the vivid nightmares—full of “blood and gore and magic and sex demons”—that have haunted them since childhood. So when beautiful new classmate Willa Mae saves Gem’s life and claims that the two of them are gods and soulmates, Gem’s mom begins to question whether Gem is hallucinating like their father did. But taking their meds is not a top priority for Gem right now: They have to find a magic knife and stave off the demons that are threatening their life while figuring out what to do about loving two people at the same time. Fast-paced and engaging, the novel addresses queer identity, mental health, and belonging to and disconnection from one’s land and language, while weaving a vivid magic realm with its own logic.
A thrilling fantasy series opener. (map) (Fantasy. 15-18)Pub Date: Nov. 28, 2023
ISBN: 9781250853615
Page Count: 400
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Review Posted Online: Sept. 9, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2023
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
