She's Gone by David Bell

Hunter doesn't remember what happened the night his girlfriend Chloe disappeared. He knows they went to the homecoming dance and there was a car accident. They were the only two in the car. And then Chloe vanished. Kidnapped? Ran away? Murdered? That's what the police and everyone in town wants to know. Hunter suffered a concussion and can't remember anything. Some people aren't convinced he's telling the truth.

Hunter and Chloe were truly in love. He wants so bad to remember what happened that night. It looks bad for him, but he cannot recall anything. Eyewitness accounts and other evidence pile up against him. He begins to wonder if he did do something. 

Hunter is not alone. He has his outspoken younger sister and his workaholic father who has never been emotional and became even more detached after the death of their mother. He also has a few friends. Finally, Mr. Hartman, a teacher he has always been close to, is the only person he can confide in. 

The unending barrage of bad news for Hunter is almost too much to take. There is no glimmer of hope. I planned to keep on reading, but wasn't truly enjoying the story. It redeemed itself as it neared the end. The suspense is unrelenting in the last several chapters. It is not perfect - one character is seriously underdeveloped. Still, it is a good read if you are looking for a thriller. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

The Truth About Everything by Bridget Farr

Lark wants to go to school. She feels like she is missing out by living isolated on her family's farm. Her dad doesn't trust the government. He has kept his family off the grid and stockpiled materials preparing for the end of the country as we know it. 

Lark is homeschooled (although not in any formal sense). She only knows what her dad has taught her - distorted and incomplete views of historical events and people. She can barely read (something her parents do not realize). She has been taught how to fix mechanical devices, grow food, drive a truck and motorcycle. But it is not enough.

Alex is Lark's connection to the outside world. He attends public school and exposes her to what other teens are doing. With his encouragement, she plots a way to attend the nearby Christian school. She knows her dad will be furious if he finds out. Her mother...she is mostly absent even though she lives in the same house. 

For the first time, Lark begins to question her dad's beliefs. She has real friends, learns biology, and eats forbidden processed food. Lark was ignorant of so many things - - the functioning of her own body, the tragedy of 9/11, the geography of the world. Once the door is open to her, it cannot easily be closed again. 

Well, you know not everything goes smoothly for Lark. How long can she hide the fact that she is going to school from both her parents? It's a difficult decision, but Lark takes the risk. You will be rooting for Lark and questioning her parent's decisions. I hope you take a look at this book. It is worth your time. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

If You Could See the Sun by Ann Liang

Alice Sun feels invisible at her school. Even though she is one of the top students, she always seems to go unnoticed. One day she literally turns invisible. The only person she feels might be able to help is her chief rival and all around golden boy, Henry Li. 

They both attend an elite private international school. Henry is one of the elite; Alice is not. Her parents have just told her that they cannot afford another semester so she will have to go somewhere else. Even though she has not always liked her school, Alice does not want to leave. 

In desperation to raise money, Alice decides to use her new power of invisibility to charge students for tasks that would otherwise be impossible. One such request is to retrieve racy photos from from an ex-boyfriend's phone. Henry helps her set up an app so others can contact her anonymously. Her roommate soon discovers her secret and offers to help out, too. 

Alice is normally a moral person, but the lure of money is too much. And that's just one of the issues weighing on her. She still considers Henry a rival who she can't quite trust. She also struggles to balance her new invisible activities with her school work. Also, she can't control when she turns invisible. 

I enjoyed this story which ultimately is about Alice finding who she really is. The fact that she turns invisible isn't really the point. She is dealing with the her choices and facing the question of how far she is willing to go just for her own desires. Very well done. I look forward to other books by this author. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

 

Carol: Being a Ghost Story of Christmas by Darin Kennedy

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been retold and reimagined so many times. The tale of redemption reaches beyond the holiday season to remind us all to examine our own lives and ponder how we walk amongst our fellow humans. 

In this version, Carol is the 'Scrooge' of the story. She has many reasons to hate Christmas, but really no excuse for how she treats those in her life. Her parents and little sister died on Christmas day (which is also her birthday). She rarely thinks about the people who took her in, watched out for her, and gave her opportunities. She also lost her best friend just last year at Christmas time. 

Carol has lived with her aunt and uncle for teen years. They have raised her as the child they couldn't have on their own. She has not made it easy on them. No Christmas celebrating. Constant back talk and insults. Carol is aloof and bratty with them. She is completely ungrateful for everything they have given her. 

The story mostly follows the familiar pattern: visit from the ghost of an old friend followed by ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future. The story is updated and spread out over several days leading to the final ghost's visit on Christmas Eve. That is also the night of the big annual dance which turns out messier than anything Scrooge could have imagined. 

The author veers enough away from the traditional story's outline to keep it interesting while giving it a modern twist. The story itself will never grow old because there is always someone who is worthy of redemption. 

For more info, check out the author's site. 

 

Seton Girls by Charlene Thomas

If it's too good to be true, it probably is. And so the Seton Academy football team has had twelve consecutive undefeated seasons and trying for a thirteenth. Are the teams that good or is it something else...

Aly and her boyfriend are really outsiders in the Seton community. They are not rich and live farther away, but going to Seton is a dream. They have been readily accepted in the elite group. Part of that is J's ability on the football field and his destiny to be next year's starting quarterback.  

Cracks start to show when Aly's friend, Britt, accuses one of the football players of rape. Sides are taken. Friendships pushed to the breaking point. Besides, the football players can do no wrong. 

This book deals with a lot of issues, handling them with more subtlety and nuance than other stories. It could easily have taken the accusations of rape and made it the center of the story, but it is really just one symptom. The author never puts that issue aside, but she interweaves it with so much more that is happening with characters. For me, that is what makes this book stand out in a large field of dramatic teen books. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

Pretty Dead Queens by Alexa Donne

After the death of her mother, Cecelia must go live in the small California town of Seaview with her grandmother Maura, a well known mystery novelist. Maura's first novel was based on a real murder in the town, and the subsequent movie was even filmed there. Since then, Maura's fame has attracted fans from all over the world to Seaview. Cecelia barely knows her grandmother and has never read any of her books. 

Cecelia is quickly befriended by the top tier people in her new school and learns much about the town's history. Being the granddaughter of the most famous resident gives her surprising notoriety. Sadly, one the girls in her new circle is murdered in a near copy cat of the first murder. In both, the high school girls were found in the school swimming pool on the night of homecoming. One had been crowned homecoming queen and the other wanted to be. 

Cecelia becomes obsessed with finding the murderer even at the risk of getting in trouble with the sheriff. She also begins to doubt if the real killer was found in the first murder. 

This small town known for murder is full of deception and secrets. Cecelia checks motives and alibis and finds almost everyone in town is a suspect including her friends.  It's a fascinating story with twists and surprises. I keep reading teen suspense books, and I really liked this one. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 
 

People Like Us by Dana Mele

Another story about horrible events at a private boarding school. A death, a mystery to solve. Accusations, friendships shattered, nasty behavior, bullying. This one has at all. 

Kay is one of the 'in' crowd - that group of admired, but abusive girls who can get away with anything. She decided to reinvent herself when she came to the school as a freshman by literally making a big splash. As a senior, Kay is trying to get a soccer scholarship (her parents put so much pressure on her to perform). Things are going along fine until she and her friends find the body of a classmate floating in the lake. It gets messy from there. 

Through an email supposedly from the dead girl, Kay is blackmailed into outing the worst behavior of her friends. Kay has her secrets, too. She had done enough terrible things to others that she feels like she has no choice but to do what the email instructs. 

Kay is ostracized, accused, and betrayed. Weighing on her mind through all of this is her cheating ex-boyfriend who she still feels connected to, her total infatuation on her best friend Brie (who may feel the same), and the death of her brother and best fried. 

Nothing is straight forward in this story as Kay is pulled back and forth between her loyalties. Sometimes the people who seem the most guilty are the only ones who are nice to her and vice versa. It is an interesting and entertaining tangle for the reader. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

 

Take Three Girls by Cate Crowley, Simmone Howell & Fiona Wood

I like to read books about strong women who are ready and willing to stand up for themselves and take down a system that degrades them. That is what I was expecting from this book. Three girls attending a private school work to expose those behind an anonymous website that posts the most misogynistic and sexist things about girl students. As it turns out, that is only one small part of the story. It is so much more about these three girls growing and learning about themselves. 

As I read, I waited for the takedown of the website to begin, but instead I learned more about the girls. I kept thinking what amazing character development. Over time, I realized this story was not being driven by the plot device of the offensive website, but by the characters. Really good stuff. 

So the girls: Kate wants to play cello professionally, but is torn between the pre-med path her parents want her to take. Clem is a swim champ who is not sure she wants to swim anymore. Besides, there is this older guy she is really into even though he may not be that great.  Ady is considered a bitch at school - very cool and confident. At home though, things are falling apart. It is only through a school assignment that these young women are brought together. 

Each girl is written by a different author which is just another incredible aspect of this book. The characters have much more depth than the average book for teens. I feel like this one will slip by people so I hope you take the opportunity to read it.  

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog. 

 

We Didn't Ask for This by Adi Alsaid

The annual lock-in night at the Central International School is an event of legend. The secret party, the activities, new relationships are all  anticipated throughout the year. The lock-in is a time when you can become a new person, change your outlook, forge new bonds that you will carry with you the rest of your life. 

Being locked in for a night is different than just being locked in. And that is what Marisa does - she chains herself to the door (with other helpers doing the same at all exits). She wants her demands met before she will unlock herself. The demands are all intended to help the environment, but the most important one to her is stopping the construction of a resort on a nearby island that will destroy the coral reef. 

If this were any other school, it is possible nothing would change. But the students are children of ambassadors, diplomats, international business executives, missionaries and politicians. People with power or know the right people. 

What we have are an interesting group of students - some join Marisa's cause right away; Some just want their lock-in activities to happen; others just want out and will do what is necessary to stop Marisa. 

Though a school setting is familiar to books I read, the idea of students trapped in school is different. Particularly, when they are not trapped for some sinister reason. This story lets the students develop and show their reactions in a high stress setting. They are all not selfless. They have their own motivations and interests that hold them back. They doubt, they scheme, they withdrawal, they disagree. 

I enjoyed meeting this diverse group of teens, and I hope you do, too. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

Switch by A.S. King

A.S. King books are difficult to describe. The stories exist in a world similar to reality but always with some impossible element that is treated as mostly normal. And there are several in this one. The first being that time stopped several months ago - for everyone. Not that everyone and everything is frozen in place. Time just stopped - no moving clocks or watches. So many questions, but best to accept it and move on. 

Truda's life is literally upside down (like sometimes her house rotates). Again, best to just roll with it. Her mother left and her father is not handling it well. He cooks and builds. He builds boxes within boxes to cover the switch on the wall in the house. Truda lives in one of the boxes and so does her older brother. Their sister is never in the story but has caused so much pain that she is central to the narrative. 

The world is not right. Truda spends her time in school in a group trying to find ways to restart time - the group's focus is psychology. She joins the track team and becomes a javelin thrower. She hangs out with her friend Carrie. Mostly normal, but not really. Time stopping has messed up everything in her life. 

I enjoy A.S. King books. They are odd enough to keep me interested without going too far. Even when they are difficult to visualize, I know there is a point being made. Like the characters are living in a giant metaphor. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

A Shot at Normal by Marisa Reichardt

To vaccinate or not to vaccinate, that is Juniper's nightmare. Her parents are very firmly in the 'not' category. They live a pseudo hippie life and believe vaccinations put chemicals and poisons in your body. Juniper never thought about it much until she gets the measles and ends up in quarantine in the hospital. And her brother and sister get it, too. But it was really a tragic consequence of her interactions with someone else that pushes her to think that maybe her parents are wrong. 

Juniper and her family live in an old Victorian house across the street from the local high school. Juniper is homeschooled and wants to go to school and experience normal teen things (like football games, dances, the cafeteria), but she is forced to have 'kitchen table' school with her younger siblings and her dad as the teacher. 

She doesn't mind the organic food grown in their yard or the lack of television or internet. But at 16, she wants to have a social life with friends and maybe even a boyfriend. Too bad her parents will not listen to her. Getting vaccinated is where she draws the line. She is determined to get her shots even if it means hiring a lawyer. 

Juniper knows it is time to start taking responsibility for her own medical decisions. Yes, things get dark for Juniper, but she has new spots of light to keep her going. It is an interesting and timely subject with no easy answers, but it is worth going through it with Juniper. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 
 

The Gifted, the Talented, and Me by William Sutcliffe

Sam's younger sister is a budding artist. His older brother has potential as a musician. And Sam is good at...well, he excels in...he likes soccer. That was perfectly fine in his old public school. But once his family comes into some money, his parents move them all to London where the three children will attend an exclusive arts academy. Yay for Sam. 

Sam is miserable at the new school. His mom (who starts writing a blog about her parenting) constantly pushes Sam to the point where he feels like she doesn't understand him. He is not like his siblings. He has no talent and does not fit in at the school. She's not even trying to listen to him. 

There is Jennifer who is way too talented and popular and pretty for Sam. Through a chance pairing up with her in class, he thinks maybe getting involve in drama wouldn't be too bad. He could at least see her. 

Of course, there's Jennifer's boyfriend, Felipe, who thinks he is the greatest actor ever. He was already bullying Sam before Sam showed any interest in acting. 

Sam's struggles continues with moments of light and hope. Sam is a sympathetic character who pushes the limit of being frustrating only to be redeemed by the atrocious behavior of his mother. Stay with Sam through his story; it is worth it. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog. 
 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson

Liz never cared about being prom queen. She has tried to keep herself out of the spotlight at school. But when she does not get a scholarship for her dream college, getting that crown is the only path to make it happen. Being Black and gay is not going to make it any easier. 

In her small hometown, prom is a huge deal - and the competition for king and queen is even bigger. The winners get a scholarship, so it's not just a popularity contest. Way before the students vote, contestants must earn points by attending events and doing volunteer hours all while being publicized on social media. 

Ever since her best friend Jordan unceremoniously shut her out freshman year, Liz has tried to hide: get good grades and lose herself in her music. So making herself visible to the whole school is not easy. If she doesn't get the scholarship, the grandparents who raised her will mortgage their house and who knows what else, and Liz will not let that happen. 

So what else is going on with Liz? Her mother died of sickle cell anemia, and her younger brother has it, too. Jordan has popped back into her life as one of the prom king contestants. Her friend Gabi is driving her to be someone else just to win. And who is the cute new girl Amanda who is also running for prom queen? 

I really enjoyed this book. Great story with unique (not stereotype) characters. 

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site. 

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Life or death - it is Mia's choice (at least, she thinks it is her choice). Should she wake from the coma to face the difficult life she has ahead or just let herself go? She moves around the hospital like a ghost seeing all but not able to interact with her family and friends that have gathered. The devastating car crash has taken so much from her already; maybe it should take her, too.

Before the accident, Mia had a good life. She has loving parents who support her dream of being a cellist and a young brother she adores. She has a best friend, Kim, who is like a sister. And Mia has a boyfriend, Adam, who is a musician, too (in a rock band).

Since she was a child, the cello has been a part of her; the music an extension of who she is. She sometimes feels out of place among her rock music loving family (her dad gave up being a drummer in a punk band to become a teacher when her brother Teddy was born). Playing the cello is where she is most comfortable.

The family set off on a snow day trip to visit family. Mia never saw the other car coming. She finds herself standing in a ditch looking at what used to be her family's car. She feels fine, except she sees herself laying on the ground surrounded by rescue personnel. Is Mia dead? She doesn't know. She does hop in the ambulance and ride with herself to the hospital.

We, as readers, are with Mia knowing what she knows when she knows it. We are with her in the hospital waiting for Adam and Kim to arrive, watching her grandparents weep and learning the fate of her parents and brother. We also learn about Mia's life through flashbacks: discovering the cello, meeting Adam, hanging out with Kim, laughing at her brother, rolling her eyes at her mom, applying for school, listening to her dad's music. So much promise; so much lost.

What will Mia do? Stay or leave? Interesting questions for a poignant story. The book is relatively short, but packs a lot of emotion. Enjoy Mia's story - it's worth it.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

This Boy by Lauren Myracle

A day in the life of...well, actually four years in the life of a boy. We follow Paul through his time in high school - freshman to senior years. There is nothing particularly outstanding about Paul. He enters high school hoping to be a different person. He becomes friends with Roby who also wants more from his life.

Through freshman year, we get a dialogue between the two friends and a running commentary from Paul (our narrator). They talk about girls and clothes and sometimes nothing. I found much of their talk humorous and mostly relatable (I was once a teen boy, too). There were moments where I asked myself 'do modern guys really talk like this' that I let slide because I found Paul and Roby so amusing.

As the boys grow physically and change their appearance (Paul becomes tall and lets his hair grow long), the attention from girls, and the attraction to them, becomes stronger. But it is still never any easy road. They are both heavily crushing on Roby's long time neighbor Natalia.

One of the beautiful aspects of Paul's and Roby's friendship is the balance they provide for each other. Paul pushes the limits and Roby's influence keeps him from going too far. It's not to say that they don't have arguments, but they always come back together.

Truth be told, there is no story arc here. There is no motivation driving the plot. It really is just the ongoing life of 'this boy' named Paul. He has ups and downs (and it does get dark and ugly). I have seen some criticism that the story is boring. Obviously, no story exists that is for everyone. I have enjoyed the author's other books, and I liked this one. Maybe that is as much because I was a teenage boy and found my own teen thoughts in some of Paul's.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog.

Love, Heather by Laurie Petrou

I have felt for a long time that you can only push people so far. That eventually, bullied people will only take so much before they push back. Usually, I am referring to an oppressed group but certainly individuals can react in the same way. And so we have Stevie's life...

Going into her freshman year, things are good for Stevie. She and her best friend (forever) Lottie are unsure about entering high school but they have always done everything together. Yes, they are different: Lottie loves losing herself in a book while Stevie loves 80s and 90s movies (she regularly posts videos to her YouTube channel about them). Still, Stevie has spent so much time in Lottie's home that she feels like she has a second set of parents.

But things change. Lottie and Stevie start hanging out with the popular crowd and Lottie seems to be spending more time with them than Stevie. Add Stevie's mom dating some new guy and Lottie's parents going through epic changes (no spoilers here) and Stevie feels the very foundation of her life shift.

When her friendship with Lottie fractures and the horrific bullying starts, Stevie finds Dee. Dee is confident in ways Stevie could never be. Dee is also relentless in pointing out BS in the school. She pushes Stevie to bring justice to the victims by getting revenge on the perpetrators, the ones who think they are above it all. At first, the revenge is sweet, almost harmless pranks. When do the pranks get out of control? When do they cross a line into harassment?  When do the bullied become the bullies?

Stevie's story is painful and dark. She feels like her life is out of control. Whether it is a bad as she thinks, it doesn't matter because that's the way it feels to her. In the story, revenge is satisfying for a while. It is good to see the nasty people get taken down, but ultimately it is a tragic story. I like the unorthodox direction of the story, and I hope you do, too.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Who Put This Song On? by Morgan Parker

Morgan feels like she does not fit in anywhere. She is one of the few black girls in her private Christian school (she's not sure she is really Christian, either). Her anxiety and depression puts her parents on edge. Last summer it became too much, so she tried to kill herself.

Now in therapy and on medication, she is trying to get through life. She has two good friends, Meg and James. But even they do not understand what it is like to be black in a school and society so focused on white people. Take history class, the teacher gives bare information about Rosa Parks and Harriet Tubman. Morgan has to dig deeper on her own to find how awesome these woman were. And when she tries to bring up in class, she is labeled as difficult. She is tired of being the representative of her race when no one will listen to her even when she tries to be authentic.

Her parents think her mood swings are just that; something she can control if she would just try. When she explodes in anger and frustration, she is accused of being dramatic.

And then there are guys. Why do guys turn out to be such jerks? Not that Morgan thinks that; often she blames herself and feels that no one will ever truly like her (she's just too weird, right?).

I was first struck by the humor in this story. Morgan is genuinely funny. As the story progresses, Morgan's issues are revealed. She has deep insecurity and such low self esteem. She wants to be better, but struggles to find the balance. It's an incredible story that appears to be largely autobiographical. From personal experience, I can say there is so much truth about her anxiety and depression. I hope young people find this book and take some solace from it and know that they are not alone.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Let's Call It a Doomsday by Katie Henry

Ellis is prepared for something bad to happen. She knows anything could happen at anytime. Like, getting hit by a car. Or tripping and hitting your head. Or an earthquake. Or solar flare. The world is filled with danger, and Ellis thinks about it all the time. In fact, she has talked about the need to prepare so much that her mom, dad and sister are tired of it.

And maybe that's unfair. Ellis has anxiety (she is seeing a therapist). She can't really control her thoughts (no matter how much her mother wishes she could), so Ellis carries around her emergency preparedness kit ready for something to happen.

So the worst (best?) person to appear in Ellis' life: Hannah. They run into each other at the therapist's office, but they go to the same school. Hannah tells Ellis of her dreams (no, more like visions) where she sees the end of the world. Not easily convinced, Ellis eventually comes to believe Hannah and knows they must warn others. But Hannah is reluctant; she wants to find a person she knows who could help interpret the visions.

Ellis is a well meaning person. The coming doomsday (and it is coming soon) has reinforced her belief in the vulnerability of people. Even though she is always worried about her own well being, her first thoughts are to protect others. Her own intentions only cause her life to become more stressful. Her mom seems to hate her. She is socially awkward at school and church. There are times when Ellis seems to loose a grip on reality. But she is a sympathetic character that I wanted to be wrong and right at the same time. As someone who has anxiety, I could feel her struggle, and I think others will, too.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Crying Laughing by Lance Rubin

Winnie's life is about to change - in a lot of ways all at once. Like, Evan, one of the funniest guys at school, laughs at an off hand comment she makes. She know she's funny and so does her family and friends, but mostly she keeps her humor to herself. But Evan laughed at something she said!

At the urging of Evan and her best friend Leili, Winnie joins the school's improv group even though she said she would never perform in front of people again after her disastrous stand up routine at her bat mitzvah. Also, Evan may like her.

So Winnie has good things happening as the school year starts until...(did you really think everything would be rosy with 'crying' in the title?) Until she is told that her dad has been diagnosed with ALS, a degenerative disease with no cure.

Winnie's dad wanted to be a comedian until he put his career aside to stay at home with Winnie while her mother went to work. He introduced her to comedy. They trade silly responses and phrases to amuse each other (often to her mom's annoyance). Her dad is the reason Winnie wants to be a comedian, too. Now her dad has a difficult time grasping things and is unsteady on his feet.

So get ready for a ride on the roller coaster that is Winnie's life. It's a fun ride, but it has its down moments, too. It is a story that shows life does not always have answers, but can be funny all the while.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.

Catfishing On CatNet by Naomi Kritzer

A box drops out of the sky. Steph opens it to find exactly what she needs to alter the sex education robot teacher in her school (the one that will not answer 'controversial' questions). Where did the box come from? Who sent it? It is not the first incident like this recently. It's like someone is following Steph's conversations online.

Steph's only friends are on CatNet, a social media site dedicated to cat pictures. She never has a chance to make friends at school because her mother makes them move every few months. Why you may ask? Because Steph's father tried to kill both of them in a house fire when she was young. Her online friends do not know what Steph looks like or where she lives because her mother forbids her to give out any personal info that could give away their location.

That might sound a little paranoid except that Steph's father is a computer expert, so keeping a low profile is best. Her mom is, too; she makes money by doing jobs remotely for an old friend.

Now about that mystery box: it turns out that CatNet is run by an AI, a sentient computer program who decides they want to help people and Steph in particular. Imagine a being following all your online activity - scary? Maybe, but this being can also track your father and hamper his search for you.

Steph is a really great character with good friends (including her new in person friend, Rachel) who support each other. There are lots of unanswered questions in her life that make for a suspenseful story.

For more info, check out the Indianapolis Public Library catalog and the author's site.