Betrayal

Gr 9 Up–A brutal stabbing at a Halloween party leaves a foreign-exchange student dead and sets off a frightening chain of events in this compelling crime novel. Olivia Grant, an English teen staying in Port Gamble, Washington, is murdered. Brianna behaves oddly for someone who has just discovered a dead girl in her bed, but does that mean that she and her boyfriend are to blame? Or was it Beth, whose family hosted Olivia? The two girls argued early in the evening, and Olivia died with part of Beth’s costume stuffed in her mouth. The author notes that this aspect of the story was inspired by the case of Amanda Knox, whose murder conviction in Italy was eventually overturned. Meanwhile, a subplot involves telepathic twins Haley and Taylor, who survived a bus crash as children and are now trying to unravel the truth despite their mother’s reluctance to discuss it. Their story is sometimes a distraction from the primary murder mystery. Many of the characters were featured in Envy (Sterling, 2011), and while this one can stand on its own, it may be easier to follow as part of a series. Readers see the novel’s events through the eyes of many different characters–Drew, Brianna, Beth, Haley, Taylor, and quite a few adults–and it’s difficult to care about such a large cast. Still, the frothy tone, many pop-culture references, and fast pace compensate for the lack of a central character. Readers in search of a crime novel, mystery, or quick, light read will enjoy this one –Miranda Doyle, San Francisco Public Library