Crushed

Gr 5-8–Things haven’t been the same for seventh grader Sophie Valentine since the pandemic; she misses virtual learning, and her anxiety over crowds and accepting change has evolved into panic attacks. Now that her best friend Eve has returned to school from treatment for self-harm, Sophie is excited to get back into their BFF routine—but Eve is avoiding Sophie and lying about her whereabouts. She has fallen in with the Crash Crew, a group of kids obsessed with doing dares that they upload online. As Sophie tries to hold on, Eve keeps pulling away. When it’s revealed that the source of Eve’s distress was a nonconsensual phone screenshot, Sophie is determined to find the culprit and repair their friendship. This storyline operates alongside a fictitious murder case assignment in Sophie’s science class, providing forensic methods that Sophie then applies to her own investigation. Some dialogue seems advanced for seventh graders, especially their incredibly mature revelations about feelings and relationships. Other scenes, like Sophie’s therapy sessions, can feel didactic, but provide helpful information about anxiety and coping mechanisms. Sophie is a realistically imperfect protagonist; she has a tendency to steamroll friendships and over-rely on Eve, but is also caring and has an innate sense of morality. The mystery’s reveal will not come as a surprise to most; it is slightly disappointing that the novel’s consequence for real and repeated sexual harassment is more pranking, versus immediately involving trusted adults. The ending is saccharine, but readers will be happy to see Sophie has grown more comfortable with herself and her friendships, old and new.