Eden Summer

Gr 9 Up—Through time-stamped chapters, this British import focuses on one painful day in the life of its protagonist, Jess. She's back at school after a summer spent comforting her best friend Eden in the wake of Eden's older sister Iona's fatal car crash. Flashbacks reveal how Iona was killed as well as other pivotal moments in the teens' lives, including Eden's frightening and unexplained disappearance. Only slowly does Jess come to understand why everyone in the school yard is gossiping and why Eden's mom drove by in tears. Readers will start filling in blanks about referenced incidents: Eden's party while her parents were away, Jess's guilt about Eden's boyfriend Liam, and the new boy with whom Eden heads off during the substance-infused party. The police have been mobilized, so Jess and Liam are both sent home to be interviewed by detectives trying to track down the erratic teen. Jess's mother expects her to wait for the police, but the girl laces her shoes and heads out in search of answers about her missing companion.