Pasadena

Gr 10 Up—A slow-burning plot told at a fast pace, Smith's latest explores the dark life of an otherwise bright and glamorous West Coast girl. Maggie is Jude's best friend and the center of their posse's universe, so when she is found floating in a pool with a belly full of pills, the apparent suicide leaves friends and family unraveling in her wake. Jude, however, questions why a brilliant and beautiful girl with such a promising future would end her life so soon, and begins hunting for the answers hidden in Maggie's final days. Motives swirl as Jude digs up dirt on everyone left behind, and she soon discovers that Maggie's killer may be closer to home than anyone would like to think. The book is impossible to put down, with increasing tension leading readers in the direction of a big reveal. The cold truth winds up being something of a disappointment but also speaks to the teenage experience. Fascinating, tragic, and equal parts glossy and gritty, this is a noir investigation of familial expectations, tension, and turmoil. In a problematic scene, Jude, reminiscing about her parents' divorce, mentions how their split was part of the aftermath of her rape at age nine by a babysitter, and blames herself for the rift in her home life. While this is a realistic viewpoint for survivors of rape, it is left unresolved.