Reviewed by Kathleen
Grace
Ivy, Mateo, and
Cal used to be close when they were in middle school. So, when Cal pulls into
campus late for class and runs into his two old mates, they decide to ditch
school. Just like old times. However, they are not the only students skipping
school that day. When they spot Brian ‘Boney’ Mahoney acting suspiciously
downtown, they follow him into an empty building and walk straight into a
murder scene. Brian's not the only
one keeping secrets, and when their day of freedom turns deadly it's only a
matter of time before the truth comes out. And because the friends are teenagers and thriller protagonists, they do
not go to the authorities (or their parents) for help and decide to try and
solve the crime on their own.
Each of the
chapters of this mostly fast-moving, engaging novel is presented by the three
friends. First, Ivy, who has just missed winning a school council election to the class clown, and now she must face the
school, humiliated. Next chapter we hear from heart-throb Mateo who is burned
out--he's been working two jobs since his family's business failed. Then
there’s outsider Cal who has just got stood up.... again. The perspectives of
each of these protagonists switch throughout the book.
This story is a twist
on being in the wrong place at the wrong time. At times it seemed like no one
was interested in the murder as much as in drama and teen romance. The middle
of the book is slow-moving, and the ending wasn’t necessarily the most
enjoyable. This is a typical YA mystery novel full of teen angst.
The author McManus
is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of five other YA novels. Her work
has been published in more than 40 languages.
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