Teen contemporary/murder mystery
I was impressed by how coherent and tense this story was. The author was kind enough to share a pre-publication ARC with me. I read her first book, Running Lean, and for some reason, I was thinking this was just a short novella spinoff, but it's a fairly substantial read in its own right. It takes a side character from Running Lean and heads off with him into what's basically a murder mystery with a side of new-kid and awkward budding romance. Some of the teen subculture stuff felt a little odd at the beginning, but I really settled into the flow of things after the first few chapters and enjoyed the characters. Does a good job of delving into insecurity and the fear behind teenage bravado. Great action writing. Realistically worn-at-the-edges smalltown America setting. Trigger warning for situations of child abuse/spousal abuse (mostly offscreen). Should be okay for younger teens.
1
