Natalie and her brother, Ben, are new students and want to make friends fast. When they attend the high school bonfire, they become the entertainment instead, when Ben gets into a fist fight with Zack. Not knowing what to do, Natalie grabs onto the sleeve of the boy next to her, hoping he’ll step in and put a stop to it. Surprisingly, a girl comes forward and takes charge. Hoping to make a friend, Natalie introduces herself. Love Chapman is definitely not your average student. She tells Natalie to take her brother home and keep Ben away from Zack at all costs. A strange first encounter and not a particularly friendly one.
Natalie tries to pursue friendship with Love, who rebuffs her. Disappointed, Natalie finds friends in Jennie and Evan. Unfortunately, while she is busy making friends, so is Ben. To her dismay she discovers his new pal is Zack, a loner whose usual expression is a smirk or one with a stone-cold gaze. Either way, he gives Natalie the creeps.
Gradually, it is noticed that the school is plagued with tragedy. A student commits suicide after being seen talking to Love. Evan’s best friend is nearly killed in a car accident while Love just happens to be with him. Even Ben is not free of the bad luck Love seems to bring. While doing community service at a construction site he is injured in her presence. As Natalie’s suspicions of Love grow, so does her fear. This is not even the tip of the iceberg in this tale.
I am surprised that this story held my attention. I’ve read several YA books and there are some great ones out there, but it is usually a challenge for them to keep me glued to the pages. There are a lot of unanswered questions until the very end and I spent a lot of time pondering where the author was taking me. I think anyone who enjoys YA and mystery will enjoy this. It has a phenomenal ending that I never saw coming. Thank you Ms. Thomas. This is a completely engrossing and entertaining read.
The grading:
- Genre and general reading age – Young adult for teens and adults who appreciate some good YA.
- Level of sexuality – These kids are too wrapped up in the drama to dwell on anything sexual.
- Is there graphic language? I don’t recall any language that would scorch the reader’s eyes.
- Did I cry? No.
- Did I laugh? No.
- Is this part of a series? There is a sequel coming.
- Level of character development – The characters really didn’t change. They started with almost an adult persona and stayed that way. Other than Natalie cowing up with some wild idea that no one could talk her out of, most were rather sedate.
I’m more than happy to award this book ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ stars.
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