When the body of Jess’s twin sister, Anna, is found one morning on the lawn underneath her bedroom window, the family is shocked to realize she had been laying there unseen throughout the night. A member of her high school cross-country track team, Anna was usually gone in the morning before the rest of the family woke up, and her absence at breakfast was nothing out of the ordinary. Once police are called to investigate the crime scene, it is decided that Anna fell accidentally while trying to climb down from the second story, and that it was not a suicide.
Why was she sneaking out? Why was she all dressed up and wearing her favorite perfume? Who was she meeting? How come no one in the family had an inkling of what had been going on in Anna’s life? Why are Anna’s friends curiously reticent about answering questions from Jess about her activities and acquaintances? Although her parents accept the conclusions reached by the police, Jess, unsatisfied, starts her own investigation. As she does so, she finds Anna’s secrets entangled with those of her track coach/English teacher, her acquaintances, the Police Chief, and strangers in a bar half-an-hour outside their small town in Montana.
This is the definitive young adult book on sexting and the dangers of social media. The language–though not excessive–is what you would expect to hear. There is violence in the form of physical fighting. Drug and alcohol use are referenced as means to sexual abuse. One gay relationship between adults is presented.
This should be required reading in upper-middle and high schools.
Categories: Addiction, Books We Recommend, Controversial YA Topics, Crime, Death and Grieving, Diversity, Dysfunctional Relationships, Grief, Navigating through High School, Peer Relationships, Social Media, Violence
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