March 15, 2022
One of them betrayed another. One of them kissed a killer. One of them killed their best friend. Chelsea, Ryan, Chase, Kennedy, and Mila--four high school friends and one interloper--come together on the anniversary of the fire that leveled Kennedy's family's lake house and killed their friend Emily. The cause of the blaze was never revealed. Though the friends have spent 10 summers together at the lake, a not-so-friendly game of Truth or Dare in the newly rebuilt mansion, hauntingly similar to the original, causes them to question whether one of them is responsible for Emily's death. The multiple love triangles that surface provide further fuel for discord among them. Present-day events intermingle with memories of the night of the fire and flashbacks to past summers and lend a disconnected, nightmarish quality to the story. Told from various points of view, the novel's primary narrator is Chelsea, recently released from a year in a psychiatric hospital and taking medications that make her less than reliable. A second voice is presumed to be that of the deceased Emily, and the presence of the paranormal is apparent from the outset. A terrifying secret is revealed when Kennedy picks up the narrative almost halfway into the story. A surprising and satisfying ending ties it all together and makes sense of the disparate parts. All characters are cued as White. Psychologically chilling and unforgettable. (Thriller. 13-adult)
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April 1, 2022
Grades 9-12 A story featuring five unsupervised, hormonal teens at a lake house--with one tarot deck, and zero technology--has all the earmarks of a chilling nightmare. That's exactly what Mele delivers to fans of literary horror. A year has gone by since the demise of Chelsea's childhood friend, Emily, and Chelsea hasn't recovered from the tragedy. To add more stress, her relationships with Emily's brother, Ryan, and the flawless Kennedy form just one of the love triangles that haven't been resolved. Hoping for a final hurrah before senior year, the gang reunites at the scene of Emily's death in search of debauchery, only to find phantoms looming. Mele superbly interweaves the narration by different characters, each of whom believes they're the victim of their own tale. Classism also tests the bonds of friendship. At times, the story is long in the tooth; however, readers will be glad to stick it out until the end and will be thrilled to know that friendships are worth living (but never dying) for.
COPYRIGHT(2022) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
June 1, 2022
Gr 9 Up-Chelsea, Ryan, Chase, and Mila arrive at Kennedy's family lake house one year after the date of Emily's death. On that day, the house burned to the ground with Emily trapped in the attic, but Kennedy's family has just finished rebuilding an exact replica on the very spot where the old one stood. Most of the group has summered at the lake house for the past 10 years, so there are lots of old and new grudges, relationship drama, and friend fights that need to be navigated. When a set of tarot cards that clearly represent each of the teens start creepily appearing around the house, and a game of Truth or Dare gets really scary, the group starts to wonder if Emily is haunting them, and why. Narrated in turn by Chelsea, Kennedy, and Emily, as each voice takes over, new clues are slowly revealed. The atmosphere is where this novel shines, as there is clearly something wrong that readers can't quite make out. Unfortunately, characterization isn't as strong as other aspects of the writing, so keeping up with who is talking and when gets confusing as the story twists and turns. Some of this is probably purposeful, and it all makes sense just a few pages from the end, but it might take a patient reader to get there. All characters are presumed white; Kennedy and Chelsea are in a relationship. VERDICT Thrillers are always in demand, and this one should mostly satisfy that die-hard crowd.-Mandy Laferriere
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