by Chris Lynch
First published 2012
Keir considers himself one of the good guys. The high school senior has friends who respect him and a family who loves him. Most importantly, he has Gigi, the girl he adores more than anything. Then Gigi accuses him of rape. Keir cannot understand how this happened. He loves Gigi and would never intentionally harm her. Yet she insists he assaulted her during their night together. Moving between present conversations and memories of the past, Keir examines the events that brought them to this moment. He recalls their relationship, the party, and the evening that changed everything. As he pieces together what occurred, Keir must confront a disturbing truth about his actions and himself. The story forces both Keir and readers to grapple with questions of consent, responsibility, and the gap between intention and impact.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, contemporary, psychological-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: grappling-with-truth, unreliable-narrator
176 pages · Paperback · Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Content warnings: sexual-assault