First published 2008
Chris Creed was the kid everyone picked on, the one who never fit in anywhere. When he vanishes without explanation, his small town doesn't just lose its favorite target. Something darker takes hold. Neighbors start pointing fingers. Friends turn suspicious. The strange energy that always seemed to follow Chris around spreads like a virus through the community. Sixteen-year-old Torey Adams finds himself pulled into the mystery of what happened to Chris. His search for the truth forces him to see his hometown in a completely different light. The adults he trusted have been lying. The safe world he thought he knew starts falling apart piece by piece. Torey discovers that when something terrible happens, people need someone to blame, and they don't much care if that someone is innocent. As the investigation deepens, Torey must confront uncomfortable truths about his community and himself. The book includes an author interview and reader's guide.
Genres: mystery, contemporary, thriller, adolescence
Vibes: dark, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, unreliable-narrator
272 pages · Paperback · Clarion Books