First published 2020
Alistair is an awkward 12-year-old stumbling through the social minefield of middle school. When a prank goes horribly wrong, he finds himself swept up in a deadly game of cover-up and escalating lies. Forced to betray his friends and family, Alistair must decide how far he'll go to protect his secret and escape the cycle of fatal errors. In this taut psychological thriller, Dashka Slater explores the price of innocence lost and the fragility of youthful bonds.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, thriller, adolescence, psychological-thriller
Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: deception, secrets, unreliable-narrator
336 pages · Hardcover · Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Content warnings: anxiety