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From School Library Journal

December 1, 2024

Gr 9 Up-Lia and Diana have always been inseparable, but new cracks are beginning to form between them. Lia's sneaking around with Diana's boyfriend, Eli, which she knows is wrong but just can't seem to stop doing. Diana, a driven and talented pageant girl with big goals, has been increasingly self-centered and dismissive. When Diana vanishes late one night, at first Lia is certain she is just being melodramatic and will reappear as soon as she's gotten what she wants. The longer her absence stretches on, though, the more apparent the truth becomes-something sinister is at play, and Diana is in real danger. As Lia wrestles with how much blame she carries for Diana's late-night disappearance (she invited her out, after all), a series of roses with notes have her wondering if this time Diana may have gotten caught up in something never meant for her. Rapid fire and emotionally intense, with realistically complex and dynamic characters, Jayne's latest mystery ramps up the suspense quickly and keeps it there. Lia and Diana's friendship has a depth and intensity that pulls them to protect each other even in the face of anger and betrayal; they are friends who love each other, even when they don't particularly like each other. Relatable. VERDICT A dramatic and darkly intriguing mystery.-Allie Stevens

Copyright 2024 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From Booklist

December 1, 2024
Grades 9-12 Diana and Delia have been best friends since they were babies, but by high school, the friendship is growing stale. Diana is focused on pageants (most of which she wins), and she loves to be the center of attention. Delia, who now goes by Lia, is focused on science career prospects and plays bass with a grunge band. Another band member, Eli, may be Diana's boyfriend but has no problem showing Lia he's interested in her. Lia is wracked with guilt over trespassing on Diana's relationship and wants to confess to Diana, but before she can, Diana disappears. Lia's desire to find her friend vies with her conscience as she tries to rationalize her relationship with Eli. The adults don't take Lia's roses and note from a secret admirer particularly seriously, skyrocketing her fear and frustration. She ends up solving the mystery, but not without scraping up every ounce of courage. The plot-driven novel is told from Lia's perspective and drips with teen angst. Solid and neatly plotted so that suspects abound, with enough clues to figure it all out.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

From Kirkus

November 1, 2024
A teenager races to find her missing best friend, afraid she might be next. Lifelong best friends Lia and Diana are "good girls." Lia is a straight-A student, a "rock star bassist" in a band, and an aspiring scientist. Diana is an experienced pageant competitor and the newly crowned Miss Teen Empire Hill. In reality, their friendship is strained: Lia is set to head off to college, funded by her wealthy scientist grandfather, and she resents Diana's "thousand-watt smile and Hollywood hair." Meanwhile, Diana struggles to save every cent of her pageant winnings so she can afford college tuition. These cracks in their friendship widen when Diana turns up missing one morning. The police believe she ran away; no one knows the girls were supposed to meet at midnight, but Diana never showed. Lia begins to wonder whether her disappearance is connected to the notes she's been receiving from a secret admirer, who she hopes is Diana's boyfriend. As she strives to find Diana, Lia (who's hiding secrets of her own) realizes that no one can be trusted. This taut thriller keeps readers on their toes as it delves into the deeper issue of how missing girls and women are regarded, even by those closest to them. The central relationship between the two girls, who present white and who are realistically flawed and at times unlikable, explores how well you can truly know someone, even a lifelong friend. A suspenseful tale centering on a complicated friendship.(Thriller. 14-18)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.