The Cheerleaders
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
Sharp, brilliantly plotted, and totally engrossing' - Karen McManus, New York Times-bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying
There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.
First there was the car accident – two girls dead after hitting a tree on a rainy night.
Then the murders happened – two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it.
Monica's sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they'd lost.
That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it's not that easy.
Her world is starting to unravel. After she discovers the letters in her stepdad's desk, unearths an ancient phone, and meets a strange new friend at school, Monica can't just move on.
Whatever happened five years ago isn't over. People know more than they're letting on and somehow, Monica is at the center of it all.
There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn't mean anyone else is safe.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Weaving a deceptively intimate and intricate tale of mystery in a small community, Thomas (Little Monsters) continues to demonstrate command of both the inner workings of a teenage mind and the anatomy of crime. Monica,16, is a junior in high school, a member of the dance team, and the younger sister of Jen, one of the five cheerleaders in their town of Sunnybrook who, five years earlier, died within the span of three weeks under suspicious circumstances. Monica is also recovering from a disastrous summer fling with an older man. While searching her stepfather's desk for his prescription painkillers, she stumbles upon a stash of letters that lead her to realize that the explanations given for the deaths of the five girls may not be true. Monica sets out on a quest to unearth what actually happened, enlisting the aid of Ginny, a young woman with a complicated past. Narrated in the distinct viewpoints of Monica whose voice, unfortunately, is lackluster and even a bit shallow and Jen, the novel brims with well-chosen, telling details in the tradition of strong psychological suspense that build toward a satisfying final chapter. Ages 14 up.