Dead End Girls
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4.8 • 8 Ratings
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
"A clever page-turner that I couldn’t put down." —Natasha Preston, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author
Determined to escape menacing families, two desperate teens fake their own deaths in this queer contemporary thriller perfect for fans of Karen McManus.
In one week Maude will be dead. At least, that’s what she wants everyone to think. After years of research, Maude has decided to fake her own death. She’s figured out the how, the when, the where, and who will help her unsuspectingly. The why is complex: revenge, partly. Her terrible parents deserve this. But there’s also 'l’appel du vide,' the call of the void, that beckons her toward a new life where she will be tied to no one, free and adrift. Then Frankie, a step-cousin she barely knows, figures out what she’s plotting, and the plan seems like it’s ruined. Except Frankie doesn’t want to rat her out—Frankie wants in. The girls vault into the unknown, risking everything for a new and limitless life. But there are some things you can never run away from. What if the poison is not in the soil, but in the roots? This pulse-pounding thriller offers a nuanced exploration of identity, freedom, and falling in love while your world falls apart.
Dead End Girls is perfect for fans of:
Riverdale Do Revenge They Wish They Were Us and One of Us Is Lying Murder mystery books for teens Teen thrillers Young adult suspense
A Rainbow Book List Selection
A YALSA Amazing Audiobook for Young Adults
A YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Feeling unloved and unwanted by her divorced parents, 17-year-old Maude Hendricks, who is gay and white, arranges to fake her own death in a boating accident while vacationing in Hawaii. It's a complicated plan, one that she's patiently researched for the last two years. Just as she's about to initiate the deception, though, her white step-cousin Frankie Maxwell (also gay and 17), whom she barely knows, uncovers Maude's scheme and demands that she take Frankie with her. After she reluctantly agrees, the girls rent kayaks to begin carrying out their plan. The ploy immediately hits a dangerous snag when a shark appears, lured by a bleeding cut on Maude's foot. Managing to escape and check in to a motel, they are thrilled when a television broadcast reports them missing following a boating incident. On the run, the pair encounter further troubles, including a harrowing accident, a murder, and many narrow escapes, while navigating a blossoming romance. Both Maude and Frankie are quick-witted heroines whose respective quests for autonomy and internal struggles regarding sexuality and gender identity provide depth. Culminating in a suspenseful ending, Heard's (She's Too Pretty to Burn) alluring novel is an invigorating ride. Ages 14–up.
Customer Reviews
The Real Deal
Wonderful read. Complex and beautiful rendering of coming of age for two lesbian teens involved in an intriguing mystery.
5 🌟
I realized I had no idea where this story was going within 8 chapters in. This was a wild story and I enjoyed every bit of it. I read this so fast I can’t believe I’m done with it already