Amelia Anne Is Dead and Gone

Gr 10 Up—The book opens the night after graduation when 18-year-old salutatorian Becca finds herself tangled up in the legs and arms of her boyfriend James, a high school dropout, in the back of a pickup truck. The story is set in a quiet New England town where everyone knows everyone else's business. College-bound Becca is in love with James, who fears losing another person in his life as he did his mother, so after their sexual encounter, he dumps her, knowing that she is going on to bigger things and leaving him behind. The next day, news breaks that a dead girl, Amelia Anne, was found murdered near where Becca and James rendezvoused. The news of this murder causes Becca to question her faith in her small town and the outside world. She is not sure how she became so naive over the years and begins seeing people and places she has known her whole life in a new light. The gripping story goes back and forth between Becca's and Amelia's perspectives. Only readers know how much the two girls have in common, and they will relate to their struggles with finding themselves and their relationships with boys. The murder mystery unfolds with a dark twist that may need to come a bit quicker to keep all readers interested, but mature teens who enjoy relatable characters will stay tuned.—Karen Alexander, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, MI