Dead Girls Don't Lie

Gr 7 Up—Rachel and Jaycee are inseparable until Rachel starts changing everything from her look to hanging out with a suspicious crowd, and churchgoing good girl Jaycee is quickly pushed out. They haven't spoken in nearly a year, so Jaycee ignores the frantic text she gets one night from Rachel, instructing Jaycee to meet her, and instead focuses on the kiss she's sharing with handsome but awkward Skyler Cross. That same night Rachel is found dead, and what unfolds in this follow-up to Breaking Beautiful (Walker, 2012) is a fast-paced and complex mystery that brings up questions of race and the sometimes obsessive and dangerous nature of first love. Jaycee is left with only a series of clues in the form of encrypted texts and hidden messages to help her unravel the story of Rachel's murder. Skyler offers his help, while his brothers seem interested in stopping her from digging deeper. Local cops chalk the crime up to the presence of several ex-gang members in the small town, but Jaycee soon realizes that even the police have something to hide. Despite increasing threats to her safety, Jaycee is determined to pursue the investigation. The book is written in simple language that will appeal to a variety of readers, from devotees of Sara Shepard's "Pretty Little Liars" books (HarperCollins) to those with a penchant for more serious titles, such as Lauren Myracle's Shine (Abrams, 2011). The steady pacing and exciting conclusion make this one hard to put down.—Joanna Sondheim, Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, New York City