If You're Out There

Gr 7 Up—A fast-paced mystery wrapped inside a love story, Loutzenhiser's novel follows a month in the life of Zan, a teenage girl whose best friend Priya moves to California and ghosts her—ending their relationship by ceasing all communication. What makes matters worse is that all of Priya's social media posts show a change in her character. Zan believes Priya has become a shallow version of herself, someone her former best friend was not. She makes a new friend in Logan, and with him she shares her grief at the loss of her friendship with Priya. When Zan discovers something strange in Priya's latest selfie, she is worried that something more nefarious may have happened to her former best friend. Zan and Logan begin to investigate. Loutzenhiser's writing is compelling and will connect with readers who live a large part of their lives through social media and online culture. The novel features a diverse cast of characters and offers a realistic look at friendship in the digital age.