The Row

Gr 8 Up—When Riley was six, her father was sentenced to death for the murders of three women. Eleven years of appeals later, Riley has never doubted he was wrongly convicted—until he admits his guilt to her during a prison visit. Is he telling a white lie to help her move forward, or is he finally coming clean? With weeks left until his execution, Riley embarks on a mission to finally confront the truth of these murders and hopefully exonerate her father. Assisted by Jordan, a boy whose family is also connected to the atrocities, she unearths family secrets and as many hints to her dad's guilt as to his innocence. Amid the high-stakes plot twists, the author keeps Riley and Jordan grounded in the dark reality of their lives, showing Riley's despair and fear as well as her admirable tenacity. Johansson has established herself as a go-to writer of emotionally resonant teen thrillers.