Underneath

Gr 6–10—When her cousin commits suicide, Sunny begins to be able to "underhear" the thoughts of others. It slowly becomes clear through reading Shiri's journal that her suicide was somehow connected to the fact that she was also able to underhear the thoughts of others. Unsurprisingly, the thoughts of others can make high school difficult to navigate and Sunny finds herself adrift from her friends and more comfortable with a group of kids who are less popular. She must learn how to manage her new ability and how to coexist with people whose private thoughts are now transparent to her, albeit sporadically. It is very nice to see a book with a biracial lead character in which her heritage is not a critical component of the major conflict (Sunny's mother is of Pakistani descent). Unfortunately, several questions ultimately go unanswered: Where did Shiri's ability come from and how did it transfer to Sunny if it is something completely new? Why does Sunny seem to be reading Shiri's journal at an oddly slow pace, a pace at which the journal entries match the current action of the novel? Still, this is an enjoyable story in the hands of the right reader. Give to fans of Lisa McMann's Wake (S & S, 2008) and sequels.—Kristin Anderson, Columbus Metropolitan Library System, OH