March 1, 2018
Two teens must survive edgy, toxic romances in this dark YA thriller. In Austin, Texas, keen skateboarder Gabe Jim'nez's desire to break up with his popular--and incredibly controlling and jealous--girlfriend, Sasha, intensifies after a hit-and-run accident leaves him semiconscious in the arms of a mysterious girl. Across the country in Portland, Oregon, Elyse McCormick can't believe the handsome new drama teacher Mr. Hunter has cast her--and not her more experienced best friend Brynn--as Juliet in the school's upcoming Shakespeare production. Gabe's and Elyse's storylines seem unconnected until it's clear they're both in obsessive, and in Elyse's case, illegal, relationships. Gabe befriends quiet, shy Catherine, the girl who comforted him after he was hit by a car, but she's understandably frightened to date him when he's got a queen-bee ex prone to creepy, stalker-ish behavior. Elyse, whose home life is troubled, predictably goes from idolizing Mr. Hunter to falling desperately for him. The characters are fairly diverse: Gabe is Mexican-American with a little sister who has Down syndrome, Brynn is Filipina-American, while Elyse, Sasha, and Catherine are white. Eagle-eyed readers may figure out one of the big twists, but this well-paced thriller is difficult to put down. This conversation-starting page-turner is a Fatal Attraction meets Big Little Lies cautionary tale for teens about dangerous relationships. (resources) (Fiction.14-18)
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March 19, 2018
Gabe Jimenez’s life turns upside down when he’s a victim of a hit-and-run and ends up in the arms of a mysterious girl, whom he believes is his savior. Things intensify after he runs into the girl again at the mall and learns that her name is Catherine and that she is a new student at his school. Thousands of miles away in Oregon, Elyse is thrilled to be picked as the lead in the school production of Romeo and Juliet. Her home life with her opioid-addicted mother is less than perfect, and she welcomes the attentions of her drama teacher, Mr. Hunter, who begins to groom her for a boundary-crossing relationship. Meanwhile, Gabe’s relationship with his girlfriend, Sasha, turns sour as her jealousy of Catherine leads her to behave in more erratic and dangerous ways. Debut author Donaldson weaves together two seemingly unconnected stories that eventually merge in a way that only the most attentive readers will predict. Moments of melodrama are ultimately assuaged by sympathetic, well-rounded characters in this taut, intense thriller that could serve as a cautionary tale for obsessive teen relationships. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lanie Davis, Alloy Entertainment.
April 1, 2018
Gr 9 Up-This novel features two parallel forbidden love stories told in alternating chapters. Elyse is a thespian, lives with her pill-popping mother and keeps their home afloat, taking on all adult responsibilities while her mom flows in and out of sobriety. When Elyse gets the role as Juliet in the school play, she falls in love and runs away with her teacher Mr. Aiden Hunter. Meanwhile, Gabe is an average teen who adores his sister Vivi, who has Down syndrome, and tolerates his popular girlfriend, Sasha. She is the most powerful teenager in her class and bullies anyone who dares to cross her. The stories collide when a teen saves Gabe after a hit-and-run car accident. He falls in love with the mysterious young woman who saved him. He tracks Catherine down at school and they begin talking on the sly because of Catherine's overprotective father and Sasha. When Gabe breaks up with Sasha, she kidnaps Gabe's sister, hides cameras in Gabe's room, and sets Catherine's house on fire, all while setting Gabe up to make him look like the culprit. This is a fast-paced and engaging read. However, the way the story lines come together stretches credulity, and may leave readers scratching their heads because of time line and continuity issues. VERDICT Give to teens who can suspend disbelief and enjoy melodramatic thrillers.-Julia Christensen, Michigan City, IN
Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
April 15, 2018
Grades 9-12 When Gabe befriends Catherine, the quiet tomboy new to his Austin high school, he unknowingly sets off a chain of alarming events. First, he gets threatening Snapchats. Then, his ex-girlfriend, Sasha, absconds with his little sister?though she tearfully claims that it was all a misunderstanding. When Gabe and Catherine start dating, Sasha's schemes become more and more damaging. Catherine gets increasingly cagey, but it seems to be about something other than Gabe's unhinged ex. Meanwhile, alternating chapters tell the story of Elyse, a put-upon Portland teen who's slowly but surely being groomed by her drama teacher, who's twice her age. Readers savvy to the plentiful red flags in the teacher's behavior will squirm, particularly when he alienates her from her friends. The parallels between Gabe's and Elyse's differently abusive relationships are effectively poignant and might spark conversation about what constitutes healthy relationships, and the mostly well-rounded characters keep the high-stakes drama grounded. Some might guess how the two stories are related early on, but the cinematic pacing and twisty plot will keep readers flipping the pages.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)
January 1, 2019
In this tense romantic thriller, skateboarder Gabe endures threats and worse from his increasingly unstable ex as he tries to get to know another girl; across the country, Elyse enters an ill-advised relationship with her drama teacher. Obsessive, even dangerous relationships are the thematic threads linking these teens' stories together until the plots intersect in surprising ways.
(Copyright 2019 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)