The Telling

June 6, 2016
In Sirowy’s second novel, after The Creeping, a macabre spirit haunts Gant Island, home to Pacific Northwest multimillionaires. A few months ago, 17-year-old Lana McBrook was “an earthworm dreaming of being a python,” happy to spend the summer before her senior year studying with her best friend Willa. Now—following the disappearance and presumed death of Lana’s stepbrother, Ben, after a gruesome attack—she parties with the popular clique, including longtime crush Josh Parker. Then the group discovers the drowned remains of Ben’s girlfriend, Maggie, suspected of aiding in his disappearance. As more bodies appear, Lana, who admits “I am a sometimes liar,” decides that Ben’s ghost has returned to avenge their enemies. When the murders include clues from Ben’s nightmarish childhood stories, Lana bravely investigates, coming to terms with her conflicted feelings for Josh and Ben. Though overly florid descriptions and a sensationalist plot detract from the gothic strains somewhat, Siroway’s cliffhangers and red herrings lure readers toward a haunting finale. Intriguing questions about the nature of storytelling permeate this addictive novel. Ages 12–up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House.

May 15, 2016
Lana divides her life between "before," when her stepbrother Ben was alive, and "after" his murder.The white teen doesn't want to believe he's really dead, but she saw his body being dragged away, felt the blood that had sprayed onto her. She wants to think somehow his spirit lingers, protecting her, but she knows that instead she has become more willing to defend herself. She now hangs reasonably easily with the popular crowd, until she discovers the dead body of Ben's former girlfriend, Maggie. The police at first believe she and her friends murdered Maggie, but events prove that instead they are gradually becoming victims. Lana knows a bit more about the murders than she's willing to tell, and she and her friends decide to pursue their own investigations--but her own actions may put her in real danger, even after the murderer has been caught. If Ben were alive, the victims might believably be his, but there really is no question that Ben is dead...right? Or could Lana be suffering from PTSD-induced memory lapses arising from Ben's murder? Sirowy's present-tense narrative gives narrator Lana plenty of room for introspection, as the girl examines her life and her own emotions, strengths, and weaknesses. While the action sometimes drags a bit with all of Lana's musings, when another murder occurs the pace picks up nicely.A neatly done murder mystery underneath the psychology. (Mystery. 12-18)

COPYRIGHT(2016) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

June 1, 2016

Gr 8 Up-Lana has been living in the after-after her stepbrother and best friend Ben was murdered in front of her and his girlfriend, Maggie. Before, she spent her time working to graduate from high school and get accepted to college and hanging out with her best friend. Now, she needs to distract herself from Ben's death, so she becomes friends with The Core, a group of popular teens who drink and carry out dares. While cliff-diving at Swisher Spring, Lana finds Maggie's body buried underwater. The protagonist becomes the prime suspect, as she knows the cliffs well. Lana and her friends don't know what to think. One of Lana's classmates turns up missing. Someone's dogs are killed. Lana wonders if Ben's ghost isn't still around, taking justice for how she's been treated. This story is realistic, descriptive, and hard to put down. Lana is a likable character who is dealing with tragic loss in the best way she knows how. Told in first person, the narrative slowly reveals details to readers as Lana becomes aware of them. Teens are left wondering who could be the culprit and if Lana will discover the identity before it's too late. The secondary characters are distinctive enough to stand alone, but Lana and Ben are the real focus. Readers may anticipate the ending, but there are plenty of plot twists along the way. References to drinking and sex throughout make this appropriate for high schoolers. VERDICT Recommend for fans of realistic murder mysteries with twists and where nothing quite fits together.-Natalie Struecker, Atlantic Public Library, IA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.