Premeditated

October 14, 2013
McQuein (Arclight) relies on some formulaic twists in an otherwise solid revenge novel. When goth girl Dinah's 14-year-old cousin, Claire ends up in a coma after a suicide attempt, Dinah discovers her diary, learns what led to her decision, and decides to seek revenge. Within days, she has revamped her image, bleached out her black hair dye, and removed piercings in order to present herself as the sort of girl who might attend the elite private school where Claire was a student. With help from her rich uncle, Dinah enrolls, planning to destroy the life of Brooks Walden, the boy who drove her cousin to try to kill herself. McQuein doles out the backstory slowly via flashbacks and glimpses of Claire's diary, which lead to revelations that are gratifying yet not unexpected; Dinah's unbending vendetta against Brooks ("Claire met Brooks; he was evilâthe end") suggests early on that her convictions will be upended. Still, McQuein's subplots give the story added substance, and Dinah's broken relationship with her mother underpins much of the novel's psychological dimension and offers moments of powerful storytelling. Ages 14âup.

September 15, 2013
A character-rich thriller keeps the pages turning until the very end. Dinah is bereft when her cousin Claire, the Cuckoo to her Dodo, attempts suicide and ends up in a coma--especially when Dinah finds out that Claire did it because she lost her virginity to the boy with whom she had a summer romance. Now Dinah is out for revenge on the boy, Brooks Walden, all-around golden boy and seemingly nice guy. To put her plan into action, Dinah takes Claire's spot at the Lowry School, a venerable prep school where Claire was supposed to begin her freshman year. It means bleaching her dark hair and taking out her piercings, but Dinah would do anything for her Cuckoo. Helped by Jackson "Dex" Dexter, a scholarship student at Lowry, and her friends Tabs and Brucey, Dinah starts turning the screws on Brooks. But the more she gets to know him, the more she doubts whether she's doing the right thing. Will Dinah stop herself before it's too late and she makes a horrible mistake? Dinah is a totally engaging protagonist: flawed, honest and real. The secondary characters are similarly well-drawn, although Brooks' poor-little-rich-boy drama is a trifle underdeveloped. Although the critical plot twist is somewhat telegraphed, McQuein's talent shines in this compelling character study. (Thriller. 14 & up)

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