The Girls of No Return

March 19, 2012
In a narrative told through extended flashbacks that alternate with "epilogue" sections, secretive Lida reflects on the time she spent as a troubled 16-year-old at the Alice Marshall School for Girls, tucked deep in the Idaho wilderness. Each of the girls at Alice Marshall has a "Thing," something from her past that brought her there. Lida, hostile toward her father and stepmother and still mourning her absent mother, isn't interested in sharing, but little by little, she reveals the reasons behind her destructive behavior. Debut author Saldin carefully builds suspense through the complex relationships that Lida forms with the other girls, particularly fierce, dangerous Boone, who has been abandoned by all of the people in her life and torments the other girls, and enigmatic Gia, who enchants and manipulates Lida. Saldin brings a polished descriptive style to the expansive wilderness setting, which subtly mirrors the shadowed layers of each girl's consciousness. Those expecting a violent confrontation won't be disappointed; through it, Lida learns the meaning of real friendship and forgiveness. Ages 14âup. Agent: Denise Shannon Literary Agency.

Starred review from November 15, 2011
Lonely, angry and acting out, Lida is sent by her father and stepmother to a school for problem girls in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness Area. Trying to keep a low profile, Lida becomes an observer. While the girls are there for different reasons, cabinmate Boone is more frighteningly tough than most. Lida gradually engages with the wilderness and both Boone and Gia, a charismatic new girl, for whom her attraction is romantic but not sexual. When Boone takes Lida hiking to a nearby fire lookout to meet Ben, a friendly supplier of booze, Lida knows she has gained Boone's trust--but Gia's intrusion and manipulations roil the plot. It all explodes on a solo overnight camping trip, and the choices each girl makes set up a violent confrontation, hinted at in the short "Epilogue" sections that are interspersed in italic type. Not everyone is distinct; the "I-bankers," or daughters of wealthy investment bankers, are particularly interchangeable. But teen and adult characters that matter are complex and intriguing. Saldin keeps readers intrigued by both withholding information and sharing Lida's retrospective thoughts without ever seeming manipulative. This debut is richly rewarding and will linger for its subtle examination of human behavior and emotions--love, trust, guilt and forgiveness. A smashing debut. (Fiction. 12 & up)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

April 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-Anger over her mother's abandonment when she was small leads 16-year-old Lida to resent her father and stepmother and to abuse herself by cutting. Her harmful behavior lands her in the Alice Marshall School for troubled girls, deep in the Idaho wilderness. After a shaky start, Lida gradually befriends hard-edged Boone, who takes her on forbidden hikes to a forest lookout station where 25-year-old Ben gives the girls alcohol but otherwise behaves as a good friend. When drop-dead-gorgeous Gia arrives at the school, she and Boone hate one another at first sight, an animosity fueled by Lida, who is juggling a friendship with each of them. Once Lida introduces Ben to Gia, despite promising not to, Gia pretends she's a teacher and begins romantic visits with him. When Boone finds out, the negative intensity with Gia escalates, until a terrible altercation during a camping trip sends things over the edge. Lida's story is disclosed in first person, starting with an "epilogue," interspersing additional "epilogues" throughout, and finishing with a "prologue"-an unusual yet effective plot construction to keep readers guessing. However, although the girls' interactions are meant to be intriguing, Gia is manipulative, sketchy, and unlikable while Bo one is unpredictable and sometimes nasty. It's difficult to believe that Lida wants a friendship with either of them. Also, Lida never really gets beyond her wimpy attitudes in relationships even though she meets the school's outdoor challenges, which are geared toward making her a stronger person. Plus, unrealistically, the school claims to be strict about alcohol and cigarettes, yet there are no real repercussions for the regular indulgences that occur. The writing style, edginess, and buildup to the ultimate disclosure will attract teens who enjoyed A.S. King's Please Ignore Vera Deitz (Knopf, 2010), minus the growth from invisible to invincible.-Diane P. Tuccillo, Poudre River Public Library District, Fort Collins, CO

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from February 1, 2012
Grades 9-12 *Starred Review* Secrets and lies, betrayal and trust, friends and enemiesthere are weighty themes at the heart of this bold, compelling debut novel. Sixteen-year-old Lida is forced to attend the Alice Marshall School, which sits at the center of the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness in northern Idaho. It's a place where troubled girls are sent to figure out their biggest issue, or Thing. For most, their Thing is a closely guarded secret, and Lida is no exception. Despite efforts to fade into the background, she is pulled into the worlds of two fellow students: hard-as-nails Boone and mysterious Gia. Boone has never taken an interest in another studentuntil Lidaand Lida has never before been so powerfully drawn to another personuntil Gia. How the lives of these three girls clash is both surprising and mesmerizing. The drama is set against two million acres of wilderness, which serves as a fitting backdrop for a survival story. It's not the mountain lions and bears that most threaten the girls, though; they need protection from themselves and each other. Saldin leisurely leads readers down a rocky path until the novel speeds up to its chilling climax. So much more than a typical problem novel, this psychological mind-bender is raw, gripping, and deftly rolled out by a writer to watch.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)