Harmless

January 15, 2007
In a psychologically taut drama, Reinhardt (A Brief Chapter in My Impossible Life
) delves into the minds of three private-school freshmen girls who tell a lie that turns out to be anything but "harmless." The parents of Anna, Emma and Mariah think the girls are at a movie when in fact the three are partying with some boys from the local public high school. When Emma's mother checks the theater and finds the girls missing, she text-messages her daughter and notifies the other parents. The girls know they're in big trouble unless they can make up a convincing explanation. They decide to tell everyone that Emma was attacked by a stranger (and rescued by Anna and Mariah) but the results of their fib prove to be disastrous, as outraged townspeople join with the police force to make sure that justice is served. Anna, Emma and Mariah react differently to their rising notoriety: Anna revels in taking the spotlight, Mariah wants the whole ordeal to be over, and Emma is wracked with guilt. Tension mounts after a homeless man is arrested for the crime. Besides showing how a "little" lie can quickly get out of control, the author convincingly creates three flawed heroines to whom teens can relate. The girls' complex family situations and relationships with each other add depth and tension to the story as well as adding credence to the reasons each is reluctant to make a confession. Ages 12-up.

March 1, 2007
Gr 7-10-Freshmen Anna and Emma have been best friends since third grade. When Emma meets Mariah during rehearsals for "Romeo and Juliet" and becomes friendly with her, Anna grows jealous. Mariah, who is dating a senior from another school, invites them to a sleepover at her boyfriend's house while his parents are away and things change for the three of them after that night. When the girls make up a story about their whereabouts and are caught in the aftermath, the lies grow into something bigger than any of them could have imagined. The unfolding of the truth is believable and told from the girls' alternating points of view. Anna enjoys the newfound attention and rationalizes that maybe the lie wasn't so bad, even as things spiral out of control. Emma, who drank at the party and had sex for the first time, opens up slowly to a counselor. At the end of the book, Mariah is still coming to terms with her actions and regrets, noting how something can appear one way one day and be different the next. Unpredictability and suspense will keep readers turning the pages and questioning their own sensibilities. They will appreciate how well the characters are developed, and how seemingly simple lies can have far-reaching and devastating consequences."Kelly Czarnecki, Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg, NC"

Copyright 2007 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2006
What price a lie? This is the all-important question when Anna, Emma, and Mariah spend the night with Mariah's boyfriend and his friends, and are caught by their parents. Terrified that they will be grounded, they concoct a story of a foiled rape, clueless that their parents will pursue the case by contacting police and that the school and university communities will hold them up as role models. When a vagrant is arrested for the crime, their lies come full circle. Reinhardt's thought-provoking story avoids preachiness in part because of the girls' strong, complex characterizations. Geeky Anna, encouraged by all the attention, buys new clothes and makeup; Mariah dumps DJ and continues her rebellion against her domineering stepfather; Emma, more affected by the actual party, cocoons into herself. A subplot about Emma's father doesn't add much substance to the story, but overall, Reinhardt offers a well-constructed object lesson in responsibility that will set teens thinking.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)