The Devil You Know

March 15, 2015
Arcadia joins a weekend road trip with two handsome cousins she's just met. But one or both may be hiding a troubling secret.Following her mother's death, Arcadia has become the surrogate parent to her younger brother, and she's ready for a well-deserved break. On the way to a party in a campground she spies hot stranger Matt in the parking lot, and she spontaneously invites him along. Soon Matt's kissing her friend Lindsey, a situation Arcadia accepts when she finds herself swept into an intense sexual attraction with Matt's cousin Noah. His handsome but scarred face suggests a troubled youth, and he admits to past violent incidents. However, Noah also thoughtfully listens to Arcadia in a way that no one has in a long time, making his invitation that she and Lindsey join the cousins' road trip irresistible. Even when Lindsey backs out via text message, Arcadia still grabs a backpack and heads out for adventure but forgets her phone charger (cue the horror-movie music). Arcadia is quickly surrounded by obvious warning signs that the cousin(s) cannot be trusted-from a psychic's warning to the discovery of Lindsey's body back at home-and yet she heads further into the wilderness with them. A deadly confrontation feels inevitable. It may be occasionally implausible, but the great pacing makes this a suspenseful romantic thriller. (Thriller. 13-18)

April 1, 2015

Gr 10 Up-Cadie, 18, lives in a tiny Floridian town with her widowed dad and kid brother. She's spent the last couple years pining for an adventure to take her away from her boring home. When two cute cousins, Matt and Noah, show up at a campfire party, Cadie is so strongly attracted to Noah that it thrills and scares her. The next day, the guys invite her and her old friend to join them on their road trip. Even though they're not much more than strangers, Cadie just can't say no. What the teen thought was going to be a sexy and temporary getaway slowly turns out to be a dangerous, terrifying, and deadly experience. Doller gives readers a smart, strong, yet wounded lead in Cadie. Although her decisions put her in an incredible dangerous situation, her choices don't seem anything but natural. The spark between Noah and Cadie is delicious, and the slow build of darkness throughout the story is the kind of terrifying that teens will enjoy. Fans of Stolen by Lucy Christopher (Scholastic, 2010) should be sure to put Devil on their to-read list. VERDICT This dark thriller features a strong female lead and a heap of sexy; a must-buy for readers looking for a healthy dose of drama.-Emily Moore, Camden County Library System, NJ

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