This is W.A.R.

May 20, 2013
The Roecker sisters (the Liar Society books) weave money, power, and secrets into this suspenseful story of four teenage girls determined to avenge their friend’s murder. Beautiful, rich Willa Ames-Rowan saw good in everyone. That’s why her sudden drowning the summer before her senior year has everyone at the prestigious Hawthorne Lake Country Club mourning, but afraid to point fingers at the most probable culprits: the owner’s grandsons, James and Trip Gregory. James and Trip won “the genetic jackpot” and are ridiculously wealthy, and their every mistake is erased by their controlling grandfather. But now they’ve almost certainly committed murder, and Willa’s friends—steely Madge (Willa’s sister), rebellious Lina, bookish outcast Rose, and insecure Sloane—want justice. The authors skillfully build tension and suspicion, and the girls’ voices shine through as they take turns remembering the night of Willa’s death and unveiling their own secrets. What isn’t clear is a motive, which remains as murky as the lake Willa drowned in. Still, readers will find bits of themselves in these girls and eagerly follow them as they uncover the truth. Ages 14–up. Agent: Catherine Drayton, Inkwell Management.

May 15, 2013
Believing that the wealthy Gregory family is involved in their friend Willa's death, a group of one-dimensional teen socialites engage in bumbling efforts to achieve vigilante justice. Operating under the assumption that James Gregory drowned Willa, while his twin brother and grandfather used the family money and influence to orchestrate a coverup, Willa's friends form a "revenge club" whose $25,000 dues payments will be used to expose the family's depravities, thereby destroying its fortune and social status. The girls' easy access to thousands of dollars in cash is only the first of many improbable plot devices. An overreliance upon convenience--and the inexplicable--eliminates opportunities for the clever moments of detective work that typically punctuate classic whodunits. While the book does explore important questions about money, power and privilege, the stereotypical characters offer few fresh perspectives and do little to distract readers from the spottiness of the revenge drama. (Country-club staff members are variously described as having "cafe au lait" and "coconut-colored" skin, maids have heavy Russian accents, and the rebellious member of the revenge club is marked by her "white trash" tattoos.) Readers interested in a protagonist's explorations of her town's chilling undercurrent of corruption and violence will find Lauren Myracle's Shine (2011) more rewarding. The disappointingly predictable plot and characters fail to deliver on the novel's promising opening scene. (Mystery. 14-17)

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July 1, 2013

Gr 9 Up-Willa Ames-Rowan seems to lead a charmed life. She's beautiful and the center of teen social life at the Hawthorne Lake Country Club, the summer hangout for Hawthorne's rich and powerful. But when Willa drowns on the night of a yachting party organized by the Gregory brothers, heirs to the Club, everybody knows it can't be an accident. Willa was a champion swimmer. Who could want her dead? Her close friends and stepsister are convinced that James Gregory, Willa's crush and the last person seen with her, is responsible. With the help of the daughter of the Club's social-climbing event planner, they form the W.A.R. club. But as their plans for revenge unfold, the girls' many secrets threaten to be revealed, and the truth surrounding Willa's death becomes more and more complicated. This fast-paced action thriller is told from the perspective of each of the girls in turn, peeling back the layers of events and motivations that occurred that fateful night. The glittering, sun-soaked atmosphere of country club decadence will appeal to fans of Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" (Little, Brown) and Sara Shepard's "Pretty Little Liars" (HarperCollins) series. The rather fleeting exploration of characters and a few implausible plot machinations detract only slightly from the rapid buildup of suspense, making this one a great summer beach read.-Evelyn Khoo Schwartz, Georgetown Day School, Washington, DC

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