What We Lost in the Dark

October 15, 2013
Two teens afflicted with a rare medical disorder continue unraveling the mystery begun in What We Saw at Night (2013). Rob and Allie, bound together since childhood due to their diagnoses with a life-threatening allergy to sunlight called Xeroderma Pigmentosum, are deeply in love. They are also both convincingly bereft as they mourn the death of Juliet, the former third of their trio. Less believably, Allie is convinced that Juliet's suicide was actually a murder perpetrated by an undetected serial killer, who she suspects is a member of the wealthy, powerful family that founded the clinic in her town that treats XP. When Rob introduces Allie to free diving--which involves descending under water to great depths with no oxygen source--she discovers bodies the killer has hidden in Lake Superior. While each of these plot points is fascinating, their combination strains credulity and eventually weighs down the narrative. Unlikely coincidences also abound, including the fact that the land that bears the den of horrors and burial ground of the villain was originally owned by Allie's pal Gideon, so he's able to give her plenty of tips about it. A wild cliffhanger ended the first, so readers will definitely want to get their hands on this sequel, but the suspension of disbelief it demands is mammoth. (Thriller. 14 & up)

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January 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In What We Saw at Night (SohoTeen, 2013), readers were introduced to best friends Allie, Rob, and Juliet, teens afflicted with Xeroderma Pigmentosum (XP), a rare and sometimes deadly disease that renders its sufferers allergic to sunlight, confining them to a nighttime existence. This sequel picks up after the apparent suicide of Juliet, as Allie struggles to move on from the tragedy. Despite a police investigation clearing him of wrongdoing, Allie can't shake her belief that wealthy, untouchable Garrett Tabor was involved in Juliet's death. While taking criminal-justice classes online, Allie uses her newfound skill to investigate Garrett, uncovering many disturbing elements. She stealthily follows leads while trying to balance her relationship with Rob, stay out of trouble with her mom, and learn important new information about her disease. This is a suspenseful page-turner. Unfortunately, almost every hunch Allie has about Garrett turns out to be correct. Although the book is not without a few twists, it may not be as satisfying or believable as readers would like.-Jenny Berggren, formerly at New York Public Library

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2013
Grades 9-12 This picks up where What We Saw at Night (2013) left off, with 16-year-old Allie and her boyfriend, Rob, still suffering. It is not just their xeroderma pigmentosum, a severe allergy to the sun, this time; they have also lost their best friend, Juliet. Although Juliet's death was apparently a suicide, Allie knows that's not the whole story and is sure Juliet's abuser, Garrett Tabor, is in some way responsible. As in the previous book, this is more action and plot than a logical story. As Tabor's involvement in several sadistic events becomes obvious, Allie becomes evermore determined to take him down. That she insists on doing it herselfeven though she says several times she knows she should confide her suspicions to her strong mother, Juliet's father (the police chief), or her online criminal justice professormakes her insistence merely seem like a plot point. The story turns grisly and is never completely satisfying, but the nighttime action, including deepwater diving, will attract readers, while Allie's relationship with Rob provides some tender moments.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)