Nobody Knows But You

August 3, 2020
Rissi (Always Forever Maybe) intersperses news reports, eyewitness testimony, personal letters and texts, and court transcripts to recount the eight summer weeks that led to a brutal murder at Camp Cavanick (“A Summer of Fun. A Lifetime of Memories”). Wallflower Kayla Martin meets live-wire Lainie Baxter during camp’s first week, the 16-year-olds immediately bonding over late-night tell-alls at the dock, discussing crime show tropes (“The first rule of crime is: Always Destroy the Evidence”) and telling outrageous stories meant to entertain other campers. Convinced that the two only need each other, Kayla is surprised when “nerd hot” Jackson starts seeing Lainie, wanting her to be “fun and accommodating and easy.” Despite her attempts to expose Jackson’s heartless ways, Kayla becomes the third wheel until Lainie’s murder puts an end to camp altogether. Now home, Kayla pieces together what happened before the “Summer Camp Slayer” appeared, but her confessional letters to Lainie hint at something more ominous. While camp life minutiae will feel excessive to some, and jaw-dropping twists may lead readers to guess the conclusion, exceptional pacing creates a breathless, adrenaline-filled chase through Kayla’s memories. Ages 13–up. Agent: Meredith Kaffel Simonoff, DeFiore and Co.

August 21, 2020

Gr 8 Up-Kayla is a wallflower-she prefers to spend her time alone at home, sleeping in, and avoiding other people. The summer before her junior year of high school, her parents send her off to Camp Cavernick for eight weeks, much to her dismay. There she meets Lainie, who she clicks with immediately, and they are inseparable. They sneak out of their cabin every night and Lainie tells everyone lofty tales about their adventures. Others envy their friendship and want to be a part of their inside jokes. Kayla is overjoyed with the situation until Jackson enters the picture and starts hooking up with Lainie. Then she becomes the third wheel. On the last night of camp, Lainie sneaks out alone with Jackson and he is found dead on the shore of the lake the next morning. While the story is told through a variety of media-letters, texts, statements, and articles-the story is a lot of tell and no show. Kayla's unreliable storytelling lends itself well to this murder mystery, but her voice doesn't feel authentic. Her letters come across as if she's writing to an audience outside of Lainie and trying too hard to be funny. Lainie and Jackson are white and other characters are of various races. VERDICT A secondary purchase for larger collections.-Alicia Kalan, The Northwest Sch., Seattle

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