Hidden Pieces

May 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-A mystery that explores how privilege and socioeconomic status impact the choices we make. Embry hasn't had an easy life. She doesn't know her dad, and her mom works hard to keep the family business afloat, all while battling cancer. Now the bills are piling up, Embry's boyfriend has just been deployed overseas and her best friend is out of town for the summer. Alone and hurting, Embry finds comfort in the arms of her best friend's boyfriend, Holden. When the two are caught on film accidentally starting a disastrous fire while hooking up in the abandoned Sea Cliff Inn, the secrets Embry keeps start piling up. Someone saw what Embry did and they are threatening to hurt the people she loves if she doesn't confess. Embry is a complex character whose choices are impacted by her socioeconomic status. She keeps so many secrets because she can't afford the consequences that the truth will bring. This thriller also explores themes of friendship, family, and growing up. Enough clues are given throughout to keep readers guessing until the very end. The ocean coast of Oregon comes to life and sets the perfect backdrop to this story. Readers patient enough to make it to the end of this long novel will be satisfied with the neat and happy ending. VERDICT A character-driven mystery perfect for fans of Sarah Dessen and Deb Caletti.-Kelly Butcher, West Liberty High School, IA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 1, 2018
Embry Woods keeps things close to her chest.On her way to the vacant Sea Cliff Inn for a late-night rendezvous with her best friend's ex-boyfriend, Holden, her current-but-on-a-break soldier boyfriend, Luke, calls her from Afghanistan to propose. Unable to tell him it's over, she promises to think about it. Later, in the steamy throes of passion, Embry kicks over a candle and sets the inn on fire. The blonde high school senior calls 911 to report the fire she claims she noticed as she was walking by. She becomes a local hero after she rescues a man she spies through the window. A few days later, Embry receives a note demanding a full confession on Facebook, or else. Someone has proof of her night at the inn, and the blackmailer clearly has a personal score to settle. But no one Embry knows would do such a thing. Or would they? Heavy exposition and unimportant details clutter an otherwise intriguing mystery. Despite the secrets and the attention of two boys, Embry is a dry, forgettable character with no warmth or sense of humor. Most characters are white, but there is some diversity in secondary characters (one person comes out, there's a detective named Reyes, a classmate named Misty Whitehawk punches a bully who calls her a squaw, and another classmate is hijabi).Read it over a lazy weekend. (Mystery. 14-18)

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July 30, 2018
While hooking up with her best friend’s former boyfriend, 17-year-old Embry Woods accidentally started a fire at the abandoned Sea Cliff Inn. At first, the consequences of not confessing seem manageable. But now she is being blackmailed by someone called “Unknown” who warns that unless Embry complies with the demands, someone will die. As the stakes increase, Embry decides to confess her secrets to save her loved ones from “Unknown” and to confront her own demons. The twisty thriller by Stokes (Liars, Inc.)is an enjoyable ride, but it does not stray far from the familiar path of other revenge-plot YA novels. What does differentiate this story is the realistic portrayal of Embry’s lower-income home life; she and her mother struggled financially even before her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and their situation is dire. The nail-biting conclusion includes a shocking surprise; readers will likely gasp when the identity of “Unknown” is revealed. Ages 13–up. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary.

Starred review from May 1, 2018
Grades 10-1 *Starred Review* Embry's on a romantic break from her soldier boyfriend, but she doesn't want to hurt him by telling him she's moved on with the artistic Holden. The high-school seniors meet in a shuttered hotel, until, during a sexual encounter, a candle is kicked over, and the place burns down. It's pragmatic to keep silent, but then Embry starts getting blackmail texts. The sender? Unknown ?makes shocking requests of Embry, each one upping the ante, with her near and dear caught in a dangerous web. Stokes offers a classic whodunit, masterfully played. Tensions rise, secrets are revealed, and the widening scope of the mystery gives plenty of suspects a chance to step into the spotlight. This leads to a nice interplay between Embry and readers, who will begin to distrust certain individuals at the very moment she does. Set in small towns along the Oregon coast, Stokes makes the often wild landscape an integral part of the story. Characters, even minor ones, are well-developed, as are the subplots, which include parental relationships. All become, as the title indicates, pieces in an intricate puzzle. With overtones of Lois Duncan's I Know What You Did Last Summer (1973), this has the OMG quality that makes you afraid to wonder what will happen next.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)