In Her Skin

February 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-Jo Chastain is 15, hustling and living in Tent City, Boston, with a boyfriend after the death of her con artist mother. As she is attempting to make a life for herself and hide from her mother's boyfriend (the Last One), Jo struggles to adjust to a northern city and life on the streets. While seeking refuge in the public library, she comes across the story of a missing girl from a prominent Boston family. She has found the perfect solution and her biggest con ever. The Lovecraft family welcomes "Vivienne" back into their lives with virtually no questions asked, after she has supposedly been gone for nine years. What follows becomes a tangled story of danger, obsession, and twisted secrets. The mood of this psychological suspense story is appropriately dark and ominous, with a definite gritty edge, especially as Jo recalls her life with her mother and mother's boyfriend. In a unique style, the narrative is first person, but is addressed to "you," aka the Lovecrafts' other daughter, Temple. This style adds to the obsessive and haunting feel, giving readers an intimate place in the story. VERDICT A solid purchase for high school libraries, especially those with a large suspense following.-Kate Olson, Bangor School District, WI

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2018
A con artist gets in over her head impersonating a missing girl.Jolene Chastain is a homeless teen scraping by through general thievery, using her social chameleon skills to pull cons. When a potential mark catches her eye, a little research leads Jo to the mysterious disappearance of 9-year-old Vivienne Weir, orphaned in the seven years since she vanished, and the wealthy Lovecrafts, Vivi's legal guardians. Seeing a chance at attaining safety, belonging, and a way out of her desperate circumstances, Jo impersonates Vivi and is taken in by the Lovecraft family, finding luxury and love--or so she thinks. Her complex relationship with Vivi's friend the mercurial Temple Lovecraft is so pivotal that Jo's first-person narration is addressed directly to Temple in the second person--a choice that engrosses the reader in their dynamic. The deeper Jo is drawn into the Lovecrafts' world, the more she learns why she's been able to slip so easily into their lives and the twisted reasons she might not be able to get out alive. Without graphic details or titillation, mentions of rape and prostitution hammer in the plight of impoverished teens. Violence, however, strikes all socio-economic classes in this book. All major characters are white.A dark, enthralling tale of truth, lies, and parallel lives. (Thriller. 14-adult)

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March 12, 2018
Writing in second person, Savage (Beautiful Broken Girls) introduces Jo, a 15-year-old girl, trained to be a con artist; Jo has taken on the identity of a young woman, Vivienne Weir, who disappeared years before. Readers will soon come to understand that the "you" being addressed is Temple, daughter of the wealthy Lovecrafts, friends of the late Weirs who take "Vivi" in. Vivi immediately senses that Temple is suspicious of her, and as Savage's complex plot unspools, Vivi turns out to be the least in-the-know about what happened to the real Vivienne. Savage layers charade upon charade as this dark story full of sinister charactersâTemple most of allâdescends into turmoil and confusion. An ambitious, twisted story of adopted sisters that raises intriguing questions about privilege, poverty, and morality. Ages 14-up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

March 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Homeless teenager Jolene hasn't felt safe, clean, or cared for in a long time, but with her gift for the grift, she's about to take it all from her unsuspecting marks, the Lovecrafts. The way in is easy: their daughter Temple's best friend, Vivienne, disappeared as a child, and the Lovecrafts were named her legal guardians if she's ever found. They are quick to welcome Jo-as-Vivi, showering her with affection and protecting her from prying eyes. Jo is even happier to be near Temple, who is beautiful, enigmatic, and talented. Yet there is something off about the Lovecrafts that Jo, dazzled as she is, can't ignore. Are they as good as they seem, or is she their mark? This solid psychological suspense novel is a quick but unsettling read, as the mystery of Vivi's disappearance lends a sinister cast to seemingly harmless interactions. Jo may act rock hard, but her vulnerability and longing are what give this thriller its stakes. A few plot holes can't detract from the fun of the twist when it comes.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)