The Grey Sisters

July 15, 2019
Three teenage girls encounter much more than painful memories when they travel to the mountainside site of the plane crash that killed their loved ones. It's been two years since a small plane went down near a mountain peak formation called The Grey Sisters. Now, 11th graders D and Spider and their friend Min are heading to the site where D's twin sister, Kat, and Spider's younger brother, Jonathan, died. D seeks closure for the loss of her other half, the girl whom Spider loved--but Spider, whose self-destructive streak since the tragedy has caused friction, isn't convinced they'll find it. What they do find is a clash with Big Daddy, the leader of a survivalist group. Ariel is one of Big Daddy's teen "soldiers." She's desperate to get fellow soldier Aaron to a doctor after he's viciously mauled by a bear, and she sees an opportunity after a chance encounter with the girls. Meanwhile, a bloody coup is brewing at Big Daddy's compound. D's, Spider's, and Min's friendship and grief are painted in realistic strokes, and Ariel's own heartbreaking narrative reveals an all-too-believable place where women and girls are cogs in a madman's extremist vision. Treggiari (Blood Will Out, 2018, etc.) offers chills both subtle and shocking, and readers won't be able to turn the pages fast enough. All characters are assumed white. Jaw-dropping twists and a distinct Deliverance vibe elevate this riveting thriller. (Thriller. 14-adult)

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August 23, 2019

Gr 9 Up-Two years ago, D and Spider both lost their siblings in a plane crash. For Spider, it was her brother Jonathan, and for D, her twin sister, Kat. Their bodies were never recovered. The flight attendant, the tragedy's sole survivor, recently awoke from a coma, which triggered D's need for closure. The two teens, along with their friend Min, make the trek to the crash site deep in the mountains to mark an ending and move forward. Along the way, the trio encounter car troubles, the feeling that they're always being watched, and Ariel-a girl who has escaped from her survivalist, cult-like community. Ariel has recently experienced her own tragic accident and is risking her life to seek help. Their paths merge and together they're able to help each other and gain insight into the devastating crash that changed their lives. Told in alternating points of view, Treggiari's writing encapsulates the cold, damp woods. Readers will feel the chill in their bones. Dark and gripping, this story is slow to start, but once the action picks up readers will have a hard time putting the book down. VERDICT Perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus. Purchase for larger collections where psychological thrillers circulate well.-Alicia Kalan, The Northwest School, Seattle

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