That Weekend

April 12, 2021
Thomas (The Cheerleaders) delivers an edge-of-your-seat thriller replete with unexpected twists and moments of soapy melodrama. Claire Keough, 17, does not remember the 36 hours between settling into a Catskills cabin with best friend Kat Marcotte and Kat’s boyfriend, Jesse Salpietro, and being left for dead on a mountainside trail with a head injury. As rescuers search for Kat and Jesse, Claire—with the help of Kat’s cousin Amos—looks for clues to explain what happened. But classmates and a tawdry journalist suspect what Claire has feared all along—that Claire’s jealousy of Kat’s perfect life and relationship drove her to kill her friends. Told from the alternating perspectives of Claire and Kat and jumping before and after the incident, Thomas creates a complicated whodunit with intricate backstories that make everyone a suspect. When the FBI get involved and Claire’s mother insists on a lawyer, Claire decides to launch her own investigation, discovering unsettling secrets as well as just how ruthless she can be. Quick-fire pacing, sharpened dialogue, and clever reveals make for an addictive read. Ages 14–up. (June)■