You’re Next

Flora Calhoun found her first dead body when she was 14. For the past two years, determined to see justice done, she’s acted as an unlicensed investigator, aided by her best friend, Cassidy Yang, and retired CIA operative grandfather, and only barely tolerated by the police when they cross paths. When her ex-almost-girlfriend Ava McQueen texts her asking for help, Flora responds, only to discover Ava dying of gunshot wounds. Flora’s investigation into the truth behind Ava’s murder leads her into the heart of an underground fighting organization featuring local teens. As she works to dismantle the club, ferret out the ringleaders, and discover how Ava was connected to it, Flora and her allies, including a champion fighter, face threats and mounting danger at every turn, and Flora stands ready to lose everyone she loves. In her gripping debut, Schachte merges the spirit of Nancy Drew with modern-day sensibilities: Flora’s intrepid drive for justice is keyed to intense vulnerability and lingering trauma, while her friends and family act as a support network. Some situations, such as Flora’s grandfather’s willingness to enable her investigations, border on the implausible, but tender interpersonal relationships and solid pacing make for an enjoyable murder mystery. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Margaret Sutherland Brown, Emma Sweeney Agency. (July) [/em]