The subject of Miller's (Aimee
) riveting novel could come right out of newspaper headlines: A gun accidentally goes off and leaves homecoming queen Helen Mitchell dead. Here, the author explores the impact of the trauma on two young men peripherally involved in the incident. Josh, a devout Catholic who witnesses the shooting, is pressured by his friends to cover up traces of their involvement. Already wracked with guilt over another accident that left his sister in a coma, Josh searches for redemption. Meanwhile, Michael, the victim's boyfriend, who literally slept through the shooting, has fled from an abusive home and resettled in another city. He doesn't find out that Helen is dead until two weeks later when her body is discovered in a shallow grave. With the help of two supportive adults, Michael avoids becoming a murder suspect and works to uncover the truth about what happened the night Helen was killed. Alternating between Josh's and Michael's perspectives, the author delves deep into the psyches of these two sensitive and vulnerable boys, tracing different stages of their emotional pain and how they come to terms with the tragedy. The novel's denouement may drag on a bit, but some readers will welcome the slowed pace of the conclusion to fully absorb the series of shocking events, and the way they have changed these boys forever. Ages 14-up. (Mar.)
