In Another Life

In this YA novel perfect for fans of Caroline B. Cooney, Chloe Holden, 17, has always known that she was adopted, but she always felt a secure sense of belonging in her family until she moves to Joyful, Texas. Her new town’s name feels bitterly ironic to Chloe as she adjusts to new realities: her father’s girlfriend is only a few years older than she is, her mother is shaky from her battle with cancer, and Chloe is starting her senior year at a new high school. Then she meets broodingly handsome Cash Colton, who recognizes her from the age-enhanced photos his foster parents have posted of their daughter, who disappeared 14 years earlier. Cash, with a tangled history of his own, pushes Chloe to question the circumstances of her adoption, triggering a series of events that put the teens in a killer’s crosshairs. Chloe’s first-person narration alternates with Cash’s third-person passages, providing readers with the perspectives of two appealing characters struggling with difficult circumstances. Author Hunter (This Heart of Mine) delves into numerous issues, including bad friends, bullying, and dating angst; if the teen characters’ perspectives occasionally stray into sounding a little too adult, the fast pace keeps the story from collapsing under its own weight. Ages 13–up. Agent: Kim Lionetti, BookEnds Literary Agency. [em](Mar.) [/em]