Deceived

Since 17-year-old Elle's mother's death 10 years earlier, her father has been running from his grief, Elle believes, and dragging her all over the country. Being the new girl, now a senior, at Francine Frances Academy doesn't initially seem much different than other years; she hides behind her flamboyant roommate, Pixie; has a terrible recurring nightmare in which her family is in danger; and nurses a disturbing caffeine addiction. But Elle has an inkling she's being watched by a shadow, and when she finds a black ribbon in her locker and cigarette butts on her stoop, her paranoia grows. Rumors of a serial killer surface, and her protective crush, who communicates with her on an "unseen level," is not who he seems. Lindsey's (Reinventing Chloe) layered depiction of events through the haze of Elle's caffeine-addled, sleep-deprived mind creates a suspenseful and haunting atmosphere of uncertainty and the possibility of lurking madness. While Elle's psychological state is the primary source of tension throughout the novel, a dramatic finale draws together the plot's disparate elements. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. Agent: Dawn Dowdle, Blue Ridge Literary Agency. (Sept.)