Night Speed

Howard (the Rootless trilogy) addresses the dangers of addiction in this adrenaline-packed near-future adventure, in which a 17-year-old girl infiltrates a gang of bank robbers in order to take them down. "Breaknecks" use a drug called tetra%E2%80%94which grants them short bursts of super speed, agility, and strength, but proves fatal to those over 18%E2%80%94to rampage through the streets of New York City, while the experimental Tetra Response Unit deploys runners to stop them. Alana West is one of the best active runners, but as her cutoff birthday approaches, she dreads forced retirement. Suspended after a run goes bad, Alana is secretly picked to go undercover to track down a renegade supplier. As she unexpectedly befriends her targets amid the exhilarating rush of freedom and the siren call of tetra, she struggles to stick to her mission. Howard creates a fast-paced story punctuated by highly cinematic action scenes and quieter emotional moments; the exploration of addiction isn't subtle, but this is still an engaging page-turner. Ages 13%E2%80%93up. Agent: Laura Rennert, Andrea Brown Literary. (May)