Hello Girls

Crime does pay in the latest novel by Cavallaro (the Charlotte Holmes series) and Henry (The Love That Split the World), inspired by Thelma and Louise. In Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Winona is the seemingly perfect daughter of weatherman/local philanthropist Stormy Olsen, who is beloved in public but secretly abusive. Lucille’s childhood has been cut short by having to help her single mother make ends meet and dealing with her menacing, drug-dealing older brother. After the girls meet outside a police station one night, they establish a sustaining friendship. When Winona learns that her mother, once presumed dead, is alive and living in Las Vegas, she fears more abuse from her father. The two high school seniors steal cash and a car, then embark on a journey that involves more theft, illegal gambling, a drug-dealing scam, and a feigned kidnapping. Though some readers may have trouble suspending disbelief as the teens’ capers grow increasingly outlandish, the celebration of young women’s autonomy—taken from men and fueled by rage—is enjoyable, and fans of nonstop action will enjoy the collaborative novel’s unrelenting pace. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lana Popovic, Chalberg & Sussman. [em](Aug.) [/em]