Dead End Girls

Feeling unloved and unwanted by her divorced parents, 17-year-old Maude Hendricks, who is gay and white, arranges to fake her own death in a boating accident while vacationing in Hawaii. It’s a complicated plan, one that she’s patiently researched for the last two years. Just as she’s about to initiate the deception, though, her white step-cousin Frankie Maxwell (also gay and 17), whom she barely knows, uncovers Maude’s scheme and demands that she take Frankie with her. After she reluctantly agrees, the girls rent kayaks to begin carrying out their plan. The ploy immediately hits a dangerous snag when a shark appears, lured by a bleeding cut on Maude’s foot. Managing to escape and check in to a motel, they are thrilled when a television broadcast reports them missing following a boating incident. On the run, the pair encounter further troubles, including a harrowing accident, a murder, and many narrow escapes, while navigating a blossoming romance. Both Maude and Frankie are quick-witted heroines whose respective quests for autonomy and internal struggles regarding sexuality and gender identity provide depth. Culminating in a suspenseful ending, Heard’s (She’s Too Pretty to Burn) alluring novel is an invigorating ride. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lauren Spieller, Triada US. (May)