The Headmaster’s List

After leaving a party, four teens get into a car crash that results in traumatic injuries and death in this riveting mystery by de la Cruz (Going Dark). Eighteen-year-old Spencer Sandoval, an astronaut hopeful with plans to attend Caltech, is a top student and on the coveted Headmaster’s List at her elite L.A. prep school. Following the accident—which involved über-popular Christopher Moore, who was killed in the crash; classmate Tabby Hill; and ex-boyfriend Ethan Amoroso—Spencer wakes up in the hospital with serious injuries and few memories of the party. She’s given a service dog named Ripley and assigned a student aide, Ethan’s best friend Jackson Chen, to help her take notes in class. As she and Jackson grow closer, rumors claiming that Ethan was responsible for the crash begin circulating. Spencer and Jackson decide to investigate the incident, hoping to prove Ethan’s innocence, especially as an even more concerning rumor comes to light: that the crash was actually a premeditated murder. Employing familiar prep school tropes, de la Cruz renders an invigorating thriller populated by well-rounded characters and teeming with anticipatory tension. Character descriptions imply racial diversity throughout. Ages 14–up. (Feb.)