Kill All Happies

With high school graduation out of the way, Vic Navarro is ready to ditch her desert town of Rancho Soldado, but not before throwing an epic—and forbidden—graduation party at Happies, a kitschy restaurant and local institution that is about to close. Beyond being a raging sendoff, the party is also the best possible revenge against the Happies-hating Annette Thrope: teacher, realtor, town council chair, and longtime nemesis of the town’s teens. Cohn (Emergent) returns to her roots writing realistic teen fiction with snappy dialogue, a sassy go-getting lead character, a hard-to-attain crush, and best friends for life. Though Happies—and its long-closed nearby amusement park—is a memorable setting for a final hurrah, the misunderstandings, betrayals, and solutions play out predictably. Cohn’s rowdy humor and quirky cast are entertaining, but the story’s cutesiness can start to feel exhausting: nicknames abound, including the too-clever Miss Ann Thrope for the reviled teacher, and Vic and her friends are known as the Cuddle Huddle for their three-way hug sessions, a decade-long habit. Like Vic’s party, it winds up being a bit much. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Rudolph Walsh, William Morris Endeavor. (May)