Tattoo Atlas

Floreen’s intense psychological horror story takes readers on a dark path through unconscionable loss, betrayal, and the changes wrought by growing up. Told from the perspective of high school senior Rem, the story examines the effect of change on the Boreal Five, a group of longtime neighborhood friends whose fifth member, Pete, was killed in a school shooting carried out by a fellow student, Franklin. While some blame a violent video game for Franklin’s actions, others believe he’s psychotic, and a new treatment developed by Rem’s mother may cure him. The hope is that her team is on the path to eradicating evil, until another student is murdered. Floreen (Willful Machines) gives readers much to consider about the nature of violence and where the lines of personal responsibility are drawn, but some may feel overwhelmed by the number of issues the book attempts to address, including the ethics of Rem’s mother’s work and knotty sexual interconnections among the teens, as well as the confusing swirl of Rem’s thoughts, feelings, and theories as he attempts to identify the killer. Ages 14–up. Agency: Adams Literary. (Oct.)