e-ALC, 11:36:29
Narrated by: Jordan Cobb & Karen Malina White
Release Date: September 16, 2025
Published by: HarperCollins
Read from: September 9-22, 2025
Stand-alone
Source: Leftover Audible Credit (I pre-ordered the audio copy, but also read it in tandem with an ARC I received from the publisher at the ALA conference. This did nothing to influence my review)
Content Warning: Body Horror, Bullying, Child Death
For Readers Interested In: Audible, Audio, Sparkly Covers, Most Anticipated, Pre-Ordered, Racial/Ethnic Diversity (Black), Realistic Fiction, Thrillers, YAThree teens investigate a murder—while each tries to hide their own complicated history with the dead girl—in this thought-provoking novel from award-winning author Pamela N. Harris. Perfect for fans of Karen M. McManus and Tiffany D. Jackson!
Hope Jackson is dead. Everyone is convinced she took her own life, but Liv, one of Hope’s best friends, isn’t so sure. Hope’s boyfriend, Brendan, was always jealous and possessive, and his alibi doesn’t really check out. But in the town’s eyes, Hope was just some nobody who was going to drag down golden boy Brendan.
So with the help of Hope’s other two best friends, Kizzie and Sherie, Liv is determined to bring Brendan’s actions to light. Together, they vow to make him pay.
But as their plans keep escalating, Liv begins to have second thoughts—especially as she’s realizing that Brendan may not be the only one with the motive or opportunity to kill Hope. Is Liv really getting justice for Hope, or is she just helping one of Hope’s so-called friends cover up their lies?
*MY THOUGHTS*
This book wasn’t talked about a lot when I first picked it up. But having read Pamela Harris before, I knew I needed to get my hands on this. And let me tell you, I was not prepared for the crazy that was this book. It was so much and all over the place. And I mean crazy lol
Trust me you won’t understand until you read it. So here’s a small bit of what happened lol So there was a girl who was killed and she was loved by so many. So much so she had people committing crimes with no proof of what happened when she was gone. And I’m talking like from the very beginning to the very end. It was a whole lot going on. I don’t want to say anymore for fear of spoilers, but this is one thriller that I promise you will have you saying wtf every few pages. But I will say, even with that, I still was able to guess who it was on at least one count. I actually took some of my rating away because of it. If y’all want to know more, please message me and I’ll let you know because I need to vent to someone lol
Also, like I said the plot is crazy, but the way the characters? Even worse. Literally every single one was unhinged. Don’t trust not one of them. And I mean from the main character to the side characters. It was a hot mess. And the reason for them doing what they did absolutely blew me. Cuz ain’t no way this person was doing all this and everyone was ok with it in their own way. It was all crazy and unhinged.
This was such a wild ride. I hate that I can’t even say what I want because of the spoilers it might cause. I have so much to say but can’t even say it. I hope y’all pick it up so that I can have someone else to talk this out with because I’m still not sure I’m over it yet.
Overall, I give this
