Publishers Weekly
★ 01/08/2024
This tautly paced thriller by Ichaso (They’re Watching You) follows small-town secrets to a deadly conclusion as a world of con artists, monsters, and murder unravels from the depths of Clearwater Ridge, an idyllic vacation destination for the ultra-rich. When teenager Paige Redmond’s best friend, the wealthy and beautiful Audrey Covington, becomes the latest in a string of missing girls, the case goes cold due to a lack of information. Unable to accept this outcome, Paige and competitive swimmer Dylan—Audrey’s handsome older brother, whom Paige has been besotted with since they were kids—begin their own inquiry into Audrey’s disappearance, at the same time delving into a world of shadowy townies and even more sinister dealings among the area’s upper crust populace. What the duo finds reveals Clearwater Ridge’s rotting center, which threatens to claim not just the lives of disappeared girls but of anyone who asks too many questions. Ichaso’s prose is crackling and propulsive, and alternating perspectives and timelines imbue the central mystery with an anticipatory ambiance that culminates in an earned ending that doesn’t waste any of the intricate and fascinating plot beats that make up this high-stakes tale. Characters cue as white. Ages 14–up. (Mar.)
School Library Journal
05/01/2024
Gr 9 Up—Paige Redmond's family spends every summer in Clearwater Ridge at the sprawling vacation home of the Covingtons, their longtime family friends. Paige feels out of place alongside the country club set, but her discomfort is worth it for the chance to spend quality time with best friend Audrey Covington and Audrey's attractive older brother, Dylan. The summer before her junior year is different, though—Audrey is moody and withdrawn, Paige loses herself in a summer romance with Dylan, and the two girls barely speak. Then, Audrey doesn't come home one night. A year passes, and Paige returns to Clearwater Ridge with Audrey still missing, the second person in two years to disappear from the town. Determined to find Audrey, Paige and Dylan begin investigating the earlier disappearance of Madison Blake, hoping to find connections between the two girls. Instead, they uncover a hidden burner phone whose contents reveal that they might not have known Audrey as well as they thought they did. Told in alternating perspectives by Paige and an anonymous "The Girl," Ichaso's latest is a twisty, addictive mystery that will appeal to fans of Kit Frick or Holly Jackson, although it doesn't necessarily stand out among similar offerings. Some side characters can be hard to differentiate, making certain plot reveals less impactful. Most characters are cued as white. VERDICT Purchase where missing-girl mysteries circulate well.—Elizabeth Giles
Kirkus Reviews
2023-12-06
A story of friendship and resilience in the darkest of times.
Every summer, Paige Redmond, her parents, and her younger sister stay with the family of her best friend, Audrey Covington, at their luxurious vacation home in Clearwater Ridge. Fun, leisurely days filled with sunshine and rafting await. And Paige is eager to finally get sparks flying with Dylan, Audrey’s handsome, competitive swimmer older brother. At Dylan’s friend Tripp Shaw’s annual Summer Kickoff party, Audrey becomes preoccupied with a previous fling, leaving Paige and Dylan to finally connect. Over the course of the summer, 16-year-old Audrey grows distant—and one night in early August, she never comes home, and her family reports her missing. The following summer, Paige’s family decides to continue the tradition and join the Covingtons. Audrey’s case has gone cold, and Paige and Dylan’s relationship has become awkward and strained, but the hidden cell phone Paige finds brings the two back together, and they start investigating what really happened to Audrey that night. The narrative is filled with a few too many red herrings and an overabundance of twists and turns, but Paige’s nonstop determination to find the truth and her underlying need to absolve her and Dylan’s guilty consciences over not preventing what happened to Audrey keep the story flowing. Dylan and Paige’s sweet relationship brings a much-needed reprieve to the story’s darker aspects. Characters are cued white.
An immersive atmosphere and fearless protagonist outweigh the somewhat overstuffed mystery. (Mystery. 14-18)
