The New York Times Book Review - Jen Doll
Your heart may still be pounding after you've finished this book. It is uncannily well timed to our current political situation and the outcry over the culture of normalized sexual violence, perfectly calibrated for letting people know what it's like to walk through society as a woman now…McGinnis, who dedicates her book to "the victims," examines [the] dichotomy of hope and violence, love and hate, with dexterity and grace.
Publishers Weekly
★ 07/04/2016
Three high school seniors come together in McGinnis’s harrowing rumination on the nature of violence and the power of friendship in a small town. Three years ago, Alex Craft’s older sister, Anna, was raped and murdered, but there wasn’t enough evidence to convict the killer. Someone took matters into his or her own hands and killed the perpetrator, and McGinnis (A Madness So Discreet) doesn’t make it hard to guess who. Once a girl on the periphery, Alex attracts the attention of jock Jack Fisher, who’s more than just a guy who can put a ball through a net. Despite differing personalities, Alex and Peekay—shorthand for preacher’s kid, though her real name is Claire—bond while volunteering at the local animal shelter, with Peekay in awe of Alex’s stoicism. McGinnis gracefully avoids the pitfalls of creating a teenage vigilante, instead maintaining a sense of piercing realism. Alex is a pained girl in dangerous free fall, whose fierce independence is challenged by newfound friendships, even love, though neither may be enough to stave off the inevitable. Ages 14–up. Agent: Adriann Ranta, Foundry Literary + Media. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
★ “Each word has been specifically chosen, each character superbly and humanly sculpted, the plot line masterfully completed. To say more would be to dilute the experience. McGinnis plays with the readers and they are at her mercy.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
★ “Whether a catcall, an unwelcome touch, or more, sexual aggression towards females happens daily; McGinnis explores how one teen uses violence for justice in this gripping story that should be read and discussed by teens, as well as those who work with them.” — Booklist (starred review)
★ “McGinnis gracefully avoids the pitfalls of creating a teenage vigilante, instead maintaining a sense of piercing realism. Alex is a pained girl in dangerous free fall, whose fierce independence is challenged by newfound friendships, even love, though neither may be enough to stave off the inevitable.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)
★ “All three teens are haunted by the memory of Anna’s murder, and Alex’s inclination to both considering and exacting revenge with cruel efficiency leads them all inexorably to an explosive, terrible finale. An unflinching look at rape culture and its repercussions.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
★ “An astoundingly dark but beautifully written tragedy, brimming with sexual assault, violent murders, and accounts of animal abuse...but also tempered with glimpses of genuine human emotion and extremely touching displays of kindness that cross social barriers and species. Highly recommended for collections serving teenagers.” — School Library Journal (starred review)
“It’s raw. Not ‘raw for YA.’ Real-deal raw. And violent. And unforgettable. McGinnis explores both and she goes there in a way no one really has before in YA. This is Kill Bill in high school, but with more nuance, bolder choices and a true female perspective.” — The Globe and Mail
“Your heart may still be pounding after you’ve finished this book. It is uncannily well timed to our current political situation...McGinnis, who dedicates her book to ‘the victims,’ examines this dichotomy of hope and violence, love and hate, with dexterity and grace.” — The New York Times Book Review
“The ending of this dark novel leaves much to be unpacked, and it would certainly spark heated discussion in a book club or classroom.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
“Holy crap is it good.” — Bustle
McGinnis’s novel about a teenage girl who avenges her sister’s rape and murder and becomes a self-created human weapon is a gut punch that will leave you reassessing everything you thought you knew about the lives of young women.” — NY Mag
A Must-Read YA Book of Fall 2016 — Brightly
Booklist (starred review)
★ “Whether a catcall, an unwelcome touch, or more, sexual aggression towards females happens daily; McGinnis explores how one teen uses violence for justice in this gripping story that should be read and discussed by teens, as well as those who work with them.
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
The ending of this dark novel leaves much to be unpacked, and it would certainly spark heated discussion in a book club or classroom.
The Globe and Mail
It’s raw. Not ‘raw for YA.’ Real-deal raw. And violent. And unforgettable. McGinnis explores both and she goes there in a way no one really has before in YA. This is Kill Bill in high school, but with more nuance, bolder choices and a true female perspective.
Bustle
Holy crap is it good.
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)
★ “Each word has been specifically chosen, each character superbly and humanly sculpted, the plot line masterfully completed. To say more would be to dilute the experience. McGinnis plays with the readers and they are at her mercy.
The New York Times Book Review
Your heart may still be pounding after you’ve finished this book. It is uncannily well timed to our current political situation...McGinnis, who dedicates her book to ‘the victims,’ examines this dichotomy of hope and violence, love and hate, with dexterity and grace.
NY Mag
McGinnis’s novel about a teenage girl who avenges her sister’s rape and murder and becomes a self-created human weapon is a gut punch that will leave you reassessing everything you thought you knew about the lives of young women.
Brightly
A Must-Read YA Book of Fall 2016
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
The ending of this dark novel leaves much to be unpacked, and it would certainly spark heated discussion in a book club or classroom.
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
The ending of this dark novel leaves much to be unpacked, and it would certainly spark heated discussion in a book club or classroom.
Brightly.com
A Must-Read YA Book of Fall 2016
School Library Journal
12/01/2016
Gr 10 Up—After her sister was brutally murdered, Alex Craft sought revenge when her killer walked free. Alex cuts herself off from everyone in her small backwoods town, until Peekay, the shy preacher's kid, and Jack Fisher, the most popular guy in school, force their way into her life as friends, with unintended consequences for all of them. An unsettling and stark exploration of small-town life and the secrets that we all keep.
Kirkus Reviews
★ 2016-06-01
Three teens in small-town Ohio struggle with sexual violence, together and individually, in a tragic thriller.Alex, Jack, and Peekay are white high school seniors looking ahead to the next phases of their lives. Alex's older sister, Anna, was raped and murdered their freshman year, and she's been quietly seething ever since. In fact, she stalked and killed her sister's murderer so skillfully that she has evaded any legal repercussions, and her vengeful exploit has become legend in their close-knit, economically blighted town. Relationships within the group shift: preacher's kid Peekay (given name: Claire) befriends Alex when their volunteer shifts at the local animal shelter overlap; Peekay's boyfriend, Adam, cheats on her with classically gorgeous cheerleader Branley; swaggering Jack breaks off his friends-with-benefits arrangement with Branley to pursue Alex. This gives readers a close look at how the emotional claustrophobia of their town affects everyone. When you party in the same crumbling, abandoned church that your parents used for their illicit beer-soaked parties, how do you confide in them or the local sympathetic police officer about the rape your friend barely saved you from? All three teens are haunted by the memory of Anna's murder, and Alex's inclination to both considering and exacting revenge with cruel efficiency leads them all inexorably to an explosive, terrible finale. An unflinching look at rape culture and its repercussions. (Thriller. 15-18)
