Thursday, December 20, 2018

The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas - OPTIONAL


The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas, 372 pages.  Delacorte Press, 2018. $18.  

Content: Language: R (115 swears; 16 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.  

BUYING ADVISORY: HS – OPTIONAL  

AUDIENCE APPEAL – AVERAGE  

Monica lost her cheerleading sister, Jen, five years ago to suicide, but what draws Monica back to Jen’s death is that four other cheerleaders died that same week.  Monica delves into the details of the other deaths in the hopes of discovering what really happened to her sister.  At the same time, Monica is dealing with the fact that she slept with a 23yo lifeguard at her summer job, even though she is only 15yo, and now that same lifeguard is coaching track at her school.  As the facts start to come together, Monica uncovers new truths and tries to get closure.  

The way the mystery unfolded was interesting and I was kept guessing until the end.  Monica isn’t a likable character, but there isn’t a ton of character development in this book as a whole-it’s more about the mystery.  The content includes assault, statutory rape, reference to getting an abortion and murders. 

C. Peterson

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