Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
As the anniversary of the school shooting that killed eight people, including her best friend, approaches, Leeann is anxious and sad. She's also angry-not just at the shooter, but at the people who turned Sarah into a martyr whose dying thought was of faith, and at herself for not clearing things up sooner. Searching for the truth, Leeann asks the other five students who were in the shooter's range, four of whom have become her closest friends, to tell their stories, and their narratives are folded into the book. The fifth survivor has left town, but Leeann tracks her down. As the truths mount up and displace each other, the survivors must come to terms with what they did and didn't do that day, and how different that may be from what people think happened. Keplinger (The DUFF) effectively conveys how the stories they've told and have been told about the shooting have shaped each survivor's sense of who they are. The result is an original and engrossing narrative about scars, recovery, and how the stories we tell can both sustain and hobble us. Ages 12-up. Agent: Brianne Johnson, Writers House. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 8 Up-Three years ago, the students of Virgil County High School experienced the unthinkable: a mass school shooting. Now, the survivors are writing letters about their experiences that day, how it affected them afterwards, and their relationships to the victims. One of the victims, Sarah McHale, is known around the world as the Girl with the Cross Necklace, who died defending her faith. As her family prepares to write a book about her and her last proclamation, Lee-the protagonist and Sarah's best friend-feels that she needs to speak up and reveal the truth about Sarah. In a time where mass shootings have been all too common, this story gives a voice to the victims and survivors, all while avoiding mention of the shooter's name. Keplinger is known for her relatable characters and realistic teen voices and this work is no exception. The book includes a blind character, a wheelchair user, and an asexual character. This title adeptly explores how the truth can be different for people who suffered the same tragedy. VERDICT A timely, thought-provoking read that would be a worthy addition to all high school libraries; for fans of Violent Ends by Shaun David Hutchinson.-Morgan O'Reilly, Riverdale Country School, NY © Copyright 2018. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A school shooting survivor is determined to correct untrue stories about the tragic event.Senior Leanne Bauer faces the third anniversary of the incident that took nine lives at rural Virgil County High School. Afterward, tales spread that her best friend, Sarah, defended her Christian faith before she was murdered, something eyewitness Lee knows to be untrue. However, Sarah's religious family and the community at large embrace that story. When fellow survivor Denny asks Lee to read his college scholarship letter, she is inspired to ask the other eyewitnesses to write their stories too. One of the six, Kellie, has moved away, her family hounded when she insisted that the cross necklace found at the site actually belonged to her, not Sarah. Lee becomes convinced that she must get Kellie to participate if the project is to be complete. Echoing highly publicized tragedies, this taut, emotional story goes behind the headlines to reveal lives impacted by school violence. The characterizations are strong: Gay, Latinx Eden struggles with guilt over her difficult relationship with her murdered cousin. White, fervently Christian Ashley is a staunch supporter of the accepted narrative, while Miles, white and already troubled before, is even more withdrawn. Denny, African-American and blind, appears the most grounded, though readers only glimpse his backstory. White, working-class Lee is a nuanced and believable protagonist.A timely page-turner that will resonate with readers. (Fiction. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
