The debutantes

Gr 9 Up--A fast-paced thriller set in New Orleans debutante culture. The wealthy, predominately white families of the Krewe of Deus social club hold an annual Les Masques Ball for high school debutantes. Last year's queen, Margot, died in what was deemed an overdose; this year's queen, Lily, is doused with red paint by someone in a jester mask while images of Margot are projected around her and later goes missing. The book is told from the alternating perspectives of her classmates Piper, April, and Vivian, who receive her last message prior to disappearing. Go-getter Piper, whose twin Wyatt is dating Lily, is naïve to the worst aspects of the club; Vivian, Lily's best friend and soccer teammate, must reconcile how little she knew of her friend; and April, who took part in the ball only to please her father, lives with social anxiety and hasn't told anyone she likes girls, or that she and Margot were friends. Vivian is less developed than the others, but it's a tense, page-turning read that teens will fly through as the trio ends up knee-deep in the club's dark side (the subjugation of women, the circumstances of Margot's death, and blackmail, among other things), while being chased and taunted by that mysterious jester. There is some discussion of the club's racist, sexist foundations, which persist in the modern day; except for two secondary characters, all characters read white. VERDICT This twisty mystery is recommended for thriller aficionados and collections where such titles circulate well.--Amanda Mastrull

The case of a missing New Orleans girl reveals buried secrets. April Whitman, Vivian Atkins, and Piper Johnson are debutantes in the annual Les Masques ball for high school girls. Chosen as Maids for senior Lily LeBlanc, who's been crowned Queen, they're considered to be Mardi Gras royalty. But following Lily's grand entrance at Les Masques, the lights go out. Suddenly images of Margot Landry, the previous Queen, who was found dead from an overdose the day after last year's ball, are projected in the ballroom--and, in a scene out ofCarrie, one of the masked Jesters throws red paint over Lily before running off. Ominously, Lily never returns home. The Maids--Lily's best friend, Vivian, her boyfriend's twin sister, Piper, and her friend April (who also had ties to Margot)--receive texts from Lily asking them to meet her at the Deus Den, a warehouse where Mardi Gras floats are stored. After they arrive, Piper gets a cryptic email from Lily that leads them to find her signature diamond necklace, sparking a police investigation. The atmospheric, well-described New Orleans setting brings much-needed personality to the story, since the main characters are largely unremarkable. The flat characterization, coupled with an unsatisfying resolution, together make the journey feel unfulfilling. The debutante tradition's racist, classist, and sexist origins are brought up but not fleshed out enough to make an impact. Main characters are cued white. A promising setup let down by lackluster personalities and a disappointing plot.(Thriller. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.