After We Burned

Gr 9 Up–Payton and Theo have one thing in common: their friend Eden. So, when their local high school burns down and Eden is found dead, it is their personal mission to discover the truth of what happened. But in a town that loves its gossip, does the truth really matter? Told in multiple perspectives, this story is so much more than a whodunit. A large part of the book focuses on dealing with the aftermath of sexual and physical assault. Each teen has their own story to tell. Some are victims dealing with feelings of guilt and shame. Others are friends trying to understand why their friends have suddenly changed and how to be supportive, especially when they are not ready to tell their story. The book starts with a trigger warning for sexual and physical assault, and there are depictions of both in the book; however, it is not overly graphic and is age-appropriate for mature high school students, with language such as “what he did to me” or “I didn’t want that,” allowing readers to interpret the assault in their own way. Each character is nuanced and flawed, leading to a compelling and believable narrative where teens navigate trauma together. The adults depicted in the book are just as flawed, and readers will be rooting for the victims to find their voice, in a world where adults sometimes just don’t hear or understand when a teen is crying out for help.