Beware That Girl

Gr 10 Up—Street smart and already world-weary, 17-year-old Kate is an admitted liar. She lies with the goal of one day attending Yale University, her dream school. As a new scholarship student at the prestigious Waverly School in New York, she relies heavily on her smarts, good looks, and experience to get by. Kate searches for a target, someone to befriend who has influence and money. She spots Olivia, a beautiful and rich girl who missed a year of school because of a mystery illness. Kate moves into Olivia's absent father's penthouse, with only a housekeeper as parental guidance. The friendship blossoms, until a mysterious man, Mark Redkin, enters their lives. The handsome Mark charms Olivia, but Kate senses that there is something terribly wrong. She discovers that he is a dangerous psychopath with a past as dark and carefully concealed as Kate's and Olivia's. Alternating chapters between the two teens keep the story fresh and make readers feel privy to secrets. Kate's tragic history is revealed with flashbacks. The plot develops at a steady pace until the game being played among all three characters finally blows up with tragedy and murder. In this book for older teens, the author skillfully reveals gritty and tantalizing details in meager bites, keeping readers captivated.