Breaking

Gr 8 Up—Charlotte knows that she is attending the prestigious Underhill Preparatory Institute in New York only because of her mother, a famous research scientist. She is content to stay in the shadows of her two friends, Ariel and Devon. The three of them used to joke that they represented different fairy-tale princesses—Ariel was the Little Mermaid, Devon was Snow White, and loyal Charlotte was Cinderella. When both of her friends supposedly commit suicide, Charlotte begins to wonder if something is very wrong at the school. Then she finds a tiny bottle of serum that one of her dead friends left her with the words "Drink Me" written on it. As Charlotte tracks down clues, she becomes uncomfortably aware that her mother and the local medical center are involved in the mysterious happenings. Students are being experimented on, and people have died in order to keep the secret hidden. This fast-paced read is just right for those who enjoy a little science fiction mixed in with their mystery.