First We Were IV

Gr 8 Up—A secret society born through shared slights and promises among four friends is the centerpiece of this YA novel about revenge, friendship, and small-town murder. Izzie Pendleton can't stop thinking about the murdered runaway girl whom she and her friends found when they were younger. Izzie, Viv, Graham, and Harry, now seniors, create the secret society, IV, whose mission is to wreak havoc on their community. "We start a group dedicated to clandestine activities. We'll have rituals. Ones that we swear to repeat." What starts out as empowerment turns into retribution as the members of IV take revenge in the name of the girl murdered as well as on their high school tormentors. Although the book is told through Izzie's perspective, the other characters' thoughts are interwoven throughout via transcripts of recorded videos. As their pranks escalate, so do the consequences each member faces, leading to a suspenseful climax. Izzie, Viv, Graham, and Harry are all well-developed characters with their own rationales for their destructive actions.