The Beckett Effect

Gr 9 Up–When Wren Richardson and her best friend, Chelsie, pair up for a senior film project, they decide to take down one of their school’s well-known bad boys, Beckett Lane. As one of the only people of color in her Virginia private school, Wren feels compelled to prove her worth—all the better if it’s at her nemesis’s expense. The assignment: create an original film based on elements in the classic book Jane Eyre. The plan: interview Beckett’s ex-girlfriends, using his arrogant actions as evidence for why the Byronic hero does not deserve redemption. As they begin the interview process, there’s one major problem: Beckett is nothing like they thought he was. Not only is Wren drawn into Beckett’s world in unexpected ways, but she’s also shocked by secrets that surface within her own family. One digital mistake sets the entire project into chaos; what began as a small group effort explodes into a community scandal. Wren must ultimately decide how to pick up the pieces of her choices. Jones captures the dramatic tone of high school interactions with witty dialogue, snappy texts, and weighted glances. By adding snippets of film scripts into the narrative, she adds a playful vibe that showcases Wren and Chelsie’s love of the genre. Not only does the plot highlight that people are not always who they appear to be, but it also encourages readers to follow their true selves and ignore the rest. There is ­LGBTQIA+ ­representation and racially diverse characters.