This Side of Jealousy

Gr 9 Up—Fans of Peloquin's The Innocents (Penguin, 2012) will pick right up on the melodramatic soap-opera life of 17-year-old Alice and her crazy 16-year-old sister, Charlie, residents on the Connecticut gold coast, courtesy of a wealthy new stepfather. Alice was devastated to learn that Richard is actually her biological father, and she suspects that he murdered his first wife and their mysterious daughter, Camilla. She's also furious with her mother for keeping this life-changing secret from her. Charlie is running wild with easy access to alcohol and pot and a handsome young man. With the parents gone on their honeymoon, the sisters act like typical, unsupervised hormonal teens and they have sex (not explicitly described but no mention of protection either) and get into nonstop petty fights. Everything is intense and full of intrigue; the plot is fairly convoluted. While the dialogue is occasionally unrealistic, the setting, romance, and over-the-top suspicions, secrets, and lies will keep teens riveted. Best for fans of "Gossip Girls" and "Pretty Little Liars."—Susan Riley, Mamaroneck Public Library, NY