Through Our Teeth

Gr 8 Up–There are plenty of YA books about solving a murder, but Harris uses a new lens. Her introductory author’s note centers abusive relationships, particularly public reactions to celebrity violence, like the case of Chris Brown and Rihanna, as a narrative umbrella covering the novel. Every action is filtered through fear of impending rage and physicality. Every choice carries weight of who gets support and who gets fed to high school gossip wolves. One of those possibly reformed wolves? Main narrator Liv, whose best friend Hope is dead. On Halloween night, Liv lures Hope’s ex-boyfriend Brendan—future NBA star and member of their childhood BFF trifecta—to an empty mansion along with other teens from their friend group. She’s looking for answers. A delicate release of secrets follows, told in gripping flashbacks. It’s a mystery interrupted with murderous vibes. In the mansion, something’s terrorizing the teens. Harris rocks those scenes, setting up heart-pumping action that keeps readers glued to the page. Thrilling escapes effectively overshadow any awkward pop culture needle drops. Liv, Hope, and Brendan are Black.