Where There's Smoke

October 15, 2023
A small-town teen's moral compass is set awry after she discovers a dark side to someone she loves. After the death of her beloved, well-respected father, recent high school graduate Calli rescues an injured girl she finds hiding on their family property. Shielding the clearly traumatized girl, whom she believes escaped from a nearby fundamentalist sect in the desert, Calli takes her to her family's mountain cabin, where she learns more about the girl, along with some disturbing truths about her own family. Comforted by childhood memories of her parents and formative years but also baffled by what's unfolding before her, Callie experiences a "watershed moment" when she faces an important decision involving loyalty and justice. The narrative alternates effectively with introspective poems that add insight and intensity. The book explores the notion that there are monsters among us whose bland, ordinary, even righteous exteriors hide evil within and the fact that it can be easier to wear blinders than to face the truth. Calli's first-person narration traces her trajectory from initial respect for her elders' advice to becoming cynical and mistrustful. The plot explores the cyclical nature of abuse and the fine line between abuser and victim while addressing one teen's growing awareness of these complexities. Characters largely read white; contextual clues point to Calli's belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A twisty thriller that delves into tough emotional topics. (Thriller. 13-18)

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November 1, 2023
Grades 9-12 On the afternoon of her beloved father's funeral, 17-year-old Calli stumbles across a strange and badly injured girl, Ash, hiding under a cottonwood tree. Because Calli thinks the girl might be a runaway from a strict religious community nearby, she's reluctant to call the authorities. Instead, Calli confides in three nurses, best friends of her late mother, who help her take care of Ash's injuries, and they promise to give Calli time before calling in the authorities. Ash has little to say apart from a reaction that makes it seem like she's been the victim of abuse. As she begins to piece together Ash's story about a monster, Calli realizes that monsters can have different faces. Calli's first-person narrative is rich and descriptive without being overwrought. Vickers, meanwhile, threads poetry throughout the novel that effectively provides backstory and clues without giving anything away, deftly handling the mystery and casting suspicion on just about everyone until the mystery is solved. The page-turning plot combines with appealing, authentic characters for a solid and satisfying read.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-Eighteen-year-old Calli is an orphan who just lost her father in a fire. Despite living in a close-knit small town, she feels lost and alone. After her father's funeral, while out walking on what is now her land, she stumbles upon a young girl who is burned and unable to speak. Calli, desperate for purpose and with the voice of her pious father echoing in her ear, decides to take the girl in and help her. But this girl is running from something, and as Calli comes to learn, there are a lot of buried secrets in her small town. Vickers adeptly creates tension in this thriller, breaking up chapters with interludes in poetic verse. Always referring to the past, the verses are vague and mysterious but hint at the hidden, underlying story. Many of these references to the past are never dealt with in the main plot, but instead are left to the imagination. While the narrative wraps up fairly well, readers may still be disappointed by the loose ends. The book's overall message is a serious one, that not everyone is who they appear to be and that everyone has the potential to be monsters. Readers will enjoy this fast-paced thriller and its many plot twists, even the ones they see coming. VERDICT A recommended purchase for school libraries.-Hannah Pohl

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