Best-selling author McCreight makes her YA debut with a heart-pounding thriller that ends on a cliff-hanger. Wylie has struggled with anxiety her whole life, but after her mother's accidental death in a car accident, it worsens to the point of agoraphobia. But when her best friend Cassie goes missing and texts her for help, Wylie is the first in line to save her tting out for the Maine woods with Cassie's boyfriend, Jasper, in tow. But their rescue mission hits some snags, and, upon arrival, Wylie's world as she knows it is upended. Could her mother's death actually have been on purpose? And did her dad have something to do with it? This fast-paced thriller will have readers pinned to their seats with all the twists and turns in the second half. Despite being coupled with some preposterous scenarios at the end, the novel has an intriguing premise regarding emotional intelligence and the female mind. Thought provoking and chilling, this is guaranteed to grow McCreight's fan base. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: With film options already in the works, best-selling, award-winning McCreight's YA debut is set to be a big splash.

Boston-area high school junior Wylie Lang is in danger of losing everything she loves. Her beloved, brilliant, war-photographer mother died in a car accident four months ago, and her best friend, Cassie, seems to be going rapidly off the rails. Suffering from acute anxiety, Wylie is unable to go to school and is stuck at home with her unsympathetic twin brother and her father, "a hard-core nerd scientist who lives entirely in his head." When Cassie's boyfriend gets a troubling text message from Cassie, Wylie manages to conquer her agoraphobia and accompanies Jasper on a desperate drive to an abandoned summer camp in northern Maine, where Cassie is being held by a mysterious group. In this story, no one is who they appear to be, and few adults can be trusted. Wylie, Cassie, and Jasper (all evidently white) become pawns in a complex charade involving the attempted hijacking of Dr. Lang's research by defense contractors who see profit in his discovery of rare emotional intelligence in a few research subjects, known as "outliers," including Wylie herself. At times the plot, like the Maine woods, thickens to a point of impenetrability, and the twists become far-fetched. Wylie's present-tense account is smooth and well-paced, however, if not strikingly original. Readers who are willing to suspend disbelief will enjoy this action-packed psychological thriller. (Thriller. 12-16)

Wylie has been nearly paralyzed with grief since her mother's death, barely able to leave her house even to go to school. Her scientist father tries to get her back to her academics, to no avail. She is broken out of her self-imposed exile by a text from her estranged best friend Cassie. Cassie needs her help, and following a series of cryptic messages, Cassie's ex, Jasper, shows up at Wylie's door to drive her on a rescue mission. As Wylie and Jasper drive blindly through the Maine woods in search of Cassie, her texts become increasingly erratic and directions are delivered in bits and pieces. Upon finding Cassie, Wylie discovers that her father's research is deeply linked to Cassie's disappearance and that she may not be able to trust anyone.This first book in a planned trilogy moves at a rapid pace and is action-packed from the start. The first half of the book focuses on action and danger, while the second half relies on plot twists and shifting allegiances to keep the reader engaged. Wylie's struggles with grief and a difficult relationship with her best friend mold her into a multilayered character who captures the reader's sympathy. As is common with most series starters, there is a substantial amount of world-building taking place in the last quarter of the book, resulting in an intricately plotted conclusion. This book is highly recommended for older teen readers, who will anxiously await the next volume in the trilogy.Sherrie Williams.