Copyright Date:
2022
Edition Date:
2022
Release Date:
02/01/22
Pages:
391 pages
ISBN:
0-7852-3848-4
ISBN 13:
978-0-7852-3848-5
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2021032849
Dimensions:
22 cm
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
When a teen goes in search of a killer, she discovers that nothing is what it seems.For as long as 18-year-old Nyla Wagner can recall, she's had to share her mother's attention with Frankie, a death row felon and her mother's closest friend. She knows the story: Two decades ago, the body of Cora King, the 18-year-old daughter of a Kentucky senator, was found in a badly decomposed state in the lake surrounding Cora's family's island home. Frankie, who was Cora's best friend, was charged with the murder based solely on her previous arrest record. Now Frankie's out of appeals, and her execution date has been set. When a reporter comes looking for Cora's sister, one Elizabeth King, Nyla discovers that is her mom. She starts with trying to understand why her mother fled from her wealthy family-the two of them have lived a hardscrabble, peripatetic life-then, becoming enmeshed in difficult family dynamics, seeks to prove Frankie's innocence and find the real killer. Stevens' sentence-level writing sizzles, effectively conveying both Nyla's heart and the Kentucky setting. The pacing falters, however, and some of the characters feel one-note, to the point that the climactic scene doesn't evoke the emotion that it should. Main characters read as White.Sparkles like a diamond at first but does not fulfill its initial promise. (discussion questions) (Mystery. 14-18)
A twenty-year-old crime, an accelerated death penalty, and an elitist family cover-up: Nyla races against the death row clock to save a woman the world is rooting for . . . and against. Which side will you choose? Twenty years ago, eighteen-year-old Francis Quick was convicted of murdering her best friend, Cora King, and sentenced to death. Now the highly debated Accelerated Death Penalty Act has passed giving Frankie thirty final days to live. Surprising everyone, one of the King family members sets out to challenge the woefully inadequate evidence and potential innocence of Frankie Quick. The at-first reluctant but soon-fiery Nyla and her unexpected ally--handsome country island boy Sam Stack--bring Frankie's case to the international stage through her YouTube channel, Death Daze . They step into fame and a hometown battle that someone's still willing to kill over. But who? The senator? The philanthropist? The pawn shop owner? Nyla's own mother? Best advice: Don't go to family dinner at the Kings' estate. More people will leave in body bags than on their own two feet. And as for Frankie Quick, she's a gem . . . even if she's guilty. Praise for We Were Kings : " We Were Kings is the best kind of mystery novel--intelligent and bursting with heart. As Nyla untangled her family's secrets, the twists left me breathless." --Brittany Cavallaro, New York Times bestselling author "Bingeable. Atmospheric. A book that grabs hold and doesn't let go. We Were Kings offers a delicious mystery perfect for fans of We Were Liars and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder . I savored every word from beginning to end." --Caroline George, author of The Summer We Forgot Young Adult suspense with some romance Stand-alone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs