Pasadena

July 25, 2016
With her best friend dead in an apparent suicide, a 17-year-old girl with demons of her own sets out to uncover what really happened in Smith’s deeply tragic and darkly humorous tale. Jude isn’t even in California when she learns that Maggie Kim is dead, found floating in the family pool, full of pills. When she arrives back in Pasadena, Jude is enveloped in the cloud of loss that hangs over Maggie’s friends, who scrabble to claim a spot as number one mourner. Positive that her friend wouldn’t commit suicide, Jude—who, through Smith’s keen narrative voice, is a sharp and often biting observer of human nature—tries to reconstruct Maggie’s final days, pulling from her own memories of a friend who knew her like no one else. Turns out, Maggie played that role for several people, yet no one truly knew her, an often heartbreaking paradox of teenage friendship that Smith (Orleans) explores deftly. The answers Jude seeks matter far less than the painful journey of a tough character who comes to terms with something deeper than grief. Ages 14–up. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit.

June 1, 2016
When her best friend, Maggie, apparently commits suicide, Jude thinks it might actually be murder.Found drowned in her family's swimming pool, Korean-American Maggie constantly threatened suicide, but Jude believes it was only to get attention. Maggie slept around, and Jude thinks her most recent lover is to blame, especially when date-rape drugs are found in Maggie's body. Jude finds herself looking at their friends, a racially and ethnically diverse bunch, and wondering who might have done it. She also ponders her own life: she was raped as a child, which led to the breakup of her parents' marriage--something she continues to blame herself for. Amid all the personal revelations and drama, blunt-to-a-fault Jude delves for clues that may lead to the truth about Maggie's death. After the funeral, Jude indeed does put events together and understands what really happened. Emulating LA noir of yore in style, Smith treats the story not as a classic murder mystery, although the book does resolve it, but as an opportunity to examine Jude's life through her thoughts about her relationships with her friends, including Maggie. Flashbacks aplenty add to the texture. Jude is a tough nut, but as the story unfolds, so does she. She parcels information out reluctantly; readers learn she's not well-to-do, but the absence of other markers implies that she's white. A stylish exploration of loss. (Fiction. 12-18)

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July 1, 2016

Gr 10 Up-A slow-burning plot told at a fast pace, Smith's latest explores the dark life of an otherwise bright and glamorous West Coast girl. Maggie is Jude's best friend and the center of their posse's universe, so when she is found floating in a pool with a belly full of pills, the apparent suicide leaves friends and family unraveling in her wake. Jude, however, questions why a brilliant and beautiful girl with such a promising future would end her life so soon, and begins hunting for the answers hidden in Maggie's final days. Motives swirl as Jude digs up dirt on everyone left behind, and she soon discovers that Maggie's killer may be closer to home than anyone would like to think. The book is impossible to put down, with increasing tension leading readers in the direction of a big reveal. The cold truth winds up being something of a disappointment but also speaks to the teenage experience. Fascinating, tragic, and equal parts glossy and gritty, this is a noir investigation of familial expectations, tension, and turmoil. In a problematic scene, Jude, reminiscing about her parents' divorce, mentions how their split was part of the aftermath of her rape at age nine by a babysitter, and blames herself for the rift in her home life. While this is a realistic viewpoint for survivors of rape, it is left unresolved. VERDICT Recommended for anyone interested in a mystery exploring the darker fringes of California's social scene.-Emily Grace Le May, Providence Community Library, RI

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2016
Grades 9-12 Jude's visit to her aunt's home in New Jersey is cut short by a phone call that sends her flying back to CaliforniaMaggie Kim, her best friend, is dead. The cause of death is allegedly suicide, since her stomach was full of drugs before she drowned in her pool, but Jude isn't buying it. She's convinced that Maggie was murdered and sets out to gather the evidence. She talks to Maggie's other friends and learns that Maggie kept secrets for more than Jude alone. The more she finds out about Maggie, the less she thinks she really knew about her friend. The climax, where Jude discovers the truth, slightly strains credulity, but Smith has built up Maggie's personality in a way that supports it. Jude, the first-person narrator, is blunt and abrasive, but it's clear she has other ghosts haunting her. The touch of noir adds just enough grit and heat to the narrative, conveying Jude's emotional and physical environment effectively. This is a moving and well-written exploration of friendship and loss.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)