SCROLL DOWN TO READ THE POST
Cold Light
They found a body. I know who it is.
Such a great tag line!
Three teenage girls and the jealousy-filled triangle of their friendships are at the center of Jenn Ashworth‘s dark, contemporary British murder mystery.
The author is currently on a virtual (blog) tour of the U.S. that started Tuesday.
ASHWORTH, Jenn. Cold Light. 352p. Morrow. 2012. pap. $14.99. ISBN 978-0-06-207603-8. LC number unavailable.
Adult/High School–Chloe was Lola’s best, and only, friend. The relationship seemed to be a miracle to Lola, because why would a beautiful blonde girl choose her as a friend? After Chloe’s death, the community deified her as a tragic figure who martyred herself for love. Ten years later, a grown-up Lola is watching a televised groundbreaking ceremony for a summerhouse to be built in Chloe’s honor. When the first spade rams into an obstruction beneath the ground, Lola immediately realizes they have discovered a dead body. And she knows who it is. This foreshadowing frames the backstory of Chloe, as told by Lola. Lola’s narration is skewed by her need for Chloe, which leads readers to suspect that reality is far more dreadful. For example, Lola found Carl, Chloe’s creepy older boyfriend, an annoyance who pulled Chloe away from herself. But Carl’s actions were tinged with something much darker than Lola perceives. The prevalence of other unexplained tragedies, including the disappearance of a local man, sexual assaults on young girls, and the death of Lola’s own father, add to the inescapable suspense. Compare this to other psychological thrillers such as Laura Lippman’s The Most Dangerous Thing (William Morrow, 2011) or Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl (Crown, 2012).–Diane Colson, Palm Harbor Public Library, FL
About Angela Carstensen
Angela Carstensen is Head Librarian and an Upper School Librarian at Convent of the Sacred Heart in New York City. Angela served on the Alex Awards committee for four years, chairing the 2008 committee, and chaired the first YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adult committee in 2009. Recently, she edited Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Titles and Programs for a New Generation (ALA Editions, 2011). Contact her via Twitter @AngeReads.
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
The Moral Dilemma of THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK
Cover Reveal and Q&A: The One and Only Googoosh with Azadeh Westergaard
K is in Trouble | Review
A Reading Community: A Love Letter to Local Independent Bookstores, a guest post by Heather Del Piano
The Classroom Bookshelf is Moving
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT