cover image If You Wrong Us

If You Wrong Us

Dawn Klehr. Llewellyn/Flux, $11.99 trade paper (240p) ISBN 978-0-7387-4599-2

In this unsettling thriller from Klehr (The Cutting Room Floor), Detroit teenagers Becca Waters and Johnny Vega are brought together by a car accident that takes the lives of Johnny's mother and Becca's twin sister. Shifting among Johnny, Becca, and an anonymous user posting on the confessional website Hush, Klehr provides multiple perspectives on events both before and after the accident, which Becca doesn't believe to be accidental at all. As Klehr gives a glimpse into the mindset of an individual bent on getting payback, she slowly reveals the intricacy of Becca and Johnny's revenge plan, even as their relationship begins to deteriorate. Klehr starkly describes how far two teens will go for their loved ones, with Becca blinded by rage and Johnny blinded by love. While the final revelations and an inconclusive ending may not sit well with readers who like to see "justice" served, the climactic showdown is gripping, and the path to it has plenty of grim twists and turns to hold readers' attention. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. Agent: Jessica Sinsheimer, Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. (Oct.)