Six Months Later

Richards debuts with an intense psychological mystery about a high school senior who cannot remember the previous six months of her life or reconcile who she was then with who she is now. What’s changed? She has (somehow) aced her SATs and is on track to a top college, she has an inexplicable bruise on her head, and her best friend Maggie won’t speak to her anymore. All told, Chloe is beginning to worry that she’s going crazy. But the worst part is that Chloe is increasingly repulsed by her gorgeous former crush Blake—who is apparently now her boyfriend—and attracted to bad boy Adam. Whenever Chloe touches Adam, she has flashes of memory that lead her to confront her cagey therapist and investigate a fellow student’s sudden move across the country. Richards constructs Chloe’s fear, paranoia, and scheming with great care. Her novel has the feel of a high-stakes poker game in which every player has something to hide, and the cards are held until the very end. Ages 13–up. Agent: Cori Deyoe, 3 Seas Literary Agency. (Oct.)