cover image Eden Summer

Eden Summer

Liz Flanagan. Scholastic/Fickling, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-338-12120-9

Sixteen-year-old best friends Jess Mayfield and Eden Holby have enjoyed a lot of good times, but lately they’ve needed to support each other through some very difficult events. When Eden goes missing from their Yorkshire tourist town, Jess realizes that she may not know everything about Eden. Written like a mystery, Flanagan’s tense debut novel interweaves the stories of two tortured girls, each with her own secrets, who use their unwavering friendship as a shield against the world. After Eden disappears, Jess must confront her own demons—a random attack that keeps her recoiling from human contact and a budding crush on someone who she knows is out of bounds—in order to find her. The story is structured over the course of a day, and the time-stamped chapter headings add a sense of urgency while the author carefully fills in the gaps of the narrative. Flanagan is careful not to reveal too much too soon, leaving readers guessing as to what really happened to Eden until the very last page. Ages 12–up. [em]Agent: Ben Illis, Ben Illis Agency. (June) [/em]