cover image Love, Heather

Love, Heather

Laurie Petrou. Crooked Lane, $18.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-64385-116-7

Petrou sheds light on mob bullying in a well-told tale of teenage revenge that pays homage to works such as Carrie and Heathers. Stevie, the 14-year-old girl who narrates this novel set in Woepine, Ontario, from Canadian author Petrou (Sister of Mine for adults), has just entered high school, “that melting pot of cool and cruel, that place that will change you for the better and worse.” Stevie befriends Dee, a new student and one of the outcasts ruled by the “privileged dicks that roam the school... like medieval lords.” Dee urges the bullied to fight back. At first, their pranks are innocuous: unflattering photos posted on lockers along with the words “Love, Heather.” But soon these stunts take on a vicious tone, leaving Stevie to wonder: is it “the victims fighting back or a new many-headed bully-monster?” And before long, Stevie becomes the target of horrific social media intimidation as well as physical threats from classmates. The buildup to the shattering climax is a tad slow, but readers will keep turning the pages to see how the inevitable emotional explosion plays out. Ages 12–up. Agent: Martha Webb, Cooke McDermid Agency. (Oct.)