Edgar Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Mystery * A Kirkus Best Book
Raw and moving, this contemporary realistic debut novel will leave readers of E. Lockhart and Gayle Forman breathless as it unflinchingly unfolds the tragic secrets being kept in a small, deceptively idyllic town.
âGorgeously written and helmed by a protagonist with an indelibly fierce heart."" (starred review from Kirkus)
âKeen plotting, evocative writing, and dynamic characterization make French a writer to watch.â (starred review from Booklist)
Seventeen-year-old Darcy Prentiss has long held the title of âtown slut.â She knows how to have a good time, sure, but she isnât doing anything all the guys havenât done. But when youâre a girl with a reputation, every little thing that happens seems to keep people whisperingâespecially when your ex-best friend goes missing.
But if anyone were to look closer at Darcy, theyâd realize thereâs a lot more going on beneath the surface. Staying out late, hooking up, and telling lies is what Darcy does to forget. Forget about the mysterious disappearance of her friend. Forget about the dark secret she and her cousin Nell share.
Forget about that hazy Fourth of July night. So when someone in town anonymously nominates Darcy to be in the running for Bay Festival Princessâa cruel act only someone with a score to settle would makeâall of the things that Darcy wants to keep hidden threaten to erupt in ways she wasnât prepared to handleâŠand isnât sure if she can.