2023-06-21
A young woman must uncover dark secrets and confront those she loves most to find the truth hidden in her community.
Christmas Miller, from the town of Sweet Lake, New York, has just graduated high school and is looking forward to seeing her best friend, regular summer visitor Lexi. Their happy reunion is short-lived however, as they attend a heated town hall meeting on Sweet Lake’s invasive algae problem where hostile, narrow-minded attitudes expressed by locals contribute to an uncomfortable misunderstanding between the friends. They go outside to talk things out and find Lemy, Christmas’ gay friend, unconscious in the lake; he survives but ends up in a coma. Determined to solve the algae problem, discover what happened to Lemy, repair her relationship with Lexi, and explore a budding romance with Brooklynite Rory, Christmas has a lot going on. As the story progresses, many difficult topics are explored with sensitivity. Christmas has ADHD, and her portrayal gives readers insight into the challenges that can stem from others’ lack of awareness of neurodivergence while highlighting the positives of embracing your identity. The characters are written with a comfortable familiarity that allows readers to relate to what they endure and root for their happy outcomes. Most characters are white; Lexi is described as “half Dominican” (her remaining ancestry is not named), and Lemy’s husband is Chinese American.
A timely mystery exploring multiple complex themes with coming-of-age elements. (author’s note) (Mystery. 14-18)
