Take the Fall

by Emily Hainsworth

Overview

Everyone has something to hide.

WHO KILLED GRETCHEN MEYER?

Fear grips the residents of Hidden Falls the night Sonia Feldman and her best friend, Gretchen Meyer, are attacked in the woods. Sonia was lucky to escape with her life, but Gretchen's body is discovered at the bottom of a waterfall. Beautiful, popular, and seemingly untouchable, Gretchen can't be gone. Even as Sonia struggles with guilt and confusion over having survived, the whole town is looking to her for information. . . . Could she have seen something that will lead the police to the killer?

At the top of the list of suspects is Gretchen's ex-boyfriend-and Sonia's longtime enemy-Marcus Perez. So when Marcus comes to Sonia for help clearing his name, she agrees, hoping to find evidence the police need to prove he's the killer. But as Gretchen's many secrets emerge and the suspects add up, Sonia feels less sure of Marcus's involvement and more afraid for herself. Could Marcus-the artist, the screw-up, the boy she might be falling for-have attacked her? Killed her best friend? And if it wasn't him in the woods that night . . . who could it have been?

Perfect for fans of Pretty Little Liars, A Good Girl's Guide To Murder, and One Of Us Is Lying, Emily Hainsworth's thrilling YA murder mystery is full of suspects, twists, and reveals that will keep readers guessing to the very last page.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798987078556
Publisher:	Emily Martorano
Publication date:	08/06/2024
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.75(d)
Age Range:	13 - 18 Years

About the Author

Emily Hainsworth lived in Upstate New York until she fell in love and fled its gray skies for the sunny Rocky Mountains. Her debut novel, THROUGH TO YOU, was originally published by Balzer+Bray/HarperCollins. It was on the Fall 2012 Kids Indie Next List, received a starred review from VOYA magazine, was translated into nine languages, and has been optioned for film multiple times. You can visit Emily online at emilyhainsworth.com

Editorial Reviews

01/18/2016
High school senior Sonia Feldman is reeling after being attacked in the woods of Hidden Falls, as well as the news that her best friend, Gretchen, fell to her death from the top of the Black River Creek falls the same night. Sonia's memories of her attack are hazy, and after Gretchen's ex-boyfriend, Marcus, is arrested and released, Sonia isn't sure what to think. When Sonia starts getting threatening notes, it seems that she may be in danger, but as Gretchen's dark secrets come to light, the suspect list gets longer, and Sonia begins to question everything she knew about her friend. Writing in Sonia's voice, Hainsworth (Through to You) navigates the murky waters of friendship and loyalty to spin an intriguing murder mystery, one whose final twists and revelations hit their marks. As a protagonist, Sonia is well drawn, but as Gretchen's cruel machinations are revealed, it's hard to see her as sympathetic, and her motives aren't explored much. Nonetheless, it's a mystery that should keep readers hooked. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Laughran, Andrea Brown Literary Agency. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

An intriguing murder mystery, one whose final twists and revelations hit their marks.” — Publishers Weekly

“A thrilling and twisted mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.” — Suzanne Young, New York Times bestselling author of The Program series

“Take the Fall is a deliciously dark tale of scandal and deception. I can’t wait to see what Emily Hainsworth comes up with next!” — Kimberly Derting, author of the Body Finder series

“Fans of whodunit mysteries will enjoy [this]” — Booklist

“Keep[s] you guessing until the end” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “Hainsworth’s debut novel is fresh, exciting, and haunting … The well-developed characters help readers make an immediate emotional connection that results in a personal investment in the outcome of the story …. a must-have for any classroom or library shelf.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “Smart, singular, and utterly compelling—I loved it!” — Brenna Yovanoff, New York Times bestselling author of THE REPLACEMENT

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “THROUGH TO YOU is a page-turning read. I lost hours of sleep because I just had to finish it!” — Christopher Pike, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the THIRST series and REMEMBER ME

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “Intriguing.” — Booklist

From the Publisher

A thrilling and twisted mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Suzanne Young

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “Hainsworth’s debut novel is fresh, exciting, and haunting … The well-developed characters help readers make an immediate emotional connection that results in a personal investment in the outcome of the story …. a must-have for any classroom or library shelf.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “Intriguing.

Booklist

Take the Fall is a deliciously dark tale of scandal and deception. I can’t wait to see what Emily Hainsworth comes up with next!

Kimberly Derting

Keep[s] you guessing until the end

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “Smart, singular, and utterly compelling—I loved it!

Brenna Yovanoff

Praise for THROUGH TO YOU: “THROUGH TO YOU is a page-turning read. I lost hours of sleep because I just had to finish it!

Christopher Pike

Keep[s] you guessing until the end

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

Fans of whodunit mysteries will enjoy [this]

Booklist

2015-11-03
Gretchen Meyer's list of friends was long; the list of suspects who wanted her dead is even longer. High school senior Sonia Feldman thinks she's safe at home after narrowly escaping an attack in the woods of her small town. She soon discovers that Gretchen, her popular best friend and daughter of the area's rich tech mogul, wasn't as lucky. In a separate part of the woods, at a waterfall, Gretchen was murdered. When the local police have few leads, Sonia begins her own investigation to find the killer. While the teen's first-person narration is not dramatic, it does capture the drama of high school, from breakups to hookups. Unfortunately, it's not so effective with the mystery part. What Sonia uncovers is Gretchen's dark side and the growing number of racially diverse frenemies who would have benefited from her death. Not only does she confront her own feelings for Gretchen and how her supposed BFF took advantage of her, but her feelings for Gretchen's former boyfriend as well. And with the killer still at large, someone may want Sonia dead, too. The story offers plenty of red herrings but falls short of thrilling. (Mystery. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews