Aftermath

March 19, 2018
In this absorbing, fast-paced thriller, Skye Gilchrist is back at Riverside Collegiate High School, yet her welcome is anything but warm. Three years ago, her brother, Luka, was killed in a school shooting—and he was one of the shooters. Also killed that day was the brother of Skye’s crush, Jesse Mandal. Now back at school, Skye discovers that Jesse is not the studious boy she once knew: he’s pessimistic, skips class, and was expelled from another school for fighting. But when someone concocts a series of events trying to make it look like Skye is causing mayhem, Jesse comes to her aid. Can they bridge the divide between them and stop another killing? Armstrong sensitively handles the aftermath of a school shooting from multiple perspectives—that of the victims’ families and the family of the shooter. She also effectively tackles the topics of bullying and how acting out can be a sign of grief and pain. Skye and Jesse’s burgeoning romance sweetens this insightful drama. Ages 12–up. Agent: Sarah Heller, Hellen Heller Agency.

March 15, 2018
A sensitive treatment of high school shootings and their impact on families of both perpetrators and victims. Sixteen-year-old Skye Gilchrist is returning to her hometown three years after a deadly shooting. Her brother was one of the perpetrators, killed by police during the incident. In the subsequent fallout, her father abandoned the family, she and her mother left town to live with her grandmother, and her mother spiraled into depression. Moving home to live with her aunt and attend high school with classmates who were affected by her brother's actions is hard, especially since her former best friend and crush, Jesse Mandal, lost his brother, Jamil, in the shooting and isn't quite sure how to deal with Skye's reappearance. Shunned by peers and anonymously bullied online and in cruel pranks, Skye's concerns are dismissed by the grown-ups around her as attention-seeking. Jesse, a Bangladeshi-American Muslim boy, has his own challenges as he also tries to avoid school bullies and overperforms in an attempt to comfort his parents and compensate for Jamil's death. Armstrong paints a refreshingly authentic and touching portrait of Jesse and his family as they deal with their grief. Alternating first-person accounts by Jesse and Skye build a compelling plot and well-developed characters. Skye and her family are white.A powerful thriller that will surprise you at every turn. (Thriller. 12-18)

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May 1, 2018

Gr 9 Up-When Skye was 13, her beloved brother was found holding a gun and killed by police during a high school shooting that claimed the lives of four other students. Her grandmother swiftly moved Skye and her mother out of town hoping to avoid the inevitable retribution. Plagued by national headlines, they had to move multiple times. Now, three years later, Skye's grandmother has had her second stroke, and her mother has severe clinical depression. Child services decides to place Skye back in her hometown to live with her aunt. Despite still reeling from grief and unable to grasp that her sibling was a murderer, there's no avoiding former classmates who lost family and friends in the tragedy. Skye dreads having to face her best friend and middle school crush, Jesse, whose own brother was one of the victims. The trauma has drastically changed both of their lives and altered their personalities. But when Skye's life appears threatened by a series of increasingly bizarre incidents, their former relationship reemerges. Jesse becomes one of Skye's only defenders when even her aunt refuses to believe she's become the target of revenge. Armstrong's portrayal of Skye's anguish and confusion is heartbreaking. She takes a pointed look at how people often transfer blame for a shooter's actions onto family members. VERDICT Teens will be drawn to this story and barely notice the lack of credibility in its intense and satisfying climax.-Cary Frostick, formerly at Mary Riley Styles Public Library, Falls Church, VA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2018
Grades 9-12 Skye Gilchrist doesn't expect a warm welcome when she moves back home. Not when three years ago her brother, Luka, was one of a group of shooters who opened fire at the high school. Skye's best friend, Jesse, lost his brother in the shooting, and a guilt-ridden Skye hasn't spoken to him since. Now Skye and Jesse are back at the same school, and despite the tragedy that links them, their old connection returns. At school, Skye faces harassment that ranges from schoolyard bullying to vicious threats. As the threats intensify, Skye and Jesse learn that they may not know the truth of what happened the day of the shooting, and that the killing may not be done. Skye's first-person narration alternates somewhat confusingly with Jesse's third-person, but Armstrong (Missing, 2017) deftly works suspense into the narrative. Family dynamics?Skye struggles with loving and missing Luka despite what he did, while Jesse navigates life as his Bengali American parents' only child?add depth, making this more than just a typical murder mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)