Sourcebooks Fire
Now She's Dead
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Last summer, Sara Ellis was found dead by the lake, and only Mandy knows what really happened.
This summer, she's desperate to keep it a secret.
For a few weeks every summer, Sara was Mandy's best friend. At Highmark, the lake resort where their families vacationed, the two were in a world of their own. Or at least Mandy got to be part of Sara's world.
But now Sara's dead. The police ruled her death an accident; a tragic mistake after a night of impaired judgment. For the past year, Mandy's coped by escaping: leaving home and barely keeping it together at school. The last thing she wants to do is return to Highmark this summer--even if she does need "closure." As soon as she's back, though, she hears the whispers: someone killed Sara Ellis.
And if she's not careful, they'll figure out it's all her fault.
As evidence resurfaces and anonymous accusations are scrawled in angry red spray paint, Mandy must confront the truths she's been avoiding about last summer. Because someone wants to make her pay for what happened to Sara that night.
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Book Details
ISBN:
9781464223488
EAN:
1464223483
Binding:
Paperback
Pages:
400
Authors:
Roselyn Clarke
Publisher:
Sourcebooks Fire
Published Date: 2025-03-06
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Clarkeβs work starts strong and remains so throughout the book. Stick with the back-and-forth in time; Clarke uses this technique to build context and intrigue. Although new on the scene, Clarke demonstrates a sense of maturity that plays to her benefit in the YA market.
What happened to Sara Ellis last summer? Mandy is desperate to make sure that no one finds out. But it seems like someone else knows that Sara's death wasn't an accident, and they are determined to torment Mandy until the truth finally comes out. In this fast-paced thriller, Mandy has to keep one step ahead of her pursuers while quietly drowning in her own guilt and grief over the loss of her best friend.I love the way the past and present timelines are woven together in this book, revealing new complications and calling into question the reliability of Mandy's memories. Highmark, the isolated lake resort where Sara Ellis died, is a delightfully atmospheric and creepy setting. Most compelling and heartbreaking of all is the relationship between Mandy and Sara, best friends enmeshed in a complex tangle of admiration, jealousy, attraction, and contempt. Their magnetic and toxic codependency is so alive it breathes on the page.This book is packed with clever puzzles and satisfying twists, but it's a fast read with tension on every page. After this incredible debut, I can't wait to see what Roselyn Clarke has in store for us next!
This YA thriller had me up all nightβI NEEDED to know what happened to Sara. Seriously, I couldnβt stop turning pages. The journal- like writing was so different, with alternating timelines? So smart, so addictive.And the characters? Wildly well done. Some of them I loved. A couple made me want to throw the book across the roomβthey had me fuming. Like, actual chest-heating rage. Thatβs how real they felt.The story follows Mandy, who used to spend summers at Highmark Lake with Saraβuntil last summer, when Sara turned up dead. The cops ruled it an accident, but Mandy knows more than sheβs letting on. Now she's back at the lake, and someone clearly wants the truth outβ¦ no matter what it costs.Thereβs guilt, secrets, lies, and a slow unraveling that keeps you guessing right to the end.If youβre into thrillers with messy emotions, high stakes, and serious tension, Now Sheβs Dead should 100% be on your radar.
I got the chance to read an early version of this book and you guys!!! Prepare yourselves for your new FAVORITE read!!We have a cozy, slightly creepy lakeside resort. Mandy, very reluctantly returning to the resort afterβ¦*events* last year (see title hehe)β¦and someone who knows what happened and is ready to expose her. This book is masterfully written, keeping tension high and pages flipping throughout. I loved Sara and Mandyβs dynamic and the dual timeline setup, I loved the tension, I loved the complicated friendship dynamics. I canβt wait to scream about this book with the rest of the world. Highly recommend!
A must read book! From the beginning you get drawn into the narrators internal world. And keeps you wanting to read to find out what really happened last summer at Highmark resort!!