The Cheerleaders

I'm going to rave about this book a bit since I really liked it, and I hope everyone reads it. Okay well those of you that like this kind of book, anyway. The Cheerleaders is about Monica who lost her older sister Jen to suicide around the same time four other girls died- all members of the cheerleading squad. That's about all you need to know, really- anything else is almost spoilery. Suffice to say that five years later Monica finds a reason to revisit those horrific events when new information arises. The narrative is primarily Monica's, although we also get flashbacks to Jen's last days, which of course provide crucial insight to the reader as Monica pieces things together.

This is one of those books I just wanted to fly through. Monica is far from perfect- she's got some issues to work through- but I enjoyed her narrative voice and her snarkiness as well. It felt like I was reading about a real teenager, unlike a lot of YA novels that go for that approach and have mixed success. Monica's friends Alexa and Rachel don't have a lot to do but they felt real as well- I particularly enjoyed some of Alexa's comments- and I was intrigued by Ginny, a rather quiet girl who Monica becomes close to as she digs deeper into what really happened five years ago.

You also have Ethan, the outsider kid who everyone thinks is going to show up one day with a gun and shoot up the school or something, but Monica finds that he may be deeper than originally thought. What is his connection to the murders of five years ago, and what exactly did Jen know? The romantic elements are pretty minimal in this book but there is an age inappropriate relationship that factors into the story, and the tone is quite dark at times. I loved the family dynamics, and the way Monica deals with her mother, who seems kind of checked out at times, and her stepdad who is a cop, and as such has distinct feelings about what happened five years ago.

The mystery was fascinating to watch unfold, and every time a flashback appeared I couldn't wait to see what details would emerge. Jen was friends with two of the girls who were killed- Juliana and Susan- and seeing things from her perspective was so satisfying. Monica has never really recovered from Jen's death, and when the focus switches to Jen she has a typical older teenager/ sister reaction to Monica, which is often one of irritation. That felt realistic, as did the high school scenes and Monica's relationships with her friends, which take a hit as she investigates and spends more time with Ginny.

I don't want to give too much away, all I can say is read this is you like YA mystery/ thrillers with a little darkness and lots of grittiness. I had a blast reading this and will be reading more of Kara Thomas for sure.