THEY'RE WATCHING YOU

High school junior Maren Montgomery suspects something is awry when Polly St. James, her best friend and roommate, disappears from elite Torrey-Wells Academy.

The police and Polly’s parents believe the note she left behind and consider her a runaway. However, when Maren finds an invitation from the Gamemaster’s Society in Polly’s belongings, she concludes her friend may be in danger. Maren has heard rumors about a secret club, and this evidence prompts her to seek out members to help her find her missing friend. Acting on a tip from lab partner and potential love interest Gavin Holt, she challenges social queen Annabelle Westerly to a card game: Winning scores her an invite to a society initiation. Fellow initiate Remington Cruz (who is cued Latine in an otherwise default-White main cast) captures Maren’s romantic interest as together they face the life-threatening, sinister rituals the society performs in the pursuit of personal power and prestige. Multiple twists leave Maren’s head spinning, not knowing what or whom to believe. The cat-and-mouse game intensifies Maren’s race against the Gamemaster’s clock to find Polly, with the trials exploiting the initiates’ worst fears along the way. This plot-driven thriller has excellent pacing that escalates along with the action. The love triangle seems a bit forced, but it propels readers to question which characters are trustworthy. Greek mythology references will entice genre crossover readers.

Dungeons, catacombs, and crypts, oh my: Readers will be glued to the edges of their seats.