CAUGHT IN THE ACT

Newcomer Lydia knows how to get power and how to use it, as Ethan explains in this narrative detailing his gradual submission to her. At first, Ethan’s life seems ordinary and full of the usual insecurities of a sophomore more interested in being in a play than living up to intense academic pressure from family and friends. Lydia is a Goth-type, mostly ignored by others, whose accent wavers from British to Southern depending on her need. Since she’s a manipulator par excellence, Ethan both witnesses and benefits from her machinations on his behalf. By severing him from any of his usual supportive friends, she slowly creates a situation where Ethan is vulnerable to her demands, at the same time he’s intoxicated with her. Glimpses of Lydia’s home life provide insight rather than any clear explanation of her personality, but when it comes to a showdown, the deck is definitely stacked in her favor. Physical danger lurks beneath the layers of psychological suspense in a satisfyingly logical, killer conclusion. (Fiction. YA)