THEY ALL FALL DOWN

It’s supposed to be an honor to make the Hottie List at her high school, but Kenzie worries that she and the other girls might be the targets of a serial killer.

Kenzie has always been a nerd, passionate about Latin, and has never seen herself as popular. She only wants to get into a good college, but she struggles with her overprotective mother, who’s unable to recover from the death of Kenzie’s older brother. When Kenzie learns she’s fifth on the list, which is compiled by the boys in her high school, she’s flattered but puzzled. Why did they choose her? Even more surprising, rich and handsome Josh begins to flirt with her and assumes she’ll easily agree to be his girlfriend, especially since Kenzie has had a crush on him since middle school. However, now Kenzie finds herself more attracted to Levi, a boy in trouble with the law. When girls on the list begin dying, she and Levi become suspicious. The two team up to try to learn what’s going on and uncover a conspiracy. St. Claire keeps the tension high as she slowly uncovers the mystery and builds to a thriller-level climax. Kenzie’s use of Latin throughout the book puts an intellectual veneer on a rather standard secret-society plot. Kenzie, Levi and Josh are particularly well-realized, but even some of the briefly mentioned girls on the list pop out as individuals.

Neatly done suspense enlivens the familiar plot.