RED AS BLOOD

In this fairy-tale–inspired YA series starter, four teenagers work to decipher strange poems from their missing friend.

It’s been six weeks since Raven Snow’s best friend, Penny Zale, escaped from a psychiatric hospital in Everbeach, Florida, with her “long, blonde signature braid—chopped off and left behind.” At a vigil for the missing girl, Raven and her pals Aarya Samudra and Dawn Thorne meet Elle Glass, another friend of Penny’s, who reveals four cryptic and unfamiliar poems—one for each girl—that she apparently received in the mail from Penny. Aarya suggests bringing the letters to the police, who don’t immediately launch an investigation, so the four teens pursue one themselves—even after Raven’s wicked stepmother, Vera Snow, threatens to remove her stepdaughter from the basketball team if she takes part. Raven’s wrestling with more than Vera or Aarya know; she’s also conflicted about her feelings for Penny’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, Logan Steele, whose billionaire family owns sugar empire Steele Enterprises. As Raven’s feelings for Logan grow, so does evidence that he was involved in Penny’s disappearance. This novel is well paced with few extraneous details, aside from the fact that Dawn doesn’t uniquely contribute to the narrative. Still, the relationship between the four girls is heartwarming, even as Raven and Aarya’s friendship is tested by the secrets each character keeps. An engaging subplot explores the connection between frenemies Aarya and Punkaj Grimsley, whose internship with local newspaper The Mirror comes in handy. Bengali American author Banerjee and Lebanese Jamaican author Richardson add rich cultural texture to their characters’ stories; Raven’s growing relationship with Elle’s Jamaican godmother, Titania, reminds the teen of her deceased Jamaican mother and the culture from which she feels disconnected, and Aarya’s relationship to the grand Hindu statues in her parents’ hotel lobby is especially striking as the novel reaches its climax. As friendships are threatened, readers are presented with a simple ethical question, posed by Aarya: “when is it on you, as the friend, to figure out something is wrong?”

An engaging thriller with complex relationships, convincing stakes, and fairy-tale allusions.