Common Sense Media Review
By Andrea Beach
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
So-so teen romance-thriller has addiction themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Only three months shy of her 18th birthday, Stella is forced into the federal witness protection program while she waits to testify against a powerful drug dealer accused of murder. She's whisked away from her home, and all contact with her past life is cut off. She finds herself on an old farm in Nebraska with a strict and cantankerous foster mother. Fortunately, she's also now neighbors with the handsome Chet. As she gets to know him and the people of Thunder Basin, she feels worse and worse about having to lie about who she really is. After she stands up to town bully Trigger, he starts digging into Stella's past, threatening her safety just as she's warming up to life in rural Nebraska. DANGEROUS LIES keep piling one on top of another. Can Stella ever be her real self again?
Is It Any Good?
Stella's a believable hero, and teens will relate to her longing for the independence of turning 18 and struggling with who she really is. But the story lacks emotional punch. Perhaps a hero with so much going on -- the murder trial, the mother's drug addiction, hiding her identity, falling for a new guy, and all the lying -- may have been too much to chew: No one issue makes a particularly strong impact, and some aspects of the story get short shrift.
The romance especially -- but occasionally the suspense, too -- fall into cliché too often. But teens looking for a light read will enjoy rooting for Stella as she struggles to find a safe haven.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why mysteries and thrillers are so popular. Why do we love reading them so much?
Do you know anyone who's addicted to drugs or alcohol? What impact does it have on that person's loved ones?
Do you think Stella will ever forgive her mother? Do you think she should? Why, or why not?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Mystery
- Topics : Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
- Publication date : November 10, 2015
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 14 - 17
- Number of pages : 400
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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