About This Book
Reach for this book when your teenager is grappling with feelings of inadequacy, class anxiety, or the overwhelming pressure to change who they are to fit in with a privileged peer group. It is an ideal choice for the student starting at a competitive new school who feels like an outsider looking in at a world of wealth they do not understand. The story follows Cal, a working class queer teen from Mississippi, as he navigates the predatory social hierarchies and dangerous secret societies of an elite New England boarding school. It explores deep themes of identity, the seductive nature of power, and the high cost of social climbing. While the thriller elements are intense, the book provides a vital look at the psychological toll of classism and the importance of maintaining one's integrity in the face of extreme peer pressure. It is most appropriate for mature high schoolers who enjoy dark, atmospheric mysteries with complex moral dilemmas.
