Lies Like Wildfire by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez

LIES LIKE WILDFIRE by Jennifer Lynn Alvarez is one of those mystery stories which is filled with so many twists and cliffhangers that readers feel compelled to finish it in a day or two. Alvarez, who lives in California and has experienced devastation from wildfires, explores what happens when five good friends accidentally spark a major blaze. The “monsters” as they are called include Mo (hoping to be a nurse), Luke (with a history of anger and run-ins with the police), Hannah (narrator and sheriff’s daughter who lost her Mom due to a drunk driver), Drummer (Hannah’s crush, although he dates someone else) and Violet (super rich summer visitor). They all hang out in Gap Mountain, California – near the Nevada state line – and decide to lie and pretend innocence about the fire’s origin. Obviously, this leads to tensions within the group and the disappearance of one of the members increases suspense even further. LIES LIKE WILDFIRE is Alvarez’s debut young adult novel which she dedicates to “good people who do bad things.” School Library Journal calls it “a must-have thriller” for grades 9 and up. I did find it difficult at times to believe that these teens would not own up to their actions, but Alvarez does an excellent job of building edginess and keeping readers guessing. Even reluctant readers will be pulled in and intrigued by the efforts to evade consequences for the reckless choices these friends make. Book talk with other teen mysteries by McManus and Lockhart.