Suspense is a state of anxiety or excitement caused by uncertainty, doubt or undecidedness in a narrative work. Suspense is the audience's anticipation about the plot or conflict, particularly as it affects a character for whom the audience feels sympathy. Three new YA titles this month elicit that excitement for the female protagonists. In Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry by Alex Ritany Nora Radford explores the truth about her toxic relationship with her best friend Julia, after she dies in a car accident. Cancelled by Farrah Penn introduces Brynn Whitaker, who is a "flirting coach" for her classmates. When she is wrongly accused of hooking up with another girl's boyfriend, she must proves her innocence or face ostracism for the rest of her senior year. Make Me a Liar by Melissa Landers adds a sci-fi twist to a similar plot. Tia Dante is an "immersionist." She can swap bodies with a consenting person and handle difficult situations for them. But when someone uses her vacated body to commit a murder, she must find the culprit or go to jail.
In alternating chapters Dead Girls Don't Say Sorry chronicles the years before and after Nora Radford's best friend Julia dies in a car accident. The two have been inseparable since fifth grade and plan to go to McGill University together. But then Nora gets the opportunity to apply early admission for a journalism program a TMU, and things between the girls begin to deteriorate. Complicating matters, Nora's childhood friend Dillan moves back to town, and they rekindle their friendship, making Julia jealous. The truth about the girls' toxic relationship is slowly revealed, as Nora discovers Julia's betrayals that have sabotaged her future. Nora struggles with her feelings of guilt and grief over Julia's death, as she processes what really happened. The author's pacing, dialogue and characters propel the reader through Julia's gut-wrenching discoveries, as she tries to make peace with what happened and move on with her life.
Cancelled finds serial dater Brynn Whitaker giving advice to fellow high schools on how best to communicate with their crushes and score dates. Her much-needed income as a flirting coach is threatened when she goes to a Halloween party dressed in a banana costume, and an anonymous video surfaces of a person in the same costume hooking up with her ex-best friend's boyfriend. Being ostracized at school, she is determined to find the identity of the actual person in the video. As she gets closer to the truth, she realizes she doesn't want to slut shame another girl, but rather turn the tables on the misogynistic attitude that exonerates the male cheater. She and her friends form a "femolution" club, denouncing sexism in the school. Her social group includes a trans girl, a pansexual hijabi wearing girl, a pregnant classmate and her swoon worthy twin brother. With her income, her scholarship and college recommendations on the line, Brynn must prove her innocence once and for all.
Make Me a Liar has a similar plotline with a sci-fi twist. Tia Dante is an immersionist, a person who can swap bodies with a person with their consent. Tia uses her ability to help classmates do things they are afraid to do for themselves, such as standing up to bullies, breaking up or coming out - all for a price. When someone borrows her body while she is swapping and murders the district attorney, Tia is suspected of murder. With the aid of her ex-boyfriend Nash, who she finds out is an immersionist himself, Tia attempts to prove her innocence. Tia's first-person narration reveals her to be a witty irreverent teen (Pies before guys) with a penchant for trouble. Nash, who broke up with her, realizes his error and works to win her back. A secret supernatural organization and international mobs, as well as criminal justice issues, make this a real page-turner.
