Trouble is a Friend of Mine by Stephanie Tromly

If you are looking for a fun mystery, definitely read Trouble is a Friend of Mine, a debut novel by Stephanie Tromly.  The story centers on a curious and clever narrator, Zoe Webster, who has been forced to change high schools due to her parents’ divorce.  Zoe has always followed the rules and wants to attend Princeton, but while struggling to fit in, she becomes friends with Philip Digby, a “let’s bend the rules,” fast-talking, risk-taker.  As noted elsewhere, it is like the culture clash in The Breakfast Club and I am personally already looking forward to a movie version of Trouble is a Friend of Mine.   

The action is non-stop and involves kidnappings and drug dealings with numerous suspects like an unethical gynecologist, school employees, and cult members. Frankly, it all gets a little complicated and absurd, especially when Digby adds to the confusion with several funny cover stories, but students will love his antics and Zoe’s struggles with how best to support her friend.  Screenwriter Tromly’s debut novel is filled with witty dialogue and received starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and VOYA. I will be suggesting Trouble is a Friend of Mine, especially to fans of Carter Finally Gets It, Dooley Takes the Fall, and The Spectacular Now. The elements of mystery, romance and humor should ensure wide appeal for this new and entertaining novel.  

Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan

The Mill River Redemption by Darcie Chan is her second book set in small town Vermont and tells the story of two estranged adult sisters who are forced to move back one summer, solve a puzzle, and try to reconcile in order to obtain their inheritance. Rose and Emily are the two sisters and while I enjoyed the flashbacks to their childhood, I found their present day antics and acts of vandalism to be somewhat unrealistic. One is coping unsuccessfully with alcoholism and that adds further angst to the story.

Darcie Chan does a good job of developing the relationships that are so important to a small town, but, for me, this book would have been stronger if there was more emphasis on the mystery (although there was a surprising twist at the end). Overall, The Mill River Redemption is an easy, undemanding summer read. For other stories set in Vermont, look for titles like Northern Borders by Howard Frank Mosher.  And fans of gentle, summer mysteries can always turn to award-winning childhood classics by E. L. Konigsburg or Zilpha Keatley Snyder.

Where the Stars Still Shine by Trish Doller

A “hot and gritty” story aimed at older teens, this novel centers on Callie who was kidnapped at age five and lived a dozen years on the run with her Mom until they are discovered and Callie is returned to her dad – and his extended Greek family – in Florida. Callie struggles with the transition and questions her identity: “Granddaughter, daughter, friend, a girl a normal boy would date -- a growing list of people I don’t know how to be.”

While I enjoyed reading Where the Stars Still Shine and found the colorful cover especially appealing, I also struggled with some aspects of the story:

·         Why did Callie not receive any counseling?

·         Was her Dad so afraid of losing her again that he could not bring himself to put any limits on her behavior?

·         Or was this just an aspect of his personality and how he had treated her Mom in the past?

Doller raises these and other questions as she chronicles Callie’s difficulties in building friendships and relationships. Teens will relate to Callie’s confusion and Doller’s everyday example like choosing an ice cream cone to illustrate Callie’s efforts to define her loyalties (should she pick the flavor she always chose with her Mom or something new?). Readers looking for similar themes may also like Just One Day by Forman, Rules of Survival by Werlin or Story of a Girl by Zarr.