The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas
Description: “There are no more cheerleaders in the town of Sunnybrook.
First there was the car accident—two girls gone after hitting a tree on a rainy night. Not long after, the murders happened. Those two girls were killed by the man next door. The police shot him, so no one will ever know why he did it. Monica’s sister was the last cheerleader to die. After her suicide, Sunnybrook High disbanded the cheer squad. No one wanted to be reminded of the girls they lost.
That was five years ago. Now the faculty and students at Sunnybrook High want to remember the lost cheerleaders. But for Monica, it’s not that easy. She just wants to forget. Only, Monica’s world is starting to unravel. There are the letters in her stepdad’s desk, an unearthed, years-old cell phone, a strange new friend at school. . . . Whatever happened five years ago isn’t over. Some people in town know more than they’re saying. And somehow Monica is at the center of it all.
There are no more cheerleaders in Sunnybrook, but that doesn’t mean anyone else is safe.”
Review: I had a hard time rating this book, it is on the verge of 4 stars. I think the reason I didn’t give it more stars is because parts of it dragged on. I loved all of the twists and turns but was hoping for more suspense.
One major issue I had with the book is that it only touches lightly on the subject of rape and abortion. I felt that these topics should have been dealt with more in dept. The book starts off with an abortion, I kept thinking that at some point Monica was going to have to open up about it (maybe by telling her friends) but instead it is rarely mentioned. I did appreciate the fact that there was no shaming about Monica getting an abortion. Also, anytime statutory rape is brought up Monica blames herself. I wish these difficult subjects were dealt with better and explored more.
I found the book to be enjoyable enough and enjoyed some of the relationship dynamics (especially between Monica and Ginny). I also really enjoy a book where I have a difficult time trying to guess the ending. I would recommend this book to older teens or new adults who enjoy mystery novels.
*please note that I received an advanced copy of the book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review