Book Jacket:
When Wendy Geller’s body is found in Central Park after the night of a rager, newspaper headlines scream,”Death in the Park: Party Girl Found Strangled.” But shy Rain, once Wendy’s best friend, knows there was more to Wendy than just “party girl.” As she struggles to separate the friend she knew from the tangle of gossip and headlines, Rain becomes determined to discover the truth about the murder.
Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick’s mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.
You can read an excerpt here.
Review:
Don’t be fooled by the blase cover – this book is truly fantastic.
As a mystery, The Girl in the Park may be a tad predictable, but in terms of character work, this book is utterly brilliant. Each and every character is complicated, imperfect, and unexpected, and across the board they are uniquely compelling – but it’s the ways Fredericks explores and reveals their relationships that make this story so very special.
I actually find myself reluctant to say too much about the characters, because I don’t want to spoil anything for you – the pace of the reveals, the unexpected facets of each character, the ways in which Fredericks fills in their stories, it’s all just wonderful. There is such richness to this story – complicated relationships, the meaning of loyalty, the tiers of privilege, the power of reputation, the ways people lash out from their own pain – that I hardly know where to begin, but most importantly, the heart and soul of this story is a complex, nuanced look at what friendship is, what it means – and it makes for a wonderful meal of a book. Wendy is indeed the girl in the park, but she’s also a living, breathing character who defies easy explanation, though all and sundry slap labels on her. She can be utterly unlikable at times and yet still thoroughly sympathetic, and I loved how Rain truly saw Wendy for who she was, the good and the bad, and how Wendy continued to challenge Rain, even after she was gone. It’s messy, uneasy, complicated, and beautiful – and honestly I can’t remember the last time I read such a powerful exploration of friendship.
As for the murder mystery – well, I did find it to be fairly predictable. I knew whodunit by about the halfway mark, and I had to wait quite a while for Rain to catch up, but honestly I was so caught up with her personal journey that I was perfectly willing to wait. And to be fair, Fredericks includes a fair number of red herrings in her mystery, and she did test my assured certainty a time or two – but at the end of the day, if you’re a Masterpiece Mystery or Law & Order fan, you’re just not going to be taken by surprise. But even so, the characters won’t let you look away.
In the end, I truly loved this book. I’ll say it again – I can’t remember the last time I read a high school story this authentic, or a story about friendship this powerful. If you enjoyed Lauren Myracle’s Shine, definitely pick this book up – and I for one will definitely be keeping an eye out for Mariah Fredericks in the future.
Byrt Grade: A
As Levar Burton used to say – you don’t have to take my word for it…
Rain and Wendy emerge as fully rounded, flawed characters that teens will recognize and connect with. A satisfying whodunit.
Written in a voice at once immediate, riveting, and utterly convincing, Mariah Frederick’s mystery brilliantly exposes the cracks in this exclusive New York City world and the teenagers that move within it.
Publishers Weekly (starred review) says:
Fredericks’s mystery unfolds gracefully, revealing the rich inner life that Rain is so reluctant to share, as well as a complex portrait of Wendy, the kind of girl people “love to hate.” Rain’s voice provides an authentic portrait of grief and powerlessness.
this one sounds creepy and really interesting. i like the cover, too. thanks for reviewing as i hadn’t heard of this one yet. adding to goodreads now. :)