The Merciless

May 15, 2014
Mean Girls with an occult twist.Military kid Sofia Flores is used to moving around and always being on the outside, so she's happy to be embraced by the queen bees in her new high school in tiny Friend, Mississippi. She is a little sorry that Riley and her posse seem to have it in for friendly Brooklyn, but she goes along with them. Though she's been raised an unbeliever, her beloved grandmother, who lives with Sofia and her mom, is a devout Catholic; something in her responds when Riley decides to "save" her, baptizing her in the girls' room. What she sees at a party sets off a horrific series of events that ends with maimed and dead teenagers. The bulk of the book takes place in a secret hideout in an abandoned development, and it is there that the girls viciously, bloodily confront Brooklyn, the proceedings causing Sofia to question all her moral certainties (and her immediate survival). The book comes with a "for mature audiences only" label, and refreshingly, this is not a warning about sex but about protracted, unrelenting and graphically described violence. Vega works in the occult element coyly, giving readers and Sofia only glimpses of what may or may not be supernatural evil-but there's plenty of lovingly described, human-inflicted evil to keep strong-stomached readers occupied.It'll take a sturdy reader not to keep flinching-or put this exercise in sensation down altogether. (Horror. 16-18)

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June 1, 2014

Gr 10 Up-Sofia just moved to a new town. With a mom who works for the military, this is nothing new. What sets this particular move apart is when three of the prettiest, most popular girls in her new high school befriend her. While Sofia may not share the ultra-Christian values of her new comrades Riley, Alexis, and Grace, it doesn't prevent her from forming a strong bond with them shortly after meeting. The trio confide in her about Brooklyn, the punkish, rebellious girl whom they fear may be possessed by the devil. When Riley takes the drastic step of kidnapping Brooklyn to exorcise the demon she fears is inside of her, Sofia first fights for what she believes to be right before being pushed into a battle for her very survival. This pulse-pounding, debut novel creates a wickedly creepy atmosphere where mean girls quickly turn homicidal. Readers may wince in pain as Riley cuts the sins out of her victims with a butcher knife, proving this story is not for the faint of heart. Still, it's a perfect book to give to older teens in need of satiating their potentially voracious horror appetites.-Ryan P. Donovan, Southborough Public Library, MA

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2014
Grades 8-11 It's hard to know who your friends are when you're the new girl. For Sophia Flores, Adams High is one more in a long line of schoolsher mother is an Army nurse. On her first day, Sophia quickly makes friends with Brooklyn and Riley, even though they are both from different factions. Pushed and pulled by Brooklyn's craving for tattoos, danger, and excitement and Riley's religious seduction topped with southern sweetness, Sophia finds it difficult to make her own decisions. When Riley decides that Brooklyn requires an exorcism, Sophia finds herself trapped. Horrible truths are revealed one by one, and when things go dreadfully wrong, she is forced to make decisions to save not only the girls' lives but also her own. Page-to-page Stephen Kingstyle terror builds, asking the question, How much evil is inside every one of us? Readers will gasp out loud more than a few times, so beware.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)