The Girl in the Park by Mariah Fredericks

Wendy and Rain were opposites in many ways, and now they're opposites in one more: Rain is alive, and Wendy is dead. She was killed in Central Park after leaving a party. As the media starts to tell a sensational story of a dead party girl and their high school whispers about Wendy's wild ways, Rain is determined to show everyone the Wendy that she knew. She doesn't believe that Wendy's death was an accident, and the only way to prove that is to find the real killer.

This book oozes atmosphere in a really great way. The exclusive New York prep school has an elite, claustrophobic air. Wendy exists through snatches of memories and stories; I never feel like I really get to know her, only the her that we see through the eyes of others. The mystery part of the story wasn't as strong to me (possibly because I identified the killer early on), but I was more than willing to stick with Rain as she explored suspects and motives. There are a number of neat choices that Mariah Fredericks makes, like keeping the main suspect in Wendy's death (another girl's boyfriend who Wendy had publicly gone after) 'offstage' until the last part of the novel. If readers are looking for a book filled with secrets and lies, definitely check this one out.


See more about Mariah Fredericks at her website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Random House Children's Books. 

Read it with:
Crunch Time by Mariah Fredericks
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold