American Girl

Starred review from August 28, 2023
An autistic teen impedes a homicide investigation to protect her friends in this cunning thriller from Walker (What Remains). Seventeen-year-old Charlie Hudson is intent on leaving her small hometown of Sawyer, Pa. Already accepted to MIT, she just needs to earn enough money making sandwiches at the Triple S to afford tuition. Everyone in Sawyer despises the Triple S’s odious owner, Clay “Coop” Cooper, so few are surprised when he’s found murdered on a street near his home. Police believe Coop was killed elsewhere and then moved, however, and their suspicions seem to be confirmed by surveillance footage that shows a terrified Charlie hiding under the Triple S’s counter one night after closing. Charlie refuses to divulge what she witnessed—several people she loves have motives, and while she isn’t sure who offed Coop, she won’t risk implicating any of them. But if the culprit isn’t someone she knows, Charlie’s silence could be putting her in grave danger. The twisty tale unfolds in urgent first-person-present narration, and Charlie initially keeps as many secrets from readers as she does authorities, instilling an air of uncertainty that fosters tension and momentum. The exquisitely rendered and emotionally complex characters add depth. Nita Prose fans, take note. Agent: Dan Conaway, Writers House.

Starred review from September 15, 2023
Seventeen-year-old Charlie Hudson is a math wiz on the spectrum who is headed to MIT. She considers herself "a girl with a stupid set of rules" because she codifies her experiences into guidelines to keep herself in sync with everyone else. For example, she calms herself with the mantra ""lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions,"" which she developed while working her tail off at the Triple S sandwich shop in small and economically depressed Sawyer, Pennsylvania. When Charlie's boss, Clay Cooper, is found dead, every staff member becomes a suspect. Then, an FBI agent pursuing Clay in a much larger investigation shows up, and enlists Charlie's help. As she begins work on the case, she discovers the heartaches, helplessness, and unfulfilled dreams of those around her, especially her mother. Much like Walker's previous thriller, Don't Look for Me (2020), a mother and child relationship dominates an intense first person narrative. This one will mesmerize readers with brilliant and moving characters filling out a carefully plotted story with many twists and turns. American Girl is not just a good mystery, but a truly enlightening tale as well.

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