Publisher: Delacorte Press
Series: None
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Source: Library
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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.
When I first read the synopsis, I was totally imagining something completely different than what actually happened. That isn't a bad thing, but it was just not what I was expecting.
I don't usually go for murder/thriller type books, but I am glad that I saw this on the 'New Release' shelf at the library. It was honestly a refreshing step away from my usual foray into the Fantasy genre.
Monica is a likable enough heroine. She made a huge mistake over the summer and her reactions and feelings to that mistake felt real and raw. She is by no means perfect, especially when she finds out that the real murderer might still be walking free. Monica enlists the help of the super quiet Ginny to help her unravel what really happened in Sunnybrook. Their friendship was really sweet, especially because nobody seemed to like Ginny.
Monica's stepfather, Tom, was a real surprise. Usually in YA the stepparent characters are too often mean and terrible to their families, so it was so nice to not have that present in The Cheerleaders. Tom was a typical protective father who loved his family. He had his faults and his demons too, especially since he was one of the officers on scene to every one of the cheerleaders deaths.
The best part of the story for me was that I had absolutely no clue who the heck was the real killer. I thought I knew who it was going to be, but I was totally blown away when the real killer was revealed. It was very well done.
Thomas's writing felt so effortless that I never found myself bored while reading. In fact, I read it in basically one sitting while on a 3-hour car ride. I was that engrossed in the story.
My only complaint was how it ended. I would have liked to see the aftermath of when the real killer was caught. What happened to the police that were involved in the first arrest? How did it affect their careers? Did everyone finally get to move on? It just felt so final, like we missed something.
But other than that, I would definitely recommend this one to fans of thriller/murder mysteries because it definitely kept me guessing the entire time.
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