Girl Overboard

Gr 9 Up–In this thriller, high school sophomore Izzy is reluctantly spending spring break on a cruise with her parents and toddler brother. She meets Jade, who is onboard with the aunt and uncle she lives with while her mom is in court-ordered rehab. Jade is exciting but more reckless than Izzy, swiping strangers’ minibar alcohol and offering her fellow teens drugs. Jade has mysterious dealings with ship casino worker Diego, and is somewhat seeing teenage passenger Bryce, while Izzy pines for her boyfriend at home. But when Jade goes missing, it’s only Izzy who seems to notice—or care. Everyone speculates she died by suicide, but Izzy is convinced there’s more to it. When Izzy starts asking questions, threatening notes and a possible poisoning confirm her suspicions. The intensity of teenage friendship is on full display, with Izzy willing to literally go down with the ship to find out what happened to a girl she just met. She also gains new perspective on her supportive parents when she considers Jade, who feels alone between guardians who don’t want her and a mom who isn’t able to care for her. This YA debut is a quick page turner with a lot of action to keep readers engaged, and the end ties up neatly. Izzy and Jade are both white.