Please Don't Tell

Gr 8 Up—Joy Morris truly hates Adam Gordon for what he did to her twin sister, Grace. So when Joy ditches Grace to go to Adam's birthday party and blacks out from drinking and Adam ends up dead in the quarry, Joy worries that she may have been the one to kill him. And just when Joy begins to think Adam's death may not be her fault after all, she receives a letter. Someone was at the quarry; someone saw what happened to Adam; someone has proof that Joy is a killer. If Joy doesn't expose a scandalous school secret exactly as the letter instructs, someone will report her to the police. But if she does, will this nightmare really end? Although this debut work addresses classic coming-of-age questions and touches on many important contemporary issues—mental instability, crime, physical differences—the combination is disappointing. The twins' self-reflective tendencies frequently overshadow their actions. This shortcoming is often used to reinforce a weak plot, resulting in a repetitious story line. Strong language is used throughout, and sexual situations are included.