Pretty Dead Queens

Gr 9 Up–After the death of her mother, 17-year-old Cecelia Ellis moves to rural Seaview to live with her estranged grandmother, who is a local celebrity for writing murder mysteries. While coming to terms with her grief, Cecelia learns that her grandmother’s first book was based on true events: 30 years ago, the homecoming queen was drowned in a pool during the big game. History repeats itself when one of her friends ends up dead in the exact same manner as the original murder. Rumors fly, friendships are tested, and Cecelia throws herself into the investigation, determined to find out the truth about what happened to her friend, and to find out what really happened 30 years ago. The cast is diverse, representing a number of ethnicities and sexual orientations. Teens who have experienced grief will relate to Cecelia, who spends much of the book learning about her mother through the town she grew up in and processing the feelings that come with the death of a parent. Donne creates realistic dialogue and characters that are fully realized with complex histories. There is an underlying romance where two teenagers have sex, but it is written thoughtfully, and nothing is explicit.