The Outliers

Gr 9 Up—Still reeling from her mother's sudden death, Wylie—already fighting debilitating anxiety—has become even more self-isolating. When her former best friend's mother shows up desperately seeking her daughter Cassie, Wylie doesn't confess that the two have barely seen each other since Cassie turned to wild partying with boyfriend Jasper. Soon a mysterious letter arrives, followed by cryptic texts from Cassie, who is desperately requesting rescue. Wylie must convince herself that she is able to leave the house in the company of the much-reviled Jasper and head to rural Maine, all the while praying Cassie stays alive. Best-selling adult author McCreight (Reconstructing Amelia) makes her YA debut with the first of a planned trilogy about teens whose empathic abilities give them an emotional superintelligence. Narrator Phoebe Strole will raise hairs and push readers to the edge of their seats.