The Trespassers

Gr 10 Up–This mature and thought-provoking novel successfully combines elements of mystery, thriller, legal procedural, and teen drama, as well as sets up a meditation on accountability. Finley and her mother left Alaska after her father allegedly shot his friend and both men died. Four years later, she is back in the middle of senior year. She reconnects with former friends, including the son of the man her father killed. The friends sneak into an empty condo to party and discover they aren’t alone. Ensuing violence stirs up complications within the friend group and the community and eventually lands Finley in legal trouble. A dramatic and violent climax ties up loose ends and answers questions from the past events and the present. Alvarez doles out details of the circumstances behind both incidents slowly, keeping the tension taut. Chapters alternate between Finley’s first-person narration and a friend’s third-person account, allowing readers to know more than the characters. While the book stays focused on the action, it addresses addiction, homelessness, and their human cost with compassion that never feels preachy. The contemporary Alaskan setting is realistic and not distracting or gimmicky.