The action alone will keep you unable to stop reading. If you love a good YA contemporary thriller with theft and plenty of running – you have to read Dead End Girls. I loved the sense of planning, the secretive glances, and the thrilling action. I don’t even have that many notes for Dead End Girls because the entire time I was reading I was enthralled. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.) (Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher.

This pulse-pounding thriller offers a nuanced exploration of identity, freedom, and falling in love while your world falls apart. What if the poison is not in the soil, but in the roots? But there are some things you can never run away from. The girls vault into the unknown, risking everything for a new and limitless life. Except Frankie doesn’t want to rat her out. Then Frankie, a step-cousin she barely knows, figures out what she’s plotting, and the plan seems like it’s ruined.

But there’s also l’appel du vide, the call of the void, that beckons her toward a new life where she will be tied to no one, free and adrift. She’s figured out the how, the when, the where, and who will help her unsuspectingly. After years of research, Maude has decided to fake her own death. At least, that’s what she wants everyone to think. Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.

And I was absolutely surprised how much I adored this one considering my high hopes! It’s queer, secretive, and thrilling. As a huge fan of She’s Too Pretty to Burn, I knew I had to read Dead End Girls.

Dead End Girls by Wendy Heard