People Like Us

Mele, Dana. People Like Us. G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for the Young, 2018.

Kay and her fellow classmates find another classmate floating in the nearby lake. Soon after, Kay receives a mysterious message directing her to a website which lists tasks she has to complete unless she wants her secrets revealed to the world. The web of lies and deceit spirals until Kay isn't sure what is real and what is just a fantasy.

This book takes place at a boarding school and follows the typical "scholarship kid at a rich kid's school" storyline, except with a murder thrown in. I guessed at the ending way too early in this book, although I will admit that I continued to read simply to discover if I was correct. The suspense isn't that suspenseful nor the mystery that mysterious, and although I will agree that teens can be incredibly cruel to one another, this story is beyond standard suspension of disbelief. I do appreciate the queer representation in this book but wish that at least one of the queer characters would have had some redeeming qualities. Nevertheless, there are teens who would love this book, and for that reason alone it will likely be added to my library's collection.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: suicide, drug use, underage drinking, suicide and suicidal ideation, language
Overall Rating: 3/5 stars

Read-Alikes: Honestly Ben, Winger, A Separate Peace

I received a complimentary copy of this book through Netgalley for the purposes of review.