What if the best day of your life turns out to be the last day of your life? And what if no one cares enough to find out what really happened, except your best friend?
Fifteen-year-old Vickie Bartolucci knows Blueberry Hill Home for Troubled Youth is where rich families quietly warehouse their troublesome kids. Raised by a working-class, single mother, Vickie is half Korean, half Italian, and one hundred percent herself. Convinced she'll never fit in, the last thing she expects to find is a friend. And, like a bodega cat, once Vickie's your friend, she's a friend for life, a friend to the end. When three teenagers disappear from Blueberry Hill and her new best friend dies under mysterious circumstances, Vickie and a reluctant band of fellow teens set out to discover what's happening before another one of them is next. The teens are all locked away at Blueberry Hill for different reasons, but they have one thing in common. There's something about them that the adults in their lives can't manage. And if their parents couldn't handle it, how can they be sure that they can? It's a motley crew, but all she's got. Vickie owes it to her friend to find out the truth, even if it means risking her own life-or worse. That's what friends do.
"A Page-Turning Mystery/Thriller with Gritty, Believable Characters and Unexpected Twists." What if the best day of your life becomes your last-and no one cares enough to uncover the truth, except your best friend? Vickie Bartolucci knows Blueberry Hill Home for Troubled Youth isn't a place of second chances-it's where rich families hide the kids they don't want to deal with. Half Korean, half Italian, and all grit, Vickie is tough as nails, raised by a working-class, single mother who taught her to fend for herself in a world that's never made space for someone like her. Fitting in isn't on Vickie's radar, and she never expects to find a friend-until she does. But when three teens vanish and her new best friend dies under suspicious circumstances, Vickie can't ignore the dark secrets lurking in the halls of Blueberry Hill. Armed with nothing but fierce loyalty and street smarts, Vickie bands together with a mismatched group of troubled teens to uncover the truth before they become the next targets. Each of these kids has something that makes them unmanageable in the eyes of adults, but together, they're more than just troubled-they're survivors. And if their parents couldn't handle them, how can they be sure they can surv