Anne Cassidy, Looking for JJ and Finding Jennifer Jones, is back with a new Young Adult novel – Moth Girls.
Three friends dare each other to enter a ‘haunted’ house. While Mandy heads home, Petra and Tina break in – and are never seen again. Set five years later, the story is predominantly told from Mandy’s point of view but goes back in time to reveal what happened the night Tina and Petra disappeared.
The premise unfurls with the demolition of the old house. Mandy still struggles to come to terms with what happened that night and her role in it. Was she somehow to blame? Could she have done anything differently? And what did happen to those girls? The mystery makes for a gripping start and I found Mandy’s likability had me rooting for her and asking what I might have done in that situation. I wanted Mandy to come to terms with what happened and have her live more happily in the present.
Cassidy plays with the idea of friendship well and the pressure among friends to both conform and be complicit in one another’s lies. Is Petra’s decision to explore the house motivated by more than just a childish dare? This is sure to have you hooked and guessing until the end.
Moth Girls is a solid thriller.
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