Going Dark

by Melissa de la Cruz

Age range 14 to 18

In this ripped-from-the-headlines Gone Girl meets A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz weaves a white-knuckle YA thriller about a beautiful young influencer who vanishes after going on vacation with her boyfriend.

#WhereisAmeliaAshley

The Influencer
Amelia Ashley shares everything with her followers - her favorite hole-in-the-wall restaurants, her best fashion tips, and her European trip-of-a-lifetime with her hot boyfriend.

The Boyfriend
Josh has no choice but to return home without Amelia after she abandons him in Rome. He has no clue where she went or how her blood got in his suitcase. Why won't anyone believe him?

The Hacker
To Harper Delgado, Amelia Ashley is just another missing white girl whipping up a media frenzy. But with each digital knot she untangles about the influencer, Harper wonders: who is Amelia Ashley?

The Other Girl
Two years ago, another girl went missing, one who never made headlines or had a trending hashtag.

The Truth
Amelia's disappearance has captured the world's attention. What comes next? Watch this space...

Told through a mixture of social media posts, diary entries, and firsthand accounts,Going Darkis a gripping, suspenseful thriller about all the missing girls who fall off the radar, perfect for true crime fans and readers ofOne of Us is Lyingby Karen M. McManus.

'An intense rollercoaster of a thriller anda searing indictment of which victims get our attention and sympathy.' - #1 New York Times bestselling author Marie Lu

'[T]he book will draw readers in through its engaging storytelling and compelling characters they can't help but care about. The novel probes questions of the types of victims who garner public sympathy and those who are overlooked. An edge-of-your-seat thriller with a deeply satisfying ending and a message that lingers.' - Kirkus Reviews

'De la Cruz combines familiar thriller beats with a socially conscious narrative to deliver a breakneck story that outpaces its ripped-from-the-headlines influences to establish its own labyrinthine twists. This timely work gratifyingly interrogates the core question of what determines whose disappearance gets taken seriously and whose gets ignored.' - Publishers Weekly

'A mix of Gone Girl and true crime, this is a twisty plot that highlights the role race, media, and fame can play in solving a crime...This is a clever take that will please fans of the genre and de la Cruz's books.' - School Library Journal

'[T]he perfect blend of ripped-from-the-headlines drama and insightful writing.' - Forbes

'[S]et to be one of the buzziest YA thrillers of early 2023.' - Paste Magazine

'This fast-paced thriller has plenty of shocking reveals and shady characters, as we follow the story of a missing influencer who seems to embody the Missing White Woman scenario, but may have been more complex than the media is interested in portraying.' - Crimereads

• ISBN10: 1454947640
• ISBN13: 9781454947646
• Publish Date: 23 March 2023
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Sterling Publishing Co Inc
• Imprint: Sterling
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Can hashtags be used to solve a case or find a missing person? Let's find out. #WhereisAmeliaAshely is trending online, all thanks to Josh Reuter's return from vacation – sans influencer girlfriend.

While the police don't find the situation suspicious, Amelia's friends and followers disagree, kicking off a social media-fueled investigation. It's only a matter of time before their actions force detectives to take note, but where will it all lead?

My Review:

I love seeing authors branch out and try new genres, so I was immediately interested in seeing what Melissa de la Cruz would deliver in Going Dark. Overall I would have to say that it is an interesting read, one with lots of twists and unique storytelling angles.

For example, much of the story is told through multiple points of view, flashbacks, and, most interestingly – social media posts. It's basically the modern version of newspaper clippings, I suppose. Some readers will adore this format, while others might find it dry or off-putting.

Whoever first described Going Dark as having Gone Girl vibes couldn't have been more accurate. It's essentially a modern and younger retelling of Gone Girl, which is fine as long as you're aware of that going into it.

Highlights:
Multiple threads
Mystery
Gone Girl Vibes
#WhereisAmeliaAshley

Trigger Warnings:
Missing Persons

Thanks to StMartinsPress and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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