Now Is Everything by Amy Giles (review)

When an unexplained private airplane crash leaves Mr. and Mrs. McCauley dead and their eldest daughter in a juvenile psychiatric rehabilitation center, the police scour through the seemingly perfect family's life to rule out any potential for foul play. Prior to the incident, seventeen-year-old Hadley McCauley is apparently flawlessly content with life; she's rich, she's the captain of the lacrosse team, she's the Cornell-bound class salutatorian—but things aren't always as they seem. At home, Hadley's father's obsessive need for control over his wife and daughters' lives often turns physical—a broken arm here, a burn with a fireplace poker there. Determined to protect her ten-year-old sister Lila from their dad's temper and mother's alcohol-induced indifference, Hadley wishes someone could see past her façade to save her family from the wrath of her father. Interviews and police reports from after the crash are interspersed between chapters, and they reveal just how little the people in Hadley's life knew about her troubles and invite readers closer and closer to shocking truth. The book effectively depicts the relentless fear and secrecy that overcomes young people and adults alike when faced with abusive relationships; a note with provides resources for those dealing with domestic abuse. MK