Dead Girls Society by Michelle Krys (review)

Hope is tired of being held hostage to her cystic fibrosis, so when she receives a mysterious email inviting her to participate in “a game of thrills and dares,” she decides to take a chance. Sneaking out late at night, she finds herself in an odd assembly—Nikki, Hartley, Lyla, Farrah, and Hope herself, identified in their roles as the Smart Girl, the Bad Girl, the Sporty Girl, the Rich Girl, and the Sick Girl. The various dares the girls receive come with both cash incentives and ominous threats to reveal secrets, so that saying no is not an option, even as the danger escalates with each test. When Hope cheats on a particularly dangerous one, though, the stakes are raised even higher as her mother’s car explodes and she receives a text that alerts her to the fact that it was no accident. Both the mystery and the action make this a compulsive read even through some fairly unbelievable stunts, which are even less believable when the perpetrator is revealed. Nevertheless, the perp’s motives ultimately make a twisted sense, and the clues to each participant’s involvement have been dropped in all along, making for a satisfying cinematic climax. The story takes readers on a tour through New Orleans, and Hope is ordinary enough for readers without health challenges to empathize with her chafing against her limitations. This is a solid mystery turned psychological crime drama for fans of the genre.