Nobody Knows But You by Anica Mrose Rissi (review)

The end of summer camp brought tragedy to Kayla, now writing letters to her imprisoned best friend Lainie, who is on trial for the murder of her boyfriend. The letters track the details of the girls' relationship, from the fast friendship they fell into on the first day of camp, through Lainie's rocky relationship with Jackson, to that final fateful night. Interspersed between Kayla's letters are news stories and interviews with other campers, which offer a different perspective on events, but the crux of the story lies with Kayla and Lainie, whose toxic relationship began innocently enough but ended in death and betrayal. Kayla's letters certainly verge on Single White Female territory, but they also show a sensitive, insightful girl desperate for a connection, and Kayla is a sympathetic character even if her version of the truth is highly suspicious. Musings on memory and perception add thematic complexity, and Kayla's biting commentary on the role of gender and race in the trial offer more food for thought. Readers who appreciated Flynn's All Eyes on Her (BCCB 7/20) will be satisfied by the psychological tension and twists here.