HARMLESS

"Anna, Emma, and I [Mariah] made up this little story that grew and grew and grew. . . ." The result is that their teachers and schoolmates, the police, the mayor, and the community are enraged about a purported attack on three ninth-graders. The teenagers lied about warding off a rapist in a park to cover their presence at a seniors' beer-soaked party. The three narrators create strikingly distinct characters who strive to pursue normal lives amid the excruciating tension of an escalating police investigation. Their lie generates fame, dates, and popularity for two of the girls as the other sinks into depression. A closing author interview discusses difficult issues like lying, rape, and assault in teen fiction. D.P.D. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine [Published: AUG/ SEP 07]