We Made It All Up
By (Author) Margot Harrison
Little, Brown & Company
Little, Brown Young Readers
27th September 2022
United States
Young Adult
Fiction
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Friends and friendships
Childrens / Teenage personal and social topics: Abuse
813.6
Hardback
384
Width 144mm, Height 212mm, Spine 34mm
480g
A contemporary, high-stakes thriller about how reality becomes more twisted than the fantasy novel two friends are writing when the real-life subject of their fiction turns up dead and they're the suspects, for fans of Mare of Easttown and One of Us Is Lying.
Celeste is the talk of the town when she moves to Montana from Montreal, but the only friend she makes is Vivvy, the heir to the town's name and a social pariah. Inspired by a passion-fueled school incident, they begin writing a love-story fan fic between the popular guy and the school stoner, one that gradually reveals Celeste's past. While their bond makes Celeste feel safe and alive again, Vivvy keeps prodding Celeste to turn fantasy into reality. When they finally try, one drunken night on a dark mountainside, Celeste is the one who ends up kissing golden boy Joss. And Joss ends up dead. Celeste doesn't remember the end of that night and can't be sure she didn't deliver the killing blow. Could she still be that scared of getting close to a boy Secrets are hard to keep in a small town, and even Vivvy seems to suspect her. Exploring the winding passages of the cave where Joss died, Celeste learns he had his own dark secrets, as does Vivvy. The town isn't as innocent as it appears."Harrison thoughtfully explores themes of self-harm, psychological manipulation, and sexual violence using atmospheric writing, convincing dialogue, and a clever narrative structure in this eerie tale."
--Publisher's Weekly"The unreliable characters are well drawn, and the dialogue masterfully replicates the teenage voice. A polished tale that is twisted and disturbing."
--Kirkus Reviews"This twisted, suspenseful murder mystery will hit the sweet spot for Karen McManus devotees."
--BooklistMargot Harrison is an award-winning journalist living in Vermont. She is also the author of The Killer in Me and The Glare. Find her on Instagram and Twitter at @MargotFHarrison.