Synopses & Reviews
Two years ago, fifteen-year-old Jamie Henry breathed a sigh of relief when a judge sentenced his older sister to juvenile detention for burning down their neighbor's fancy horse barn. The whole town did. Because Crazy Cate Henry used to be a nice girl. Until she did a lot of bad things. Like drinking. And stealing. And lying. Like playing weird mind games in the woods with other children. Like making sure she always got her way. Or else. But today Cate got out. And now she's coming back for Jamie. Because more than anything, Cate Henry needs her little brother to know the truth about their past. A truth she's kept hidden for years. A truth she's not supposed to tell. Trust nothing and no one as you race toward the explosive conclusion of the gripping psychological thriller Complicit from Stephanie Kuehn, the William C. Morris Award-winning author of Charm & Strange.
Review
Praise for
Complicit "Kuehn writes with the fleetness of a trained thriller author...Her confidence is what's so invigorating: every page makes a firm, surprising choice, whether you like it or not...Explosive."
—Booklist (starred review)
“Kuehns second novel, after her Morris Award-winning
Charm & Strange, powerfully examines how mental illness can turn into family tragedy that ripples far and wide beyond a single event. The prose is as hallucinatory as the madness Jamie seeks to uncover in a novel thats tense and ambiguous from start to finish.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Vivid...smart, gripping."
—Kirkus Reviews "Alternating between past and present, Kuehn sustains the tension through first-person narration and revealing flashbacks.
Complicit ensnares readers from the first page with its surprising twists and revelations. Recommend it to fans of psychological thrillers."
—School Library Journal (starred review) “An enjoyable and cinematic suspense thriller…literarily delicious.”
—Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books review “Kuehns latest is a quick, compelling read that takes a really fresh look at topics like mental illness and adoption. Complicit is a refreshing, different take on the YA norm.”
—RT Book Review (3 stars) “Complicit combines Kuehns characteristically gorgeous prose with riveting plot twists and rich, complicated characters to create an unputdownable thriller with style and substance to spare.”
—Book Riot
“A bright, conflicted hero struggles to free himself from the past's tightening bonds in this corkscrew of a thriller.” —Huffington Post Praise for Charm & Strange “Kuehn unwinds her story like a cat toy, teasing readers. Only when all the pieces are fit into the puzzle will the mystery at its heart become clear…. A high-powered voice rich in charismatic style and emotional intensity illuminates this ambitious debut.”—Kirkus Reviews "Kuehn absolutely nails the voice and keeps us on constant edge."—Booklist "[Charm & Strange] is hands down one of THE best books I've read in some time."—Once Upon a Prologue"Twisted and twisting. Relentlessly compelling. A must-read."—Ellen Hopkins, New York Times bestselling author of Smoke, Tilt, and Crank, on Charm & Strange
Synopsis
A YALSA 2015 Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
Two years ago, fifteen-year-old Jamie Henry breathed a sigh of relief when a judge sentenced his older sister to juvenile detention for burning down their neighbor's fancy horse barn. The whole town did. Because Crazy Cate Henry used to be a nice girl. Until she did a lot of bad things. Like drinking. And stealing. And lying. Like playing weird mind games in the woods with other children. Like making sure she always got her way. Or else.
But today Cate got out. And now she's coming back for Jamie.
Because more than anything, Cate Henry needs her little brother to know the truth about their past. A truth she's kept hidden for years. A truth she's not supposed to tell.
Trust nothing and no one as you race toward the explosive conclusion of the gripping psychological thriller Complicit from Stephanie Kuehn, the William C. Morris Award--winning author of Charm & Strange.
About the Author
STEPHANIE KUEHN is the William C. Morris award-winning author of CHARM & STRANGE, and holds degrees in linguistics and sport psychology, and is currently working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology. She lives in Northern California with her husband, their three children, and a joyful abundance of pets. When shes not writing, shes running. Or reading. Or dreaming.