“Like The Breakfast Club set during a New England summer...One Stupid Thing captures the nuances of power and self-doubt that shape the lives of today’s text-obsessed youth." ―Foreword Reviews
It was just one stupid thing that happened…
Summer on Nantucket island. Three high school friends drinking warm beer on a rooftop. Everything is cool, until a seemingly innocent game takes a sinister turn, and the course of their lives is changed forever.
For a year, they keep it a secret, until the following summer when they meet a mysterious girl with her own dark past who may have the answers they are looking for.
A story about friendship, mistakes, and the quest for redemption, One Stupid Thing follows Jamie, Sophia, Trevor and Violet as they contend with the consequences of their choices, navigate the drama in their individual lives and try to uncover what really happened on that fateful night.
For fans of ONE OF US IS LYING and WE WERE LIARS. One summer on Nantucket Island, an innocent game goes horribly wrong. Four teens are now holding onto a deadly secret: the tragic accident may have been murder. Edgy and atmospheric, ONE STUPID THING by Stewart Lewis (Keylight Books, 3/16/21) takes a deep look into themes of friendship and the quest for redemption.
As an educator who has students come to me constantly wanting "murder mysteries" but not quite ready for significant murder mysteries, I found this story to be the perfect first step into the murder mystery genre. Trevor, Sophia, and Jamie typically spent their summers on Nantucket Island. One summer they played a stupid game resulting in a crash, and what seemed to be the worst, the death of a man. As the story progresses, their friendship dissipates (as friendships generally do when there are major traumatic events). The following summer the story picks up and Jamie meets a girl named Violet, turning out to be a connection to the man who died, making Violet's intentions that of which she was hoping would result in answers. As this summer picks up, Trevor, Sophia, and Jamie all reconnect...in one way or another.
I fully believe that students are going to be able to relate to Trevor, Jamie, Sophia and Violet more than they will in terms of the secret they are keeping - which is great as an educator. I want students to see themselves in stories, even their biggest struggles. Each chapter is laid out from the perspective of each character - the author does a fantastic job of portraying each character's perspective with a real, raw quality. The setting was described in a way that students will be able to follow and discuss without feeling overwhelmed with the multiple story lines. No matter which character is telling the story, it draws you in, and before you know it you're almost finished with the story.
No comments
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.