We're all about the same when you turn out the lights: VERY BAD PEOPLE.

Very Bad People by Kit Frick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Six years ago, Calliope's mom drowned in a tragic car accident. Calliope and her two younger sisters survived the crash, but they never knew exactly what caused their mother to drive into the lake, and it's haunted Calliope ever since. Now, at sixteen, she's heading to Tipton Academy, the same boarding school her mom and aunt attended. Once there, she's invited to join Haunt and Rail, an exclusive secret society at Tipton that she discovers her mom was a member of as well, too. Haunt and Rail's members, or "ghosts," are committed to social justice causes, but when they rally around exposing a faculty member, Calliope realizes that some of the members may go too far for what they believe. Calliope soon discovers a tie between Haunt and Rail and her mom's death. But the more she investigates, the more she may be in danger.

This twisty young adult thriller starts off a little slow, but quickly picks up. It's rather dark, since it involves her mother's death, and Calliope is quite devastated (understandably) by her passing. Boarding school mysteries can go either way, but this one is intriguing and also presents a diverse cast with plenty of representation, which I always appreciate. The secret society is a fun way to go, and there are plenty of surprising twists. Calliope is a great main character, and she's easy to root for. I also enjoyed that she has a romance, but it's in no way the focus of this YA story--how refreshing, right? There is an ambiguous ending, which -- ahh -- but I still really enjoyed this one. If you like your YA ominous, diverse, and twisty, you'll enjoy this one. 4 stars.

I received a copy of this book from Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing and Netgalley in return for an unbiased review.

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