Description
Description
Two siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller from the acclaimed author of Their Vicious Games. When Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him return for good. Until his sister Kyla's best friend, Erin, is murdered. Mikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than returning: stay. As Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he's pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town's rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.
About the Author
About the Author
Joelle Wellington grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her childhood was spent wandering the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Her love of the written word led her to a BA in creative writing and international studies. When she isn't writing, she's reading and when she's not doing that, she's attempting to bake bread with varying degrees of success or strengthening her encyclopedia-like pop culture knowledge. She's the author of Their Vicious Games, The Blonde Dies First, and Girls Who Play Dead.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"With a mystery full of twists and turns, steeped in small-town secrets and the brutal politics of high school, Girls Who Play Dead is impossible to put down. The way complex characters grapple with grief, mental health, and fraught parental relationships is visceral, the prose heartfelt, and Wellington pulls it off flawlessly."
--Jamison Shea, author of Roar of the Lamb "Hell is a teenage girl, and now she's dead. GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD picks at the masks worn by residents in a town run by beauty, unraveling an intricate scheme of unapologetically complicated girls, ride-or-die siblings, suffocating social webs, and the dangerous pressure of keeping up an image."--Wen-Yi Lee, author of The Dark We Know "Penetrating interrogations of grief, mental health, and the role one's outward image plays in public perception elevate the overarching narrative, which Wellington presents with refreshing matter-of-factness across a sharp omniscient POV."--Publishers Weekly "8/18/2025" "Wellington is a remarkable voice in YA horror, and she pulls no punches with GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD. Addictively unnerving, Wellington's writing deftly burrows right into the cracks of this small town's foundation, revealing the gruesome truth at its core." --Ryan La Sala, best-selling author of The Dead of Summer "A well-written, nuanced thriller...[An] excellent blend of cruel high school drama, family loyalty, small-town politics, and intrigue ensures that readers will not put this book down...A must have for teen collections."--School Library Journal "10/10/2025" "Evoking Twin Peaks, Wellington's latest delicately peels back the shiny facade of an all-American suburb to examine the darkness within...A compelling work that captures the seedy underbelly of small-town politics and the intense bonds of girlhood."--Kirkus Reviews "10/15/25"
--Jamison Shea, author of Roar of the Lamb "Hell is a teenage girl, and now she's dead. GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD picks at the masks worn by residents in a town run by beauty, unraveling an intricate scheme of unapologetically complicated girls, ride-or-die siblings, suffocating social webs, and the dangerous pressure of keeping up an image."--Wen-Yi Lee, author of The Dark We Know "Penetrating interrogations of grief, mental health, and the role one's outward image plays in public perception elevate the overarching narrative, which Wellington presents with refreshing matter-of-factness across a sharp omniscient POV."--Publishers Weekly "8/18/2025" "Wellington is a remarkable voice in YA horror, and she pulls no punches with GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD. Addictively unnerving, Wellington's writing deftly burrows right into the cracks of this small town's foundation, revealing the gruesome truth at its core." --Ryan La Sala, best-selling author of The Dead of Summer "A well-written, nuanced thriller...[An] excellent blend of cruel high school drama, family loyalty, small-town politics, and intrigue ensures that readers will not put this book down...A must have for teen collections."--School Library Journal "10/10/2025" "Evoking Twin Peaks, Wellington's latest delicately peels back the shiny facade of an all-American suburb to examine the darkness within...A compelling work that captures the seedy underbelly of small-town politics and the intense bonds of girlhood."--Kirkus Reviews "10/15/25"
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Pub date:
2025-11-04
Length:
416 pages
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