Review: “The Cheerleaders”

Yo! Teenagers today are living live I couldn’t even FATHOM when I was a lowercase B. Seriously, how do they find time to infuse that much drama into their day-to-day? Are y’all OK?

Let’s go ahead and start with a CONTENT WARNING. Kara Thomas’ “The Cheerleaders” might be a young adult novel, but it deals with some seriously mature topics, including murder, suicide and abortion. The kids in this story most definitely are not alright.

At the center of Thomas’ novel is high schooler Monica, who is struggling with current emotional trauma that rips open the wound made by her sister’s apparent suicide five years earlier as well as the deaths of her sister’s four closest friends – all cheerleaders. Things only get more confusing and emotionally raw when Monica discovers the man who was blamed for the murder of two of the cheerleaders might have been innocent and that she might be in danger if the real killer finds out she knows the truth.

Confused? Yeah, I know. It’s a lot to grasp for a teen thriller, but it’s not as convoluted as I’m likely making it sound.

The story is told mostly from Monica’s perspective, with occasional flashbacks to her sister, Jenn’s, point of view. Surprisingly, I dig this approach because it helps piece the mysterious puzzle together and shows how similar yet vastly different Monica and Jean are.

One thing I wasn’t so keen on was the predictability of the progression of the story. I know, I know. I’m one of those people who’s always trying to figure out the plot twist before the big reveal. But I know I’m not the only one who saw the ending coming fore I hit the halfway point of the novel.

All in all, “The Cheerleaders” is a decent, fun read … especially if you’re looking for a distraction everyday life.

3 out of 5 stars