4.5 stars

2017 Liv thoroughly enjoyed Little Monsters, so I went into this novel with high hopes. Not to be outdone, The Cheerleaders was a captivating, intense thriller that hooked me instantly.

Thomas has the unique ability to craft uncanny stories, and I’m here for it. This particular story is told five years after the sudden deaths of five cheerleaders in a small town, narrated by the younger sister of the only girl to die by suicide. It explores adultery, drug and alcohol use by minors, survivors guilt, abortion, and more, without these topics overshadowing the mystery.

Now let’s talk about the mystery itself, because it was freaking brilliant. Of the five girls, Bethany and Colleen died in a car crash with no evident cause, Juliana and Susan were murdered at one’s house, and Jen is rumored to have killed herself. Monica begins digging into the details of her sister’s death as the anniversary draws closer, still refusing to believe her happy, beloved sister took her own life. From there she discovers a stalker and an article that implies things aren’t what they seem, and tries to connect the dots between the deaths. It’s horribly fascinating and I didn’t want to stop reading. As the story progressed, I suspected almost every character for at least a short period of time, and the true culprit was someone I didn’t even imagine was suspicious. It’s at this point that I applaud an author for writing such a mind-boggling mystery, so, props to Thomas.

In relation to my last point, the final approximately fifty pages were an absolute thrill. I decided to read a few chapters while eating breakfast, before I took a break to unpack some boxes I might’ve been procrastinating. That was a mistake, as I ended up sitting for an additional half hour, desperate to discover the culprit and see how the novel concluded — but it was a mistake I’d happily make again, because I wasn’t disappointed.

One element I’ve read in a handful of other novels and tend to appreciate is flashback chapters from other characters’ perspectives. In this case, every so often there’s a chapter set five years prior, just before and right around the time of the murders, narrated by Jen. Thomas handled this balance very well, in my opinion, and though Jen’s chapters weren’t frequent, I feel they added another layer to the story. The switch between Jen in the past and Monica in the present always felt natural, and the former’s usually ended in a way that only increased my curiosity.

Something this novel has in common with Little Monsters is the emphasis on familial relationships. Though Jen’s death made it difficult to understand the true nature of her and Monica’s relationship, I appreciated the presence of the rest of the family. Monica’s mother, stepfather, and younger half-brother played roles of various sizes, but consistent importance. Nine times out of ten, I like familial presence in YA stories because even now it feels rare — this was no exception.

You might be wondering why, after six paragraphs of singing this novel’s praises, I didn’t give it a full five stars. The sole reason for that is our protagonist, Monica; she wasn’t a truly dynamic character. Although her recovery from the events of the summer as the fall semester of school begins did flesh her out somewhat, I don’t believe there were any details to finish the job. She went to school and to dance practice. She made an unexpected friend in the midst of brewing trouble with her two close friends. She did some online investigating and a considerable amount of talking to various characters about various details of the case. But who is Monica? I wanted to know more about her. I wanted to see her grow as the story went on. Instead, if I’m being honest, she felt stagnant; the story developed, but she didn’t. In this aspect alone, the novel was a bit of a letdown.

All in all, despite my issues with character development, The Cheerleaders was an intensely enjoyable, wildly surprising novel. I definitely plan to read Thomas’ debut while waiting for her next release.

CW: suicide, murder, death, statutory rape, sexual assault, substance abuse, abortion