Grade 9 Up-In this second volume in the trilogy, 17-year-old Kirsten Sawyer, a spoiled rich kid, parties in New York City while attempting to recover from the death of one of her best friends. Samantha Byrne was murdered by Paul Stone, a boy whom Kirsten dated briefly and whom she believes has returned to the city to kill her. Her fear leads her deeper into a life of excessive drinking and club drugs. Her suspicions are confirmed when Paul confronts her on vacation to declare his innocence and ask for her help finding the real killer. The book is reminiscent of Cecily von Ziegesar's "Gossip Girl" series (Little, Brown), only with a darker twist. The shallow and unlikable characters, coupled with the lack of suspense, make this disappointing for a book marketed as a thriller.
