Girl in a Bad Place

by Kaitlin Ward

Overview

Mailee and Cara take care of each other. Mailee is the star of the high school plays; Cara is the stage manager. Mailee can't keep her life together; Cara has enough organizational skills for the both of them.

So when the girls are invited to visit the Haven, a commune in the mountains near their suburban Montana homes, it seems like an adventure. Until Cara starts spending every waking minute there... and Mailee thinks it's creepy, almost like a cult. When Cara decides she's going to move to the Haven permanently, Mailee knows it's a bad idea. But how far will she go to save her best friend... from herself?

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338281934
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	06/26/2018
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	164,706
Product dimensions:	5.25(w) x 8.00(h) x (d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Kaitlin Ward grew up on a dairy farm in a tiny New Hampshire town, the same town where she lives now with her husband and son. She studied animal science at Cornell University and cofounded the well-known blog YA Highway. She is also the author of Girl in a Bad Place and Bleeding Earth. Find her on Twitter at @Kaitlin_Ward.

Editorial Reviews

"Pulse-pounding." -- Jennifer Mathieu, author of The Truth About Alice

"Eerie and gripping, Girl in a Bad Place will grab you and not let go until the last page." -- Kara Thomas, author of Little Monsters and The Darkest Corners

"Intense doesn't even begin to describe this propulsive read." -- Kieran Scott, author of What Waits in the Woods

"Intense, suspenseful, and highly original examination of female friendship, self-discovery and survival. I was rooting for Mailee and Cara from the first page to the last. Girl in a Bad Place is a book that's impossible to put down and Kaitlin Ward is an author to watch. " -- Courtney Summers, author All the Rage and Cracked Up to Be

"A good place for young fans of Lois Duncan and Christopher Pike."-- Kirkus Reviews

"Tackles important issues of manipulation and safety with a fast-paced story that could be ripped from the headlines. … Will keep readers turning pages until the end." -- School Library Journal

From the Publisher

Unequivocally for fans of April Henry, Ward’s second book is a slow build to a nightmarish series of events that happens fast and finishes strong. Mailee is protective of her best friend forever, Cara, who suffered the loss of her younger sister several years ago. Now that they are entering their senior year in a small Montana town, Cara is questioning her purpose, especially after a chance encounter with a young girl and her mother at the local mall. Cara and Mailee visit Haven, a remote commune to which Cara is instantly drawn. Mailee is skeptical, though, especially when Cara begins skipping classes and arguing more, and her research on their leader uncovers some dark truths. The plot is upfront, without any major twists, which makes it perfect for a reluctant reader. There is no hidden agenda: Cara is in trouble, and Mailee needs to find a way to help. The resolution is as expected, leaving readers satisfied. With rich character development, as well as the realism of Mailee and Cara’s friendship issues, boyfriend doubts, and school obligations, Ward’s book is tangible and comforting. The easy writing style and short chapters push the pace from summer to fall and intensify Mailee’s plight to save Cara. Consider purchasing this lightly suspenseful tale as a straightforward mystery. Reviewer: Alicia Abdul; Ages 12 to 18.

VOYA, December 2017 (Vol. 40, No. 5) - Alicia Abdul

10/01/2017
Gr 8 Up—This novel tackles important issues of manipulation and safety with a fast-paced story that could be ripped from the headlines. Cara has been organizing Mailee's life since middle school, when she created their Book of Life Goals. Now it's the summer before senior year, and Mailee isn't sure why things are changing. When Mailee and Cara get an unexpected invitation to visit The Haven, a commune in the mountains, Cara is determined to go. The road up the mountain is treacherous, and Mailee wonders if this was such a good idea. When they finally arrive, the leader of the group, Firehorse, comes out to welcome them, except Mailee doesn't feel welcome at all. Firehorse lets Mailee know he doesn't appreciate her aura of skepticism. Cara enjoys being in nature, listening to Firehorse, and the company of the "Colonists" who live at the Haven. She gets more involved with the commune and pulls away from her old friends and interests. When Cara invites Mailee to her initiation ceremony to join the group, Mailee has to decide how far she is willing to go to support a friend. A too-tidy ending strains credulity, but this plot will keep readers turning pages until the end. VERDICT An additional purchase for libraries with a demand for realistic fiction.—Carly Wiggins Searcy, McNeese State University, LA

School Library Journal

2017-08-27
Best friends Mailee and Cara's bond is tested when Cara becomes enthralled with a charismatic cult leader the summer before their senior year. Disorganized Mailee has always depended on Cara's focus to make their future dreams of working in show business come true. So she's stunned when Cara decides to turn her life over to Firehorse, the alluring leader of the Haven, a small commune in the wilderness near their Montana home. Cara's been in mourning since her younger sister, Harper, died in a car accident and is initially attracted to Haven after a chance meeting with Avalon, a little girl who lives there. But Mailee is troubled by the commune's lack of basic resources and the small concrete prison she discovers on its outskirts. When Cara invites Mailee to a Haven "harvest celebration" that will culminate in her initiation into the commune, Mailee tries to free her friend—an attempt that nearly ends in tragedy. Though the plot is predictable and the climax preposterous, Mailee's extensive research into the veracity of Firehorse's anti-government rants is a well-timed nod to current "fake news" controversies. Mailee and Cara are white, Mailee's boyfriend, Gavin, is an enrolled member of the Blackfeet tribe, and secondary character Brigit is black. Title aside, a good place for young fans of Lois Duncan and Christopher Pike. (Fiction. 12-15)

Kirkus Reviews