Shine by Lauren Myracle

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Shine
by Lauren Myracle
(Audio)

I first became aware of this book during the controversy over the National Book Awards. It was accidentally nominated, taken off the list, put back on, and then the author was asked to withdraw. But the book would have been well worth reading without the attention that called to it.

Cat is a sixteen-year-old girl who is somewhat removed from the friends and even some family members with whom she was once close. The book opens just after her former friend, Patrick, was bashed at a gas station where he worked. The whole book is her trying to figure out who might have done it and why. Patrick happens to be gay, and it's not known if that factored into it or not (though you gotta feel right from the start that it did). She begins by trying to get a clear picture of what went on the night he was bashed, and diving deep into it not only kicks up some old ghosts in her past she's been trying to avoid but also results in death threats heading her way. She gets help from unexpected sources along the way, and the ending is quite shocking.

It's set in a small town full of both intolerant and also surprisingly supportive citizens. The police are useless, though, so the mystery is definitely up to Cat to solve. I don't usually go for this sort of small town Appalachia-type culture, but it absolutely made for a wonderful setting and backdrop and feel for this novel.

I adored this book. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. There were lots of little (seemingly sub-) plots and lots of themes, layers, and things to think about. It was dark and terrible much of the time, but also full of wonderful moments that, even months after I earread it, I sometimes think about. I highly recommend it.