When loner Faith Flores finds her mother dead of an apparent overdose, she refuses to believe that's the case. Sure, her mom made some bad decisions, but leaving her daughter would never be one of them. Unfortunately, the cops are all too eager to close the case and move on, sending a distraught and unsatisfied Faith to live with her Aunt T in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
But a note from Melinda, her mom's junkie friend, prompts Faith to begin digging, igniting her passion in science and her need for answers. Faith soon discovers Melinda and her mother had participated in an experimental clinical trial to treat heroin addiction. Then Melinda also turns up dead from an apparent overdose.
Now Faith is pulling out all the stops in her search for truth, cutting school, lying to her aunt, her best friend, even the police. The only person she can't lie to is new boy Jesse, whose brutal honesty is a welcome respite from the mountain of misinformation uncovered by her investigation.
Faith's investigation takes her through the myriad back alleys and laboratories of Philly, all the way to one of the most powerful scientists in town. But when the medical examiner's body is found in the Schuylkill River, Faith realizes if she doesn't find who's behind the sinister science and its cover-up, she could be next.
Industry Reviews
Chodosh's debut kicks off the Faith Flores Science Mystery series, as well as the publisher's new YA imprint. In it, she introduces Faith Flores, a Philadelphia teenager reeling from the recent death of her heroin-addicted mother. Certain that her mother didn't actually die from an overdose, the 16-year-old invertigates the experimental treatment program she was on up until the end. When another member of the program dies in a similar fashion, and the people she's talking to start perishing in suspicious ways, Faith knows she's on to something. With the help of her friends, including best friend Anj and possible love interest Jesse, Faith risks all for the truth, which leaves her marked for death as well. Chodosh spins a dark and gritty tale set amid the seedy underbelly of urban Philly, and her protagonist is resourceful and grounded, despite deep-rooted tramas, insecurities, and other flaws. The science, which involves gene therapy and disease manipulation, is plausible, though the plot is straight-up conspiracy theory. Sharp characterization and deft descriptions make this a solid addition to the amateur detective shelf. Ages 12-up. (Apr.)
