"DON'T SAY I DIDN'T WARN YOU
It is so easy to ruin someone's life. To take away everything that matters to them. Their friends. Their family. Their reputation. Even their future.
All it takes is fourteen days. A few strokes of the keyboard. A storm of whispers. And just like that, it all crumbles.
Trust me. I know.
Because it happened to me. And if you're not careful, it could happen to you too."
The first page of Jennifer Graham's The Fall of Iris Henley (due to drop February '26) has to be one of the best crafted chiller introductions ever. It's simple, direct, personal, and highly effective. I can't imagine reading those paragraphs and putting the book down. And the rest of the book lives up nicely to its promise.
"It's one of those nights I used to love. One of those nights with a packed stadium, where the football arcs like a rocket against the sky and the lights feel like a halo around all of us. Where everyone glows a little, even the kids, even the teachers and parents, all their faces painted green and gold.
Everyone glows a little. But we glow brightest of all."
The we Iris is alluding to is her cheer squad. This sport is a major part of her life and identity. She works diligently on perfecting her skills at summer cheer camp as well as during the school year. She's tight with her teammates, especially her besties, Hayden and Sophie. She loves performing at the games.
Iris hasn't had things easy. The previous spring her football player boyfriend, Rocky, was found dead in a run down cabin. He and a girl, Lynette, who he was cheating with died by gun shot wounds. Rocky was found holding the gun. Their deaths were considered a murder-suicide.
Now it's October. The football season is underway. Homecoming is on the horizon and life is just starting to feel normal when Iris, attending a party with her friends, sees a post claiming that she shot Rocky and Lynette as revenge for infidelity.
Hayden and Sophie tell Iris not to take it to seriously. They think it's just a troll. She's just supposed to pretend nothing is going on and ignore the comments.
But there's an awful lot of them, many quite nasty. And soon there are in person and phone aggressions. School becomes hostile territory. Her locker is vandalized. And the police who originally called the deaths a murder/suicide are following Iris around, hinting that they might reopen the investigation.
Iris wonders when/if she'll get her life back.
As a roller coaster ride of a chiller with twists galore and a very relatable narrator, The Fall of Iris Henley is a most excellent read for mystery loving teens and adults. But, dealing with a form of bullying all too many teens are victimized by and all too many adults ignore, it's so much more. I consider it a most worthwhile acquisition for public, high school, and college libraries.
On a purrrsonal note, I'm looking forward to a three day weekend because I'm tired. I'm looking forward to spending most of it working on my sequel manuscript. I'm also looking forward to Valentines Day. I have a gift card to Eugene's favorite store, a homemade Valentines card, and lots of chocolates for Eugene. I'm going to lay them out after he goes to bed tonight so he'll see them first thing in the morning. Remember Valentines Day isn't just about romance. It can be about celebrating 🍾 family, friends, and that best little cat, dog, rabbit, iguana or other companion animal in the world. I'm gonna surprise precious Tobago with a Fancy Feast entree. And you don't need to splurge on expensive stuff like jewelry. My favorite Valentines Day card from Eugene in nearly 37 years of marriage was one he made when we were starting out on a very tight budget.
A great big shout out goes out to Eugene, my one and only.
Jules Hathaway
Sent from my U.S.Cellular© Smartphone
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