Don't Turn Around

Teens all around the world are dying of PEMA, a mysterious and incurable wasting disease. Noa and Peter are two teens with advanced hacking skills but radically different backgrounds. Peter is a rich kid who started /ALLIANCE/, an online group of hackers, and Noa (reminiscent of Dragon Tattoo's Lisbeth Salander) is a former foster kid who has gone off the grid, making money under an assumed identity by testing and setting up website and company security. The two teens are brought together when Peter starts poking around one of his father's business interests. This leads to a home invasion by "men in black" type goons who take his laptop and threaten him. Noa wakes up on a metal operating table with an incision in her chest, strapped to an IV, and wearing only a cloth gown. She barely escapes and goes on the run. After tapping into some money she has saved, she gets a new computer which puts her into contact with both Peter and the mysterious A6M0 who warns her when she is in danger. Realizing they are both being chased by the same people, and that it has something to do with PEMA research, they start working together to figure out what is going on and what was done to Noa and why. This fast-paced thriller will keep all readers, including adults, on the edge of their seats. This is a must-purchase title, especially for libraries looking for something besides the paranormal. Be prepared to stay up all night reading; the ending can stand alone or support a sequel. Reviewer: Suanne B. Roush

Biography:

Michelle Gagnon has been a modern dancer, a dog walker, a bartender, a freelance journalist, a personal trainer, and a model. Her bestselling thrillers for adults have been published in numerous countries and include The Tunnels, Boneyard, The Gatekeeper, and Kidnap & Ransom. This is her first novel for young adults.