| Mystery and detective stories. |
| Conspiracies -- Fiction. |
| Survival -- Fiction. |
| Murder -- Fiction. |
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Summary
Summary
"Milan is in a race against time and terror to get to her parents' one trusted friend before she ends up dead, too... readers will be intrigued and thrilled to see how it all turns out." -- Booklist
"A page-turning cat-and-mouse survival story." --Kirkus Reviews
New York Times bestselling author April Henry delivers a thrilling murder mystery featuring a teen with an assassin on her trail fighting to uncover the truth behind a government cover up, perfect for fans of Karen McManus.
Sometimes, the only way to live is to make sure the world thinks you're dead . . .
In the aftermath of a car accident that claimed the life of her senator father, sixteen-year-old Milan finds herself adrift, expelled from her third boarding school. Milan's mother, who has assumed the senate seat, diverts her private plane to pick up her daughter. But on their way home, a bomb rips off a wing and the plane crashes in the mountains. In her final moments, Milan's mother entrusts her with a key. She reveals it will unlock the evidence that so many people have already died for--including Milan's father. The only way Milan can survive, her mom tells her, is to let everyone believe she died with the other passengers.
Milan is forced to navigate a perilous descent in freezing conditions while outwitting everything from a drone to wild animals. With relentless assassins on her trail, she must untangle the web of deceit and save herself and countless others. Will she piece together the truth in time?
Reviews: (2)
Kirkus Review
A teenager's survival skills are put to the test--along with her relationships with the people she relies on the most. First, Milan's senator father died in a tragic car accident; Milan escaped with a broken leg. Later, the private plane Milan and her mother were in went down after a bomb exploded in the cargo hold, leaving the 16-year-old stranded in the Cascade Mountains in Oregon. While her mother lay dying in the snow following the crash, she told Milan that whoever killed her father and blew up the plane would now be hunting for her, and that the only person she should trust is Brent Kirkby, Milan's godfather and the founder of the renewable power company where Milan's dad was CEO. Milan ends up being thrown into a deadly plot she never could have imagined. Alongside Milan's third-person perspective, Henry provides two additional views of the events: one from Lenny, the killer assigned to silence Milan's parents and anyone in their vicinity, and Janie, a dairy farmer who's allowed fracking on her land in exchange for the money she needs to support her family. The three plotlines blend seamlessly, with the dramatic initial setup drawing readers into this fast-paced thriller. The action-packed ending feels comparatively abrupt and may leave readers wanting more. Most characters are cued white. A page-turning cat-and-mouse survival story. (Thriller. 13-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
Senator's daughter Milan, assassin Lenny, and dairy farmer Janie don't seem like they should have anything in common. They don't know one another, but they're connected by a company called Prospect Power. Prospect is a fracking company: it pays Janie for her land before nearly destroying it, and pays Lenny to kill Milan's parents, who were investigating the damage the company was doing to the environment. When the senator's plane goes down, Milan miraculously escapes, going on a multiday survival trek through snowy, dangerous woods. Her mother told her not to trust anyone, before she herself died, and gave her daughter strict instructions to follow. Once Milan escapes the freezing mountain forest, Lenny will be looking for her to finish the job, and Milan is in a race against time and terror to get to her parents' one trusted friend before she ends up dead, too. Milan's trek through the freezing woods shows she's clever, and readers will be intrigued and thrilled to see how it all turns out.