Six Months Later by N. Richards
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.20361/G20W3RAbstract
Richards, Natalie D. Six Months Later. Naperville, Ill: Sourcebooks Fire, 2013. Print.
Sixteen-year-old Chloe goes to sleep in study group one May and wakes up six months later with everything she could have wanted: unbelievable SAT scores, popularity, and the boyfriend of her dreams. What she doesn't have is any memory about how she got there. As her memories return, the answers only become more clouded and more chilling. Set in current day southern USA, this story explores the ethics of consent and foreshadows the outcomes of living in a medicated society.
Chloe has big dreams but only a small chance of reaching them. Her circle of friends is equally minuscule, but when that circle includes Maggie, it’s all she needs. Waking up to find that she has achieved everything she could have dreamed of rings hollow when she realizes it’s also been at the expense of their friendship. And why is she strangely repulsed by her godlike boyfriend, Blake, while just a glance from bad boy Adam Reed is enough to send her spinny? Chloe struggles to determine what has happened to her while the only person she feels she can trust isn't talking to her anymore. The battle becomes more desperate when Chloe begins to believe that her fate is inextricably linked with a former classmate who has disappeared.
The story is written with an authentic voice, and realistically depicts the complicated relationships between Chloe, her parents, and her friends. Although the plot is somewhat predictable and at times leaves the reader questioning the characters’ motivations, it engages the reader through the anticipation of Chloe’s gradually-revealed memories. This psychological thriller is the debut work of author Natalie Richards and was a winner of the 2013 YALSA Teen’s Top Ten Award.
This book would likely appeal most to young adults who enjoy contemporary realistic fiction, have an interest in psychology or enjoy suspenseful novels.
Recommended: 3 out of 4 stars
Reviewer: Kelsi McGillivray
Kelsi McGillivray teaches grade 3 at an international school in Kathmandu, Nepal. She is currently working on her Masters of Education in teacher-librarianship and aspires to become the school librarian in the future. She enjoys reading, hiking, and adventures.
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