*I received an advanced reader copy from Goodreads Giveaways

I really enjoyed the plot of this book and the multiple perspectives the story was told in. It was an interesting story and the mystery kept me guessing. ( )

Left homeless after a fire of unknown origin destroys their apartment, Saba Khan and her family’s lives are changed forever. Fellow students at Highsmith School decide to collect items for an auction to be held at school with the proceeds to be donated to Saba’s family. But when a rare and valuable painting worth hundreds of thousands of dollars gets donated to the auction, lies, secrets, jealously, deception, and greed become entwined with this otherwise altruistic act. Told through the voices of numerous narrators in personal journal entries, along with official documents, interviews, and articles, this teen novel will intrigue and keep the interest of all readers.

Sharyn H. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

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Although I loved all the Chicago references, this one was just a bit too YA for me :( ( )

Fire, fraud, and fakes are the themes in this Edgar YA winner. I always try to read the Edgar's yearly nominees, and I think the thing I liked best in this book was the twist in the tale. It's a story told in multiple first-person POVs, making it unique. You're often reading Saba Khan's journal--given to her after her family's apartment caught fire--by her school social worker. There are chapters from others in Saba's life too, friends, high school teachers, her father, and a first-love interest. But things are not what they seem. The plot thread follows a dumpster-dive found piece of art and a planned high school fund-raising auction to help Saba's family recover their losses. It has a subtle layer of the immigrant's experience in America, yet its unpredictable ending is what I think made this book a winner. ( )

A mysterious fire, a mysterious work of art, and a school fundraiser are the main events in this novel. I liked the mystery about the book. The characters were not anything special and I thought the story was a bit young for a teen audience. ( )