Edgar Award worthy.

Sixteen-year-old Lucy Clark has all but been abandoned by her globe-trotting self-help guru parents. First her nana raised her and when she passed away four years ago, Lucy was sent to boarding school at Thornton Academy in Austin, Texas, where she was bullied non-stop by so-called Thing One and Thing Two. Unfortunately, her retaliation, dubbed the capital I-Incident, against one of the Things went a bit too far and she was suspended.

To finish out the semester, the head mistress arranged for Lucy to assist an elderly eccentric millionaire with dementia, Edith Fox, in New York. Lucy will live with her cousin, Nanette, in Edith’s Greenwich Village building under strict supervision and guidelines set by her parents, among them doing mounds of homework and eating nothing frivolous or sugary. Her diet should consist mostly energy shakes sold by her parents’ company.

Upon her arrival in the Village, Nanette who was to meet Lucy at 4 PM, is nowhere to be seen. While waiting on the front stoop, Edith walks by, introduces herself, hands Lucy, who only has a learner’s permit, the keys to her car and tells her to drive. According to Edith, there was a man in a hooded jacket following her. Edith explains that someone is trying to kill her. At first, Lucy believes Edith does have dementia but after listening to Edith and her friend Mimsy, she is beginning to think Edith is telling the truth. Subsequent events confirm that, indeed, someone is trying to do away with Edith and no one is believing her.

Lucy, who feels like her life has been one gigantic screwup and who has not gotten over the death of her nana, believes she must be the one to uncover the would-be killer. She needs this for her self-worth.

There is so much about this book that I like, beginning with the cast of characters. Edith, Mimsy, Lucy and her friend, Dyna are just so loveable. Because Edith and Mimsy are horticulturalists, there is a lot about gardens and plants…especially poisonous ones. But you also learn how plants enhance one’s life and how persistent they are. The plot of the book is actually believable, which can be rare in a mystery. The tension builds until it reaches a satisfying conclusion.
One review said “Colorful characters, humorous situations, twists, red herrings, poison, family secrets—it’s all there.” Another said “A beguiling, cozy mystery worth sinking into.”
In addition to being a great mystery, Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize is also about family, grief and self-esteem, told in wonderful prose.

All in all, Lucy Clark Will Not Apologize is just a totally enjoyable book. It is perfect for fans of Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious series. If your teen likes this, steer her to Truly Devious or vice versa. ( )

Part coming of age, part teen detective, part how friendship endures, while containing lots of deceit and betrayal sums up this YA story. Lucy Clark was raised by her grandmother because her parents were far too self-absorbed and into fleecing the world with new age guru baloney. After Gram died, they stuck her in an incredibly toxic private school, one guaranteed to eat her soul piece by piece.
When her one act of rebellion costs her bestie, when Dyna's dad pulls her out of school, it seems like the world couldn't get any worse. When she's suddenly suspended and packed off to be a companion to an elderly woman in NYC who's supposedly suffering from dementia, it seems like the fates have decided to kick her to the curb. Instead, Lucy finds herself entering an adventurous new world that is at times, scary, but more often exhilarating and capable of life changing power. Read the book to find out how. It's a terrific story and deserving of a place in any library caring about providing good thoughtful fiction to teen readers. ( )