Stranger Danger (Underlined) by Maren Stoffels
Published by Underlined on May 2, 2023
ISBN: 0593647440
Genres: Psychological thriller, Suspense
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

In order to prepare for high school exams with zero distractions, Nova and her boyfriend, Vin, rent a farmhouse in another state for a week. Lotus, Nova’s best friend, is invited and is nervous about Nova’s “no phones, no internet” rule.  She goes anyway, as she has trouble saying no to Nova, and is immediately aware that they are not alone.

What starts out as a taut, tense thriller quickly dissolves into a slurry of morally reprehensible people (teens and adults), who only feel guilt about their actions when they realize they’ve been caught. It becomes a blizzard of finger pointing and crying with no acceptable resolution. Stranger Danger feels as though it comes from a different time,  from sexual acts almost always being described as ”kissing” no matter what they are (even having an affair with an adult teacher), to mixed messages about eating disorders.  Not recommended.

Reviewed by Sarah Maciejewski, Patten Free Library, Bath