From rising star Jessica Goodman, author of They Wish They Were Us,
comes a new fast-paced thriller about two sisters vying for the top spot
on their cross-country team--the only way out of their stiflingly small
town. But their dreams are suddenly thrown into peril when a new girl
threatens to take away everything they've worked for . . . until she
disappears.
Stella and Ellie Steckler are only a year apart, but their different
personalities make their relationship complicated. Stella is
single-minded, driven, and she keeps to herself. Cross-country running
is her life and she won't let anything get in the way of being the best.
Her sister Ellie is a talented runner too, but she also lets herself
have fun. She has friends. She goes to parties. She has a life off the
course.
The sisters do have one thing in common, though: the new girl, Mila
Keene. Both Stecklers' lives are upended when Mila comes to town. Mila
was the top runner on her team back home, and at first, Ellie and Stella
view her as a threat. But soon Ellie can't help but be drawn to her
warm, charming personality. After her best friend moved away and her
first boyfriend betrayed her, Ellie's been looking for a friend. In a
moment of weakness, she even shares her darkest secret with Mila. For
her part, Stella finds herself noticing the ways she and Mila are
similar. Mila is smart and strong--she's someone Stella can finally
connect with. As the two get closer, Stella becomes something she vowed
she'd never be: distracted.
With regionals approaching and college scouts taking notice, the
pressure is on. Each girl has their future on the line and they won't
let friendships get in their way. But then, suddenly, Mila goes out on a
training run and never returns. No one knows what happened, but all eyes
are on the Steckler sisters.
