Charlie, Presumed Dead

April 20, 2015
Charlie Price’s double lives collide after the debris of his parents’ Cessna is discovered off the coast of the North Sea, and the police surmise that he was killed in the wreck. At a memorial service in Paris, Charlie’s girlfriend of three years, Lena, meets his long-distance fling, Aubrey, who knew a calculatedly different version of the 20-year-old. Eager to discover what else Charlie was hiding and unable to shake the feeling that he could be alive, Lena persuades her new frenemy to embark on a globe-trotting journey following the clues before them. Ricocheting between Lena and Aubrey’s first-person narratives, Heltzel (Circle Nine) initially relies too heavily on frequent reminders that spoiled, rich Lena and seemingly sheltered Aubrey have their own devious secrets, in addition to the lies behind Charlie’s personas. But as the layers of each character’s duplicity are carefully revealed, the unearthing of blackmail, revenge, red herrings, and more makes for a thrilling and immersive tale of manipulation as wily as Charlie himself. Ages 14–up. Agent: Stephen Barbara, InkWell Management.

May 1, 2015

Gr 9 Up-Presumed dead in an explosion, Charlie Price is being mourned at his funeral in Paris, which is attended by friends and family. Charlie's death is a tragedy-he was young, charming, and full of life. A world traveler, he was also something of a playboy; both Audrey and Lena loved Charlie and thought that they were the only women in his life. When they meet at the funeral, it sets them off on a whirlwind journey around the globe, where they must confront the questions that come up time and time again: did they really know Charlie? Did anyone? And is Charlie, presumed dead, actually gone for good? Travel descriptions and fast-paced writing sprinkled with intrigue and horror spin this story forward at an enjoyable pace. Teen suspense fans will be satisfied with the Gone Girl-esque feeling of the work. The first in a series, the ending may leave some tearing at their hair, but the promise of more books will keep many readers salivating. VERDICT Recommended as a primary purchase.-Clair Segal, LREI, New York City

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2015
When Charlie inexplicably takes his family's plane out for a joy ride and leaves behind only debris, everyone presumes he is dead-except for his girlfriends (yes, both of them). When 18-year-old American Aubrey arrives in Paris to attend Charlie's funeral, she soon discovers that the dark, enigmatic Oxford student had another American girlfriend, 19-year-old Lena. While jealousy could have made them enemies, instead they forge an instant, though tenuous, pact to search for Charlie, who they believe has faked his death for unknown reasons. As they span the globe (and party hard), collecting clues in exotic locales and from a variety of sources (including questionable friends and a transgender "ladyboy"), they discover only more of Charlie's secrets. With the narration told from both Aubrey's and Lena's perspectives, readers learn the young women's mounting secrets as well. Reminiscent of Gone Girl with its elaborate twists and turns, the story leaves everyone culpable in Charlie's disappearance-and possibly capable of murder. Trust becomes an issue, even for readers. A taut beginning eventually becomes an ending that wanes until shocking events jolt readers once again and leave room for a sequel. An edgy thriller that keeps the guesses coming until the last word. (Thriller. 14 & up)

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July 1, 2015
Following a plane crash, Aubrey discovers her twenty-year-old jet-setting beau, Charlie, is also being mourned by Lena, his other girlfriend. Lena and Aubrey embark on a globe-spanning journey to discover the truth, and, as the mysteries of Charlie's deception unfold, so do the girls' own secrets. Heltzel delivers high-quality suspense and intrigue in a thriller that reads more like new adult than YA.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)