It’s a taut, compelling mystery that examines the social, physical and psychological ramifications of an act of shocking cruelty. So while the blurb of Burning Blue piqued my interest, the mention of “the notion of where beauty lies” triggered an alarm bell.ĭespite, or possibly because of, that early misgiving, Burning Blue exceeded my expectations. I need another “lesson” on the superficiality of judging someone’s appearance like I need another makeover montage in a high school rom-com. In my experience, much of the messaging around the nature of true beauty is either trite or saccharine and comes with generous helpings of condescension or overt moralising. (Oct.I’m enough of a cynic these days to greet reference to the theme of inner beauty with an eye roll.
Agent: Kirby Kim, William Morris Endeavor. As always, Griffin (Stay with Me) fills his story with fascinating, distinctive characters whose interior and exterior struggles are closely entwined.
Jay is an accomplished hacker-he’s not infallible, but he could hold his own in a Cory Doctorow novel-and tech-obsessed readers will love seeing him adapt cellphones, computers, and Web sites to his advantage. The brunt of the narrative follows Jay’s investigation, as well as his developing relationship with Nicole, while interspersed entries from Nicole’s diaries, her shrinks’ notes, and e-mails from the perpetrator add depth (yes, there are red herrings, but as Jay discovers, nearly every potential suspect has a secret). After popular and gorgeous senior Nicole Castro is sprayed in the face with acid in the halls of her New Jersey high school, 16-year-old Jay Nazarro, a closeted hacker with epilepsy, is determined to uncover who is behind the attack. The idea of finding beauty and value where most see ugliness and ruin runs through Griffin’s novels, and he brings that theme into sharp focus in this chilling, of-the-moment mystery.
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