**A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** 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--until a teammate's disappearance throws their lives off course. "An utter page-turner. Goodman's voice is razor-sharp and keenly precise. Perfect for fans of Gillian Flynn " --Tiffany D. Jackson NYT Bestselling Author of White Smoke and Grown 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. At first, Ellie and Stella view the new star athlete 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 to share her secrets. 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.
This book was interesting. I am a long distance walker venturing into jogging and so the bits with the training for long distance running intrigued me. Add in the disappearance of Mila and this was a book that I sped through fairly quickly. After finishing it, I had a new appreciation for the detail that was put into the cover with the lilac shoes.
I must say, I did not see that end coming. I was totally thinking the Mila's death was caused by someone else. I also liked how, although Stella and Ellie were in competition with each other and had their own secrets that eventually came to light, they still had each other's backs when it counted most. I preferred that connection, more so than what the author tried to do with Mila and the sisters. That did seem a little quick how they both became such good friends with Mila. It probably would have been more believable if there had been more time between Mila's arrival and then disappearance. It was still a good book despite that and I liked the twist.
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