A Thousand Cherry Trees — Shandy Lawson

It's been three years since James got to spend the summer with his father in Burham, California, a tiny desert town whose only claim to fame is a neighboring hippie commune called the Dropouts. Back then, James used to spend every summer hanging out with Dayle, one of the only girls in town. But Dayle's letters to him back home in Boston have dried up, and James isn't sure what to expect this summer in Burnham. But then along comes Sunny, a runaway living in the Dropouts who has a taste for trouble, and her risky pranks are a welcome bit of fun for James. But when one of their stunts goes too far and results in the death of a local boy, another dull summer in Burnham becomes a nightmare. Booklist called Shandy' Lawson's debut novel The Loop an "action-packed read...particularly good for reluctant readers," and once again he presents a mind-bending thriller that artfully plays with truth and consequences. With the eerie desert setting looming large, A Thousand Cherry Trees will keep readers guessing what really did happen until the end.