Someone Is Always Watching

February 20, 2023
In this riveting thriller by Armstrong (the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series), a shocking act of violence jars a group of teenagers into recovering hidden memories from their past. Ambitious, rule-abiding Blythe Warren, 17, and her friends Gabrielle, Tanya, and Tucker—students at a prestigious private STEM academy—have been close for as long as they can remember. But the teens are stunned when typically mild-mannered Gabrielle vehemently claims that the school’s security camera is “watching us. It’s always watching.” Blythe later finds Gabrielle disoriented and mysteriously drenched in blood near their vice principal’s dead body. The quartet are suddenly plagued by terrifying nightmares and misremembered recollections, which reveal a covert plan carried out by adults in their lives that was, it seems, meant to protect them from a traumatizing truth. Through punchy prose, Armstrong explores fascinating questions of personhood, identity, and the role of memory in creating a sense of self. While underdeveloped plotlines leave many questions unanswered, fans of mind-bending psychological thrillers will find a lot to love in this labyrinthine read. Central characters are white. Ages 12–up. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.