The Reunion

June 15, 2023
What are the Mayweathers hiding, and what are they willing to do to keep their secrets hidden while holidaying in paradise? The Mayweather family teenagers are bonded by the Incident, which happened three years ago. Sixteen-year-old Addison Acker-Mayweather is "the family diplomat," determined to keep the peace at all costs. Her twin brother, Mason, has a secret of his own that he's kept from the rest of the family. Their cousin Natalia Mayweather, also 16, is preoccupied with her online boyfriend, Seth. The cousins are reunited the day after Christmas for a weeklong extended family vacation in Canc�n to celebrate Addison and Mason's mom's engagement to Austin Hunt, who's accompanied by his 17-year-old son, Theo. As the Mayweather family gathers once again, mysteries begin to unravel. Interspersed between chapters are emails and newspaper stories from January, revealing that one of the teenagers has gone missing. Told in alternating viewpoints from Addison's, Mason's, Natalia's, and Theo's perspectives, this slow-burn thriller gradually reveals the Mayweather family's secrets, building up to a cliffhanger ending. The suspense is palpable, and while the pace drags at times, the Mayweather teens have enough interpersonal drama to keep readers hooked. Queer representation is a strong point: Theo is bisexual, and Natalia has two mothers. The Mayweather family is largely cued White; Natalia is White and Puerto Rican. A suspenseful and atmospheric story of a family with a messy history. (family tree) (Thriller. 14-18)

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Starred review from June 26, 2023
During an elaborate vacation, a family’s secrets bring down the mood—and result in a murder—in this dynamic drama by Frick (Very Bad People). Over Christmas, 16-year-old Addison Acker-Mayweather and the rest of her extended family travel to Cancún to celebrate her mother’s engagement. She resolves to use the vacation to make up with her twin brother Mason, who’s been distant ever since she left him behind to attend a swanky private boarding school. But Mason is hiding something, and the siblings’ cousin Natalia is more interested in chatting with her online boyfriend than participating in forced family fun. Meanwhile, the twins’ soon-to-be stepbrother Theo, who is bisexual, hopes to bond with his future siblings, but the disappearance of two high schoolers from the resort and familial confrontation throw a wrench in his plans. The four teens’ alternating perspectives are interspersed with hotel memos, news articles, and police interrogations; ample red herrings and eye-popping twists further cultivate this compulsive read. Through nuanced character relationships that heighten the tension, Frick handily explores themes surrounding gender roles, loyalty, sexuality, and toxic masculinity in this cleverly layered mystery. Most characters read as white; Natalia is of Puerto Rican heritage. Ages 14–up.

October 1, 2023

Gr 9 Up-The Mayweather family is full of secrets. When they gather in Canc�n for a weeklong reunion and engagement party, some of those secrets are bound to come out. Addison Acker-Mayweather, 16, hopes to find a way to reconnect with her twin brother, Mason, and their cousin Natalia, who is also 16. They used to be best friends, but after "the Incident" three years ago, they've drifted apart. Theo Hunt's dad is marrying the twins' mother, and Theo, 17, just wants to have a peaceful start with his new family. But the reunion doesn't go as planned, and the death of a teenager shows what happens when secrets threaten to be exposed. Told in the protagonists' alternating viewpoints and interspersed with hotel announcements, newspaper reports, and interview transcripts, Frick's novel has potential. The focus on "the Incident" throughout, with a reveal that feels rushed, makes this thriller drag in parts. The novel includes a bisexual character and a two-mother family with children of Puerto Rican and white descent. VERDICT This one may interest teens who enjoy thrillers, but the pacing detracts from the plot's strengths.-Rebekah J. Buchanan

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