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Staff Reviews
Summary: High schooler Charlie Dixon tries to clear his name after being framed for contributing to a classmate's near-fatal overdose at a party. Why you'll love this, short version: Noir for teenagers in an age where we all could use a little more Veronixa Mars in our lives. Why you'll love this, long version: Everything about this book is clever and fast-paced and smart and somehow never feels self-aware or put-upon; it is so hard to get wit in YA without having to deal with accompanying pretention, and this book just hits it out of the park. There are great touches throughout the whole thing, including some subtle race commentary when two girls in choir with the same name are referred to as Sound of Music Maria and West Side Story Maria respectively based on ethnicity. Hugh & Dry is also contains my running favorite Hilarious Treatment of High School Cliques. The whole thing is just genius.
— Cristin (Children's & YA Buyer)
Description
Framed for a stranger’s near-fatal overdose at a party, blackmailed into finding a mysterious flash drive everyone in school seems anxious to suppress, and pressured by his shady best friend to throw an upcoming match, high school soccer player Charlie Dixon is juggling more than his share of drama. Add in a broken heart and the drinking he’s been doing to soothe it, and he’s near the breaking point. In this fast-paced, layered mystery, Charlie spends a frantic week trying to clear his name, win back the girl of his dreams, and escape a past friendship that may be responsible for all his current problems. This book captures the tone and style of the best crime fiction while also telling a high-stakes story of peer pressure gone tragically awry.
Praise for High and Dry "A dark, well-constructed mystery with a strong voice." --Kirkus Reviews
"Skilton’s latest covers a tense and complicated week during which Charlie must unravel relationships, desires, lies, and truths in order to clear his name, regain his sense of self, and set his world right again." --Booklist
"School drama, romance, and mystery make a heady mash-up and an involving quick pick." --The Bulletin of The Center for Children’s Books
"With a strong subtext about the dangers of test-driven curriculua, this novel will find an audience in most high schools." --School Library Journal
About the Author
Sarah Skilton lives in California with her magician husband and their son. By day she works in the film and TV business. She is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, which came in handy when writing Bruised. Visit her online at sarahskilton.com.
