My Own Worst Frenemy (Langdon Prep, No. 1)
Chanti is smart and funny, and this multicultural cast is a welcome addition to the world of teen mysteries. The story is well paced and full of surprises... This clever mystery with a biting look at class and privilege is a breath of fresh air. --Kirkus ReviewsReid's debut, which kicks off her Langdon Prep series, perfectly nails what it's like to be a scholarship student at a chi-chi private school, let alone being the new girl at school. Really apropos title. The amateur sleuth high jinks are fun. A great start to a promising new series.--RT Book ReviewsThis new mystery series with a multicultural cast stars the clever teenage daughter of a vice cop. Chanti Evans, a 15-year-old high-school junior, is not exactly looking forward to the start of the new term. While all of her friends will be together at North High, she will be a scholarship student at exclusive Langdon Prep. Her mother, Lana, an undercover vice cop, is increasingly worried about issues in their community and wants Chanti in a better environment. At Langdon, she quickly becomes acquainted with two other new students: Marco Ruiz and Bethanie Larsen. Marco seems nice enough (and very attractive), but it is soon clear that Bethanie has a secret. Chanti can't dwell on that, because a rash of thefts begins in the school, and the unwelcome new additions are immediate suspects. She is a cop's daughter, so she applies the sleuthing skills she has learned from her mother. Just when Chanti thinks the case is solved, though, she becomes embroiled in something more complicated and dangerous than a missing tennis bracelet. Chanti is smart and funny, and this multicultural cast is a welcome addition to the world of teen mysteries. The story is well paced and full of surprises, even if the bad guys don't have much nuance. This clever mystery with a biting look at class and privilege is a breath of fresh air. (Mystery. 14 & up) --From KirkusIn Reid's (No Place Safe) first book for teens, which launches the Langdon Prep series, 15-year-old Chanti Evans is forced to switch from a Denver public school to a private one due to her overprotective mother, an undercover vice cop who insists that Chanti is always at the wrong place at the wrong time. At Langdon Prep, Chanti is an outsider for being on scholarship, and Headmistress Smythe and popular girl Lissa seem determined to get rid of her. Fellow scholarship student Bethanie has a mysterious cash flow, a dedication to social climbing, and many secrets, and Chanti's ex-best friend (a former gang member) and a drug dealer have bones to pick with her as well. When various items are stolen at school, Chanti and her crush, Marco, are prime suspects with little time to solve the case. The story is fast-paced with snappy dialogue and a solid urban setting, although Chanti's neurotic analysis of facts can become repetitive. Overall, Reid pens an impressive if slightly overwrought combination of teen drama and hard-boiled police procedural. Ages 14 up. (Sept.) --From Publishers Weekly