After we burned / Marieke Nijkamp.

Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

She deserved more. They all did. A gripping and emotional new suspense novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of This is Where it Ends .

A terrible accident. A horrible loss. A regrettable tragedy. That's all anyone in Fenix can talk about when a fire consumes the local high school, taking the life of a student. The town mourns, except who really knew-let alone cared about-Eden when she was alive? And why was she in the building that night?

Five teens each hold a piece of the truth about what happened. They also have their own secrets, secrets they will fight to protect with the same fury as the blaze that killed Eden. But silence is meant to be broken, and this story can't be extinguished...

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Publishers Weekly Review

Artistic high schooler Eden Randall is considered a weirdo among her classmates in Fenix, Colo. But that doesn't matter to Eden; soon, she and her girlfriend, Payton Davis, will skip town, leaving their abusive home lives behind. The night the girls plan to leave, however, their high school burns down with Eden trapped inside. Convinced it wasn't an accident, Payton enlists Eden's best friend, Theo Robinson, a student reporter, to investigate. Their classmates aren't thrilled by the sleuthing, and dark secrets and unexpected connections emerge as the duo dive deeper into their inquiry. Utilizing expert pacing and shocking reveals, Nijkamp (This Is Where It Ends) keeps readers on the edges of their seats, stringing them along as the narrative alternates between events leading up to the fire, the night itself, and its aftermath. Topics relating to physical and sexual abuse, bullying, and the ways powerful people leverage their influence combine in this dark, gritty story about coming together and empowering one another. Main characters read as white. Ages 14--up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. (July)

School Library Journal Review

Gr 9 Up--Payton and Theo have one thing in common: their friend Eden. So, when their local high school burns down and Eden is found dead, it is their personal mission to discover the truth of what happened. But in a town that loves its gossip, does the truth really matter? Told in multiple perspectives, this story is so much more than a whodunit. A large part of the book focuses on dealing with the aftermath of sexual and physical assault. Each teen has their own story to tell. Some are victims dealing with feelings of guilt and shame. Others are friends trying to understand why their friends have suddenly changed and how to be supportive, especially when they are not ready to tell their story. The book starts with a trigger warning for sexual and physical assault, and there are depictions of both in the book; however, it is not overly graphic and is age-appropriate for mature high school students, with language such as "what he did to me" or "I didn't want that," allowing readers to interpret the assault in their own way. Each character is nuanced and flawed, leading to a compelling and believable narrative where teens navigate trauma together. The adults depicted in the book are just as flawed, and readers will be rooting for the victims to find their voice, in a world where adults sometimes just don't hear or understand when a teen is crying out for help. VERDICT A must purchase for all libraries.--Ashley Grillo

Booklist Review

The night Eden and her girlfriend, Payton, try to run away, Eden breaks into her high school to get out of the rain, setting off a chain reaction that will bring Fenix, Colorado, to a flash point. How a fire destroyed Pierce High School that night, though, is only part of the story. Told from shifting points of view, including Eden's (who readers find out early on has died in that fire), this latest outing from bestselling Nijkamp lives up to her well-earned reputation, weaving a plot full of twists and oozing with a dark, atmospheric undercurrent, which is telegraphed in thoughtful trigger warnings. There is heavy symbolism surrounding the idea of rebirth by fire, especially regarding Payton's journey, which is nearly too heartbreaking for words. Almost every adult acts horribly throughout, which makes the few who help the narrators seem angelic. The simple act of telling the full truth seems impossible in this setting--whoever starts the fire, whoever screams the truth, will not make it out unscathed. A chilling mystery for readers looking for gritty depth.

Kirkus Book Review

Four high schoolers in small-town Colorado grapple with secrets and corruption. Theo Robinson is a kindhearted student reporter, Kelsey Fink is a popular perfectionist, Payton Davis is a troubled loner, and Eden Randall was an artistic outcast. In their first-person points of view, which move forward and backward in time, they share their experiences connected to the fire that burned down their school and killed Eden. When the teens' worlds collide, they create a plan to inform the world of the secret traumas they and their classmates have endured. After the fire, Theo, who's trans and was one of Eden's best friends, begins investigating alongside Payton. Payton and Eden were in love, and they'd wanted to leave their abusive home lives for a fresh start, a dream cut short by Eden's death. Meanwhile, the students' unity splinters as they hide information and disagree about what to disclose. Nijkamp's latest is a topical assessment of the ways power and prestige can enable and cover up violence. Unfortunately, the narrators' voices blend together, and the dialogue lacks personality, with characters speaking in cliches and indulging in exposition. Complexity and specificity are often sacrificed in favor of messaging. The twists and turns keep the story moving at a solid pace, but the mystery feels undercooked. Main characters read white, and there's racial diversity in the supporting cast. A clear-eyed exploration about exposing hidden injustice that falls short in characterization. (content note)(Thriller. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.