Unnatural Deeds

by Cyn Balog

Overview

Called "a PG-13 version of Gone Girl" by Kirkus, Unnatural Deeds is a novel of infatuation and obsession with an electrifying ending that readers won't see coming."

Victoria Zell doesn't fit in, not that she cares what anyone thinks. She and her homeschooled boyfriend, Andrew, are inseparable. All they need is each other. That is, until Zachary Zimmerman joins her homeroom. Within an hour of meeting, he convinces good-girl Vic to cut class. And she can't get enough of that rush.

Despite Vic's loyalty to Andrew, she finds her life slowly entwining with Z's. Soon she's lying to everyone she knows and breaking all the rules to be with Z. She can't get enough of him—or unraveling the stories of the family he's determined to keep hidden.

Except Z's not the only one with a past. Straight-laced Vic is hiding her own secrets… secrets that are about to destroy everything in her path.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781492635802
Publisher:	Sourcebooks
Publication date:	11/01/2016
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
Lexile:	HL630L (what's this?)
File size:	946 KB
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

CYN BALOG is is the author of many young adult novels, including Alone, which received a starred review from VOYA Magazine. She lives outside Allentown, Pennsylvania with her husband and daughters. Visit her online at www.cynbalog.com.

Editorial Reviews

"Like a PG-13 version of Gone Girl (2012), Balog's (Dead River, 2013, etc.) latest tells the tense and tragic story of three teens mixed up in a world of murder, obsession, and mental illness… A page-turner that will keep readers riveted, this is a treat for mystery fans and will keep readers guessing right up until the end." — Kirkus Reviews

"Vic’s psychological struggle culminates in an unpredictable, shocking ending that most readers will not see coming. This thriller will stay with readers long after the last page." — School Library Journal

"The compelling story takes hold, leaving readers guessing until the end. The understated dread builds to a tense and tragic climax." — Booklist

"Unnatural Deeds is a compelling, dark confessional with pages that keep you guessing and an ending that will blow you sideways." — Natalie D. Richards, author of Six Months Later and One Was Lost

"Readers who enjoyed Need by Joelle Charbonneau or The Killer in Me by Margot Harrison will find this horrific mystery perfectly explosive–this one will require a late night." — Manhattan Book Review

From the Publisher

11/01/2016
Gr 6 Up—The latest from YA novelist Balog, this fast contemporary title takes readers on a dark journey through mental illness and murder. Victoria narrates the story to her best friend and boyfriend Andrew, who is her agoraphobic, homeschooled neighbor of seven years. She wrestles with her guilt, though, after finding herself drawn to new student Z. Secrets and well-placed clues shape the suspenseful plot, which balances Vic's relatable questions about romance with true crime suspense surrounding a missing person. Police reports, interrogations, and newspaper articles about the crime begin each chapter and offer a refreshing change of writing style while foreshadowing the tale's climax. Vic's psychological struggle culminates in an unpredictable, shocking ending that most readers will not see coming. This thriller will stay with readers long after the last page. VERDICT A good choice for teens who are dealing with the loss of a friend. A strong purchase for YA thriller collections.—Seth Herchenbach, McHenry County College, Crystal Lake, IL

School Library Journal

Narrator Pamela Lorence valiantly delivers this convoluted story of obsession—almost entirely filled with unappealing characters. Independent-minded Victoria Zell, who suffers from anxiety attacks, and her boyfriend, Andrew, a formerly homeschooled agoraphobic, are inseparable at school—until creepy, mysterious, manipulative Zachary Zimmerman shows up and inserts himself into their lives. Without intending to, Vic becomes dangerously wrapped up in his manipulations. Lorence is adept at rendering Victoria’s rather irritating naïveté and her mysterious past, which possibly includes murder. Teachers, parents, and police try to make sense of Vic's contradictory behavior and ever-changing stories. Audio is the ideal medium for this drawn-out mystery, which does conclude with a twist. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine

MARCH 2017 - AudioFile

Aug. 30, 2016
Like a PG-13 version of Gone Girl (2012), Balog’s (Dead River, 2013, etc.) latest tells the tense and tragic story of three teens mixed up in a world of murder, obsession, and mental illness. Sixteen-year-old Victoria Zell, a loner suffering from severe anxiety, spends her days feeling trapped at St. Ann’s, a Catholic school in Bangor, Maine. Vic wants only to spend time with Andrew, her longtime boyfriend and best friend. Andrew understands her, and like Vic, Andrew suffers from his own debilitating condition: agoraphobia. The two are inseparable—until Zachary “Z” Zimmerman arrives at St. Ann’s. Z’s arrival spells trouble for Vic as she teeters between her loyalty to the safe and loving Andrew and her desire, bordering on obsession, for Z, who is full of mystery and danger. Vic sometimes reads as a naïve Catholic schoolgirl, a familiar stereotype, but her account, addressed to Andrew with each chapter preceded by police interviews, news updates, and coroner’s reports, is nevertheless a compelling one. The portrayal of mental illness seems authentic, but readers should recognize that Vic is entangled in a web of unhealthy relationships, especially with Z, who treats her like a puppy. Vic is white, with “stick-straight beige hair,” the charismatic Z has tan skin, golden hair, and blue eyes, and Andrew’s race is unclear. A page-turner that will keep readers riveted, this is a treat for mystery fans and will keep readers guessing right up until the end. (Thriller. 14-18)

Kirkus Review