Useless Bay

by M. J. Beaufrand

Overview

On Whidbey Island, the Gray quintuplets are the stuff of legend. Pixie and her brothers have always been bigger and blonder than their neighbors, as if they were birthed from the island itself. Together, they serve as an unofficial search-and-rescue team for the island, saving tourists and locals alike from the forces of wind and sea. But, when a young boy goes missing, the mysteries start to pile up. While searching for him, they find his mother’s dead body instead—and realize that something sinister is in their midst. Edgar-nominated author M. J. Beaufrand has crafted another atmospheric thriller with a touch of magical realism that fans of mystery and true crime will devour.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781419721380
Publisher:	Amulet Books
Publication date:	10/18/2016
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.70(w) x 8.30(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

M. J. Beaufrand is the author of The Rise and Fall of the Gallivanters and The River, which was nominated for an Edgar Award. She lives in Seattle.

Editorial Reviews

"A novel filled with suspense, intrigue, action, and a touch of magic."

School Library Connection

"Intensity and simple, evocative prose make this a solid choice for reluctant readers who want a dark, atmospheric mystery."

Booklist Online

"A dark and earthy thriller with a touch of romance."

School Library Journal

"A taut, suspenseful page-turner... Call it magical realism, horror division."

Kirkus

**STARRED REVIEW**
"Fans of process crime drama that has a strong sense of place and of characters you want to be friends with should not miss this one."

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Useless Bay combines the perfect proportions of mystery and mysticism in this absorbing missing-person story... a perfect read for middle through high schoolers when the wind is howling outside and the rain is pounding against the windows."

Booklist

**STARRED REVIEW**

"Short in length but long on atmosphere, it’s a gripping mystery with a supernatural overlay that makes its setting all the more haunting."

Publishers Weekly

"Useless Bay combines the perfect proportions of mystery and mysticism in this absorbing missing-person story... a perfect read for middle through high schoolers when the wind is howling outside and the rain is pounding against the windows."

Booklist

2016-07-20
On Whidbey Island, Washington, the Gray teens—tall, blond, white quintuplets—and one smart bloodhound specialize in search and rescue (missing toddlers, lost pets); this time, their neighbor and friend Grant Shepherd, 10, has disappeared, and complications ensue.Money is tight for the quints and their single mom, year-round residents. Useless Bay is a weekend getaway for the wealthy, white Shepherds: Henry, Meredith, and their half brother, Grant, who live with their venture-capitalist dad, long divorced and remarried to Grant’s Russian mom. Henry Shepherd and Pixie Gray, who share a mutual attraction, narrate in alternating chapters. The youngest, shortest (at 6 feet 2 inches), and lone girl quint, Pixie’s long been haunted by the phantasm of the unsavory man, later murdered, who trained their bloodhound. This terrifying apparition (think Davy Jones of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise) heralds catastrophe. The desperate hunt coincides with stormy weather that worsens as the body count rises. Macabre descriptions abound; the Pacific Northwest’s majestic land- and seascapes are limned with occasionally startling digestive and elimination imagery: ferries and ocean tides vomit up their contents; Deception Pass’ swirling waters are compared to toilet-bowl cleaner. Though a few plot twists strain credulity, at its best this is a taut, suspenseful page-turner in which severed body parts, human and canine, fantastic and real, figure prominently—call it magical realism, horror division. (Magical realism/thriller. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews