Augusta Pine Does Not Exist

Emily Lloyd-Jones delivers a gripping young adult thriller about Augusta Pine, a secret operative with a dark past. After a tragic hack, Augusta is forced to leave her old life behind and work for a covert government division. Three years later, a mission in Portland turns personal when cyberterrorists take her building hostage, including her estranged grandmother. This pulse-pounding narrative explores themes of identity, justice, family connection, and resilience, as Augusta races against time to outwit the killers. It's ideal for mature young adult readers (ages 12-18) who enjoy high-stakes suspense, technology-driven plots, and complex characters grappling with moral dilemmas.

Combining the suspense of a thriller, the intrigue of spy fiction, and the emotional resonance of a confessional narrative, this is gripping, wholly original novel about a teen secret operative who must outwit a band of murderous cyberterrorists. I was fifteen when I became a murderer. After a hack gone tragically wrong, a teen girl is given an ultimatum: accept a harsh prison sentence or leave her old life behind and use her talents in the service of a shady government agency. Three years later, the newly-named Augusta Pine has become a skilled wraith, one of the Identity Security Division's secret operatives. She has no home, no family, and her only friends are her coolly professional handler and a snarky AI spybot. So when she is sent to Portland for an assignment, she seizes the chance to catch a glimpse of her beloved grandmother and rents the apartment next door. What begins as nostalgic stalking turns into a fight for survival when a group of cyberterrorists hacks the building and imprisons the residents. Augusta doesn't know exactly what they want, but she does know they are ready to murder for it. With her quick wits, tech savvy - and help from an intriguing fellow hostage - Augusta must race against the clock to stay one step ahead of the killers. Unfolding through a suspenseful narrative interspersed with case-file excerpts, this is a pulse-pounding novel about identity, connection, and justice.