Three Quarters Dead

Richard Peck's "Three Quarters Dead" is a suspenseful young adult novel blending contemporary realism with a supernatural ghost story. It follows Kerry, a new student who, after struggling to fit in, is invited into an exclusive clique. Her newfound social success is tragically cut short when her three new friends die in a horrific car accident. The story then delves into Kerry's grief, isolation, and growing terror as she begins receiving mysterious text messages that appear to be from the deceased girls. The book subtly explores themes of peer pressure, the desire for belonging, and processing loss, all wrapped in a page-turning mystery. It's suitable for ages 12-18, particularly those who enjoy a good scare with a thoughtful undercurrent.

Being the new girl at school is rough. But when the popular girls choose Kerry as the newest member of their ultra-exclusive clique, she thinks her troubles are finally finished. When her three new friends are killed in a horrifying car crash, her life seems over as well. But then the texts begin. . . . Richard Peck returns to his contemporary teen- and ghost-story roots in this suspenseful page-turner with a subtle commentary on peer pressure that fans of television dramas such as Pretty Little Liars and Vampire Diaries will devour.