League of Strays by L.B. Schulman

SYNOPSIS: This suspenseful debut follows a group of teenage misfits in their delicious quest for revenge on those who have wronged them at their high school. When a mysterious note appears in Charlotte’s mailbox inviting her to join the League of Strays, she’s hopeful it will lead to making friends. What she discovers is a motley crew of loners and an alluring, manipulative ringleader named Kade. Kade convinces the group that they need one another both for friendship and to get back at the classmates and teachers who have betrayed them. But Kade has a bigger agenda. In addition to vandalizing their school and causing fights between other students, Kade’s real intention is a dangerous plot that will threaten lives and force Charlotte to choose between her loyalty to the League and her own conscience.

REVIEW: League of Strays is one of those books that will keep you on the edge. This thriller takes high school to a whole other lever, and a somewhat scary one. Charlotte is your average high school girl, to lowly to be noticed. And when she receives the note, she thinks that perhaps she won’t have to finish her senior year alone anymore. In the beginning of the book, Charlotte starts off as a girl who is afraid to say anything or stand out in any way, except for with music. Constantly obeying her parents every demand, to once being bullied by the most popular girl in school. As things take a turn for the worse in the League of Strays, Charlotte begins to find her voice. Becoming the person she always wished she could be, the girl who stood up for herself. And then there is Kade. Wow, what can I say about Kade? When you first meet Kade, he seems to be a really genuine nice guy.  And as the book delves further, his dark side begins to show. And it isn’t pretty. I found League of Strays to be a good book, and I loved reading it.  Not only does this book bring the a thrilling edge to it, but it also deals with things that a teenager faces in high school. Such as bullying, stuck up cheerleaders, the mean jocks, overachievers, and the need to fit in. I only hope that there will be a second book following this one, following the characters more as they try to move on with their lives, and just what happens with Kade. Overall all the book was a fairly easy read, only taking a few hours to complete, and a few hours well spent.

Reviewed by: Brandy