{"product_id":"girls-who-play-dead-by-joelle-wellington","title":"Girls Who Play Dead by Joelle Wellington","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e“Addictively unnerving…burrows right into the cracks of this small town’s foundation, revealing the gruesome truth at its core.” —Ryan La Sala, bestselling author of \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Dead of Summer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003eTwo siblings investigate the murder of a friend only to unearth even more deadly mysteries in their small town in this page-turning young adult thriller “that captures the seedy underbelly of small-town politics and the intense bonds of girlhood” (\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e) from the acclaimed author of\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold a-text-italic\"\u003eTheir Vicious Games\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-bold\"\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen Mikky Graves left his small, stifling hometown of Prophets Lake to live with his estranged mother, he thought nothing could ever make him go back.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUntil his sister Kyla’s best friend, Erin, is murdered.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMikky never worried about leaving Kyla behind at their family-owned funeral home so long as she had Erin. But when Mikky heads home, determined to help Kyla grieve, the sister he encounters barely resembles the one he remembers. Mikky decides, then and there, to do the one thing that seems even more impossible than returning: stay.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Kyla spirals further into her rage and secrets, Mikky realizes the only thing that can help his sister is finding the truth about who killed Erin. But the more he investigates, the further he’s pulled into other ugly mysteries of Prophets Lake and the beauty brand that is its lifeblood. The town’s rot runs deep, and everyone has something to hide. Perhaps no one more than Kyla herself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFrom the Publisher\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4146\/8760\/files\/5a562b57-01f7-43fc-a0e8-b3decdc28067.__CR0_0_970_300_PT0_SX970_V1.jpg?v=1785515783\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4146\/8760\/files\/99d56826-a022-40c0-9149-53daa024133f.__CR0_0_970_300_PT0_SX970_V1.jpg?v=1785515783\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4146\/8760\/files\/33a11dfa-1593-4e51-b60b-576c9345e9dd.__CR0_0_970_300_PT0_SX970_V1.jpg?v=1785515782\" alt=\"\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEditorial Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"A well-written, nuanced thriller...[An] excellent blend of cruel high school drama, family loyalty, small-town politics, and intrigue ensures that readers will not put this book down...A must have for teen collections.\" --\u003cem\u003e \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/span\u003e ― \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e10\/10\/2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Evoking \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eTwin Peaks\u003c\/span\u003e, Wellington’s latest delicately peels back the shiny facade of an all-American suburb to examine the darkness within...A compelling work that captures the seedy underbelly of small-town politics and the intense bonds of girlhood.\" -- \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/span\u003e ― \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e10\/15\/25\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Penetrating interrogations of grief, mental health, and the role one’s outward image plays in public perception elevate the overarching narrative, which Wellington presents with refreshing matter-of-factness across a sharp omniscient POV.\" -- \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/span\u003e ― \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003e8\/18\/2025\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With a mystery full of twists and turns, steeped in small-town secrets and the brutal politics of high school, \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eGirls Who Play Dead\u003c\/span\u003e is impossible to put down. The way complex characters grapple with grief, mental health, and fraught parental relationships is visceral, the prose heartfelt, and Wellington pulls it off flawlessly.\" -- Jamison Shea, author of \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eRoar of the Lamb\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Wellington is a remarkable voice in YA horror, and she pulls no punches with GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD. Addictively unnerving, Wellington’s writing deftly burrows right into the cracks of this small town’s foundation, revealing the gruesome truth at its core.” -- Ryan La Sala, best-selling author of \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Dead of Summer\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Hell is a teenage girl, and now she's dead. GIRLS WHO PLAY DEAD picks at the masks worn by residents in a town run by beauty, unraveling an intricate scheme of unapologetically complicated girls, ride-or-die siblings, suffocating social webs, and the dangerous pressure of keeping up an image.\" -- Wen-Yi Lee, author of \u003cem\u003e\u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Dark We Know\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJOELLE WELLINGTON grew up in Brooklyn, New York, where her childhood was spent wandering the main branch of the Brooklyn Public Library. Her love of the written word led her to a BA in creative writing and international studies. When she isn’t writing, she’s reading and when she’s not doing that, she’s attempting to bake bread with varying degrees of success or strengthening her encyclopedia-like pop culture knowledge. She’s the author of \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eTheir Vicious Game\u003c\/span\u003es, \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eThe Blonde Dies First\u003c\/span\u003e, and \u003cspan class=\"a-text-italic\"\u003eGirls Who Play Dead\u003c\/span\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eISBN-13\u003c\/strong\u003e: 978-1665974431 (Hardback) \u003cem\u003e•  \u003c\/em\u003e978-1665974448 (Paperback)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date\u003c\/strong\u003e: November 4, 2025 (Hardback) \u003cem\u003e• \u003c\/em\u003eNovember 3, 2026 (Paperback)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage\u003c\/strong\u003e: English\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePublished By\u003c\/strong\u003e: Simon \u0026amp; Schuster Books for Young Readers\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePage Count\u003c\/strong\u003e: 416 (Hardback) \u003cem\u003e• \u003c\/em\u003e432 (Paperback)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrim Size\u003c\/strong\u003e: 5.5\" x 8.25\" (Paperback) \u003cem\u003e•  \u003c\/em\u003e5.5\" x 8.25\" (Paperback)\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Simon \u0026 Schuster Books for Young Readers","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44486513557592,"sku":null,"price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false},{"title":"Hardback","offer_id":44486513590360,"sku":null,"price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0733\/4146\/8760\/files\/b715b8037c051e4256e71bcd992d5e4f633b0448914b904692f5989aa4fd7c72.jpg?v=1783837874","url":"https:\/\/crownebooks.com\/products\/girls-who-play-dead-by-joelle-wellington","provider":"Crowne Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}