This Place Kills Me

Wilberton Academy is an all-girls boarding school. The elite Wilberton Theatrical Society, a.k.a. the WTS, is proud to feature beautiful, talented Elizabeth Woodward as Juliet in their version of Romeo and Juliet. Then Elizabeth is found dead, and throws the school into chaos with her apparent suicide. Or was it? Transfer student Abby Kita was the last one to see Elizabeth alive. Abby's also an outcast and rumored to be gay. She's bullied at school because she doesn't fit in. When it becomes known that she saw Elizabeth last? People blame her for the untimely death. It doesn't help that rumors circulate about the reasons behind Abby's sudden departure from her other school. As Abby gets more involved in the campus drama, she finds a note that suggests Elizabeth had secrets. Secrets, someone else might have done anything, including murdering her, to keep them in the dark.

What worked: Whodunnit mystery set in an all-girls boarding school told in comics, letters, notes, and news articles. Abby is an outcast, and the author does a good job portraying a girl who arrives at a new school with vicious rumors. It doesn't help that the rumors are similar to something Abby stumbles on. No one believes her. Not even her roommate.

Some clues lead Abby to find out what really happened to Elizabeth. Abby doesn't believe Elizabeth committed suicide but rather had a secret that someone on campus didn't want others to find out about.

The bullying against gay students is, unfortunately, realistic. Vicious gossip and shunning follow Abby. Even Principal Wilson doesn't believe her, as she believes the rumors. This doesn't stop Abby from searching for the truth.

The vivid illustrations make this a fast-paced read. Seems something is foul on campus. The final reveal is one that, sadly, isn't surprising. Nor is it how some are quick to believe rumors and not the victims.

Page-turning mystery that has readers guessing until the end. The illustrations add to the appeal of this story.