Here Lies Daniel Tate

April 15, 2017
A teenage con artist finds himself in too deep when he impersonates a missing boy from a rich family. The white protagonist in this new thriller from Terrill (All Our Yesterdays, 2013) never divulges his name; he is a runaway passing as an anonymous minor in a youth shelter to escape the Canadian cold. To buy himself time when pressured by authorities, he claims that he is Daniel Tate, an American boy who had disappeared without a trace from his home six years before. Events quickly spiral out of his control from there, as Daniel's white, millionaire family swoops in to collect him and bring him home with them, where he is welcomed, to varying degrees, under their watchful eyes. "Danny" starts to get comfortable in his new surroundings, until it becomes chillingly clear to him that all is not right in the Tate household: someone knows his secret and it is in their best interest that he remains Daniel Tate. The narrative moves slowly and ploddingly toward this reveal, though the pace of the story quickens once our protagonist is motivated by his complicity in the tangle of lies to uncover what really happened to Danny Tate. The unreliable-narrator trope is employed to ostentatious but flimsy effect here, and uneven pacing leads to an ending that feels rushed and unsatisfying. A mystery thriller that falls short of thrilling. (Thriller. 14-18)

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April 1, 2017
Gr 9 Up-Readers are first introduced to a young man as he is trying to escape Canada under the identity of a missing California teen, Daniel Tate. The fake Daniel goes from eking out an existence as a con artist to being thrown into the drama of an affluent family who lost their son six years prior. He has to live in a gated community with his new family, who have many secrets of their own. Teens will be on the edge of their seats as the narrator and the FBI try to figure out what happened to the real, missing Daniel. Who hurt him? Could it be his father, who is in jail? His alcoholic mother? One of his overbearing half siblings? His curious brother? The protagonist must decide if living the life of a dead teen is worth keeping all of the Tates' dark secrets. This book is full of suspense and drama. Fans of thrillers and mysteries will love reading this title, which is told through the perspective of an unreliable narrator who battles with himself throughout. Terrill's writing is crisp and visceral. Though the protagonist is a con man, readers will still empathize with him because all he wants is to have a family. This fresh crossover work will resonate with teens and adults alike. VERDICT A unique suspense novel with twists and turns that will keep readers guessing. A must-have for all library collections.-Maeve Dodds, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, NC

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2017
Grades 9-12 The first question everyone always asks is what's your name? I won't tell you, because I don't want to lie to you. So begins this thoughtful mystery featuring multiple plot twists, a surprising yet believable conclusion, and a dark worldview. Almost every character is hiding something, which makes for terrific and believable false leads. The story begins in Canada as the con artist narrator fakes an identity as Daniel Tate, a child who went missing six years ago from his wealthy California town. But our narrator doesn't bargain for the Tate family showing up in Vancouver and collecting him without any questionsbecause that family has a lot to hide, too. Alcoholism, violent tempers, substance abuse, incest, infidelity: only Danny's little sister Mia seems completely innocent. Our narrator isn't, of course, Daniel Tate . . . so what really happened to Daniel? Terrill builds and holds suspense while adroitly working in issues of wealth, class, race, and sexual orientation. Sophisticated readers with a penchant for noir will enjoy the cleverly designed plot and subtle characterization.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
An unnamed teenage con artist poses as a long-missing boy, Daniel Tate, seeing an opportunity to become part of a wealthy family. His fears about being caught, however, are soon dwarfed by concerns about the Tate family members' own secrets, which seem increasingly sinister. Terrill uses the unreliable narrator to good effect, and the plot builds suspense effectively, if at times unevenly.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)