You Were Never Here

Written by Kathleen Peacock

HarperTeen

978-0-06-300251-7

392 pp.

Ages 13+ 

October 2020

 

I used to think that once things broke, you couldn't put them back together, that the cracks would always be present and there was no point in trying. (pg. 388)

Seventeen year old Mary Catherine Montgomery a.k.a. Cat undoubtedly thinks of herself as broken, or at least not normal, and it has nothing to do with her physique, though she often deprecates herself for her wild red hair and chubbiness. What Cat can do, since puberty, is feel others' desires and fears when she has skin-to-skin contact. Consequently, she wears long sleeves as much as possible and avoids crowds and any chance of close contact with anyone. She's learned from experience how damaging it can be to reveal what she knows. The first time was with Riley Fraser, the boy next door to her Aunt Jet's in Montgomery Falls, New Brunswick. Now after another incident because of her gift, Cat is leaving her home in NYC and going to stay with her aunt. But things are much different now. Oh, she still has her gift, though she generally knows how to avoid its consequences. It's Riley. He's disappeared.

At her aunt's home, now a rooming house, Cat meets eighteen-year-old Aidan Porter, as well as his friends Chase, Joey and Skylar, and reconnects with Riley's older brother Noah who returned from university when his brother disappeared three months earlier. As Cat tries to fit in with her horror film-loving new acquaintances and piece together the bullying that Skylar is experiencing related to Riley, as well as help Noah learn what happened to his brother, Cat gets caught up in another incident when they discover the near-dead body of another student, Rachel Larsen.

In a thrilling YA novel of a suspicious disappearance, a supernatural gift and the natural need for acceptance and human contact, Kathleen Peacock sends us into the community of Montgomery Falls and into the heads of Cat and several others to recognize that,

Sometimes... people fear the things they want or want the things they fear. (pg. 154)

Discovering what happened to Riley is paramount in You Were Never Here but learning about Cat's ability and how that has impacted her relationships with Riley, her NYC friend Lacey, her father, and others is also relevant. Because of that power, Cat avoids getting close to people, including her own family, and can't trust herself to feel for anyone, worried that they might run out on her or accuse her of being a monster. How do you trust others when you can't trust yourself? Blending Cat's gift with regular teenage angst, a craving for friendship and a bit of romance, and a mystery or two to be solved, Kathleen Peacock has created a story teeming with emotions and tension, and reminds us what it takes to be human, and Cat most certainly is. She's bright, realistic, compassionate, and cautiously trusting, though not always of herself. She is not the monster but there is one around. And, as with any good mystery, the reveal is both unexpected and convincing.

Hemlock

by Kathleen Peacock

Katherine Tegen Books (Imprint of HarperCollins)

978-0-06-204865-3

416 pp.

Ages 14+

Available May 8, 2012

(Reviewed from Advance Reader's Edition)

Since the werewolves came out of the mythological closet twelve years earlier, all communities, including Hemlock, have been dealing with accepting those infected with lupine syndrome and the ramifications of their condition.  In Hemlock, which has been home to Mac Dobson since her father, Hank, abandoned her there with her cousin, Tess, three years ago, werewolves have not been a concern.  That is, not until multiple attacks, some fatal, occur within several weeks and culminate with the murder of Amy, Mac's best friend and the granddaughter of Senator John Walsh.  With evidence pointing to a white-haired werewolf, Senator Walsh desperately enlists the services of Brandon Derby and his vigilante Trackers.  Believing that all werewolves are dangerous to regs (uninfected humans), the Trackers, a civilian group usually given free rein by the authorities, violently haul away suspected werewolves and torment anyone who gets in their way.

While the Trackers aggressively pursue infected humans for internment in rehabilitation camps, Mac, her close friend Kyle, and Amy's boyfriend, Jason, all berate themselves for not being there for Amy the night she was killed.  But, each deals differently in the aftermath of her death.  Mac has cryptic discussions with Amy in terrifying nightmares.  Kyle wants to be there for Mac and get closer to her, but he has to deal with his ex, Heather, who hates Mac and keeps demanding Kyle's attention.  And, although Jason's initial reaction is to find comfort in alcohol and outlandish behaviour, his reaction becomes extreme when he decides to join the Trackers. 

As with any great plot, there are secrets withheld from the reader, but it seems everyone is keeping secrets from Mac.  When secrets are revealed, intermittently and usually unceremoniously (as most secrets are), Mac begins to realize that her history affects how she deals with others.  Having a mother who left before her first birthday and living with a father of dubious principles who also abandons her has left Mac reluctant to share too much of herself.  But, she has learned to be watchful, strategic and forbearing, all of which help her make some very astute determinations about Brandon Derby's motives, about Jason's attitudes, and about Amy's death.  As the narrator and central character around which all subplots revolve, Mac carries the story (although all other characters are strong enough to help with this charge).  She is neither naive nor weak, but she is incredulous when she learns more about Kyle, Jason, Amy, and others.  Kathleen Peacock, a new author from New Brunswick (Hemlock is her debut novel), does an exemplary job of developing Mac's voice into that of a bright seventeen-year-old who diligently reflects on the continuously changing circumstances, including the very nature of her friends and friendships.  Nothing Mac decides to do is unbelievable to the reader.  She attacks new dilemmas with honesty and resolve, and willingly accepts the need to amend her actions.

The horror of the werewolf attacks and of the Trackers' vigilantism is tempered with several romances that thankfully stray from typical boy-girl dating.  Surprisingly these budding loves seem completely realistic considering how many young people (and older ones too) are reluctant to share their true feelings.  Rather than comedic misunderstandings feeding the plot, it is the uncertainly and fear of rejection that allow relationships to progress, albeit haphazardly.

Kathleen Peacock makes Mac a true hero.  While Mac, with a little help from her friends, discovers the truth of Amy's death, her story does not end there.  The epilogue, which reveals what Mac feels she must do next in order to evolve into her true self, not the abandoned girl of her childhood, sets up the sequel to Hemlock perfectly.  Personally, I look forward to this next phase in Mac's journey, especially with regards to how Mac, Kyle and Jason resolve their feelings.  Sadly, the official release date for Hemlock is still a few weeks away, and there is no firm release date or even title for the sequel.  Luckily, I'm confident that I'll appreciate the direction Kathleen Peacock will take Mac and her cohorts when the second book of the trilogy is available.