Kiri is assigned some practical chores, too. Her
parents who happen to be on a summer long cruise expect her to water the
azaleas, take accurate phone messages, and call her older brother Denny if need
be.
On the first day with the parents away, Kiri spends
it in the basement of her neighbor’s house. Lukas has the perfect set-up. His
basement is almost sound proof and the cool cave-like temperature keeps him
from sweating too much during long drum sessions. Kiri sets her synthesizer
near and both rock out for hours of improvisation.
So much for the five hours of piano, her day long
jam session with Lukas will have to do. Kiri rationalizes the goofing off as practice
without memorization. Anyway, how will she see Lukas and be available for
another impromptu kiss if she is at home on the piano stool.
As night falls and the two fight over the band’s
name, Snake Eats Kitten versus Sonic Drift, Kiri is asked to stay for supper.
It is pasta night at the Malcywycks and Lukas’s mom, Petra, is worried about
her nutrition. Petra is a social worker by day and a slight meddler by night.
Kiri does not mind the inquisition as long as she
can stay near Lukas. She actually likes the touchy-feely questions because they
present another opportunity to bond with him.
The phone is ringing when she finally gets home that
night. She is tempted to let it go to message thinking it is probably her
parents, but at the last minute she dives for it. “Byrd residence,” as she drops
the leftovers and scrimmages for a pencil to take those must have accurate
notes.
The voice on the other end is slurring his words as
he asks if this is Sukey’s home number. Kiri snaps to attention. Suki is her
sister who died in an automobile accident five years ago. “Hello?”
“Yes, this is Doug Fieldgrass and I have Sukey-girls
stuff. Can you come by tonight and pick it up?”
Debut author, Hilary T. Smith, has written a
mesmerizing young adult book in Wild Awake. Kiri not only retrieves her
sister’s things, she also finds out that she was murdered. Readers will watch
Kiri’s mind slowly unravel and then wind back up in this unpredictable plot.
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