The Cheerleaders

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She made her alliances clear for the game, wearing a bedazzled version of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders uniform including tiny white shorts, and a revealing blue shirt that barely stayed in place during her energetic performance. Monica has never believed that Jenn committed suicide. The sister she knew just wouldn't have done that.

This is my first time reading Kara Thomas‘ work and I really enjoyed her writing style. She was on my tbr for a while now, because I want to read her book The Darkest Corners since the day it came out, only I still didn’t have a chance. Current day Sunnybrook has disbanded the cheer squad, while memorializing the five women annually. Jen's sister, Monica is still having trouble coping with Jen's suicide and the suspicious turn of events leading to five deaths in such a short period. One day, after dance practice, Monica stumbles across documents that detail the town's tragedy. This leads Monica on suspicions that things aren't quite what they seem. As Monica begins investigating, she finds Jen's phone. Why is Jen's phone still active? Even more so, why was there a seventeen minute phone conversation right before her apparent suicide with a random number that nobody knows of? The cheer squad's five year old mystery is about to be reopened, but does Monica want to know the truth?

The film was made in the summer of 1972 in the cities of Cupertino, California and Sunnyvale, California. The high school scenes were shot at Monta Vista High School in Cupertino, California. The administration of Monta Vista high school claimed to not be aware of the racy elements and theme of the movie. Many of the football player extras were recent graduates of local high schools from these two cities. The red uniforms in the film representing the home team high school Amarosa High School were actual uniforms of Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California from that same year. One of the identified extras is Carl Ekern, who later played professional football for the Los Angeles Rams. He was a student football player at San Jose State University when the movie was made. There's a varied set of characters in this one, but Monica is definitely the star. She's a strong narrator, even she doesn't always make the best decisions. Again, this isn't a sweet, touchy feely YA novel and neither is our narrator. She's made some bad choices (and been through a lot), but she's also feisty and determined. Told primarily from Monica’s POV, as she finds clues about the deaths of the girls, perspective shifts to Jen in the weeks that lead up to her death. Monica’s character is dynamic; she’s appropriately angsty but at the same time sincere. I thought Thomas did a good job of painting a realistic picture of a high school junior struggling to find out who she is and what she stands for, while at the same time capturing small-town dynamics. Chloe, Brittney, Pippa, and Ava talk with Forrest Parker, who just happens to have photos of all the dead bodies of the cheerleaders who were murdered on his work laptop? Something is not right with this teacher. He freaks the girls out, and they quit the team. Well, everyone except Ava, who seems into it? Ava gets transcripts and works with Dillion to learn what happened ten years ago. Because I liked you.’ [He] laughs. ‘And I told myself that you looked older, and you acted older, so it wasn’t as wrong.’

Five years ago, five of Sunnybrook's cheerleaders left this world. Colleen Coughlin and Bethany Steiger hydroplaned during a storm and drove into a tree, those were the first two cheerleaders that died. Juliana Ruiz and Susan Berry were strangled to death by their neighbor, those were the next two cheerleaders who died. November 7th was the day Jen, Monica's sister committed suicide, Jen was the last cheerleader who died. Jen was beloved by everyone that knew her, she wanted to spend the summer before junior year in South America, volunteering for Habitat for Humanity, Jen also planned on going to veterinary school, her heart just belonged to animals. If you've enjoyed Thomas's books in the past, I can't see you feeling any differently about this one. I had pieces of this one figured out before the reveal, but man if Kara didn't get me on that last one. The tiny details she chose to use to connect various aspects were so clever and engaging that it's easy to see how much she grows as an author with each book she writes. Highly recommended! I'm off to grumble and complain about having nothing good to read until her next novel is published. All hail the queen of the YA thriller! The Hollywood star fearlessly flaunted her jaw-dropping figure at the halftime show, highlighting her endless legs and toned midriff in the sparkling outfit, complete with the iconic blue star-studded belt and matching tiny white vest with just a hint of fringe at the bottom. Jennifer’s sister, Monica, living in the shadow of her perfect sister, is trying to move on, even though her life eerily mirrors her sister’s five years ago – she’s popular, has two best friends, and is a member of the dance team (the club that replaced the cheer squad). But the past won’t let her go, and upon discovering an ominous note citing a connection between all the cheerleaders deaths, Monica starts to unwittingly look into her sister’s past. But unravelling the truth, is a dangerous game, one she just might not survive! Reading The Cheerleaders made me both excited and scared at the same time. I mean, hello, a book about cheerleaders suddenly found dead days within each other? Anyway, safe to say, this book did not disappoint.Five years ago, the Sunnybrook High cheerleading squad was disbanded after several members died under tragic circumstances. First there was the car accident, where two cheerleaders were killed. Then the horrific murders in the house of another. Finally the suicide of Monica’s sister Jen. After this the cheerleading squad was disbanded. In an effort to keep the girl's spirits alive, their high school is now organizing a memorial event in their honor. Don’t forget to listen to the Lifetime Uncorked Podcastavailable on iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts!

This story follows Monica who had an older sister named Jen who was a cheerleader who died. In their town five cheerleaders suspiciously died within a month: two of them were in a car accident, two of them were murdered, and her sister Jen killed herself. Now five years later, Monica is determined to figure out the truth about what really happened to the girls.

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Starring Stephanie Fondue, Denise Dillaway, Jovita Bush, Brandy Woods, Kimberly Hyde, Richard Meatwhistle I also really liked getting some of Jen's chapters because getting to see how her and her friends were sort of falling apart was just tragic. I still feel bad about the suicide but I also really want to know what was on that letter. What was the last factor that made her make that decision - I need to know! I wish there was another secret chapter or something!!