However, the final resolution, after all the buildup, is a bit of a fizzle. There’s more to the story in the book, and it’s no spoiler to say that there is foul play involved. Then Coach’s lover turns up dead-an apparent suicide-but Addy soon finds that some things don’t add up about his demise. Beth gets some of her old power back, and Coach takes Addy under her wing, allowing her to hang out with her and her lover outside of school-which in turn, ignites Beth’s jealousy. When Addy and Beth discover Coach (who’s married) and a military recruiter having illicit sex, it irreversibly changes the dynamic between them all. They all crave her approval, even as she puts them through no-pain-no-gain practices. This sets her and Beth at odds, but all the other cheerleaders, especially Addy, find themselves enraptured by the beautiful and charismatic Coach.

But their new, no-nonsense coach, Colette French, declares that there will be no captain on her squad. Addy Hanlon, the 16-year-old narrator, and her best friend, Beth Cassidy, are both dedicated cheerleaders Beth is the squad’s queen-bee captain with a real mean streak. The book takes place in a Midwestern anytown full of partying teens and apathetic parents. The same can be said for the upcoming USA Network TV-series adaptation, whose first episode airs on Dec. But the killing is by far the least interesting part of the book. This being a crime novel, a few of them also get involved in a sordid murder.

Megan Abbott’s 2012 novel, Dare Me, splits the difference, featuring a mean-girl squad and a tough cheer coach who are dead serious about their craft. There are rare exceptions, such as the 2000 film Bring It On, which largely avoids such stereotypes and refreshingly takes cheerleading seriously as an activity of impressive athleticism and skill. Most often, they serve as vicious and/or dimwitted foils for the nicer, smarter characters. Cheerleaders are common characters in high-school dramas, but they’re rarely the main players.

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