This is a story of two friends. Tress and Felicity were the best of friends, the two halves of a heart pendant split apart so both friends can wear it close to their own hearts. Then it all went wrong.

Tress Montor has the name, one of the names that stands for prestige and power in their small town. But when she was in fourth grade, her parents disappeared without a trace. She was sent to live with her grandfather Cecil, in his trailer, by his roadside zoo. Where before her life was school, dinners with her parents, and sleepovers with her best friend, now her life is helping to care for the animals and watching her former best friend party with the cool kids at school, her parents new fortune making her life so easy.

Felicity Turnado doesn’t have the name that means something in town, but her parents have the money. Felicity is a good daughter, listening to her parents and trying to do what’s best for everyone. Her parents tell her not to flaunt their wealth, so she doesn’t. Her parents encourage her to have the “right” kind of friends, so she does. Her parents want her to keep her epilepsy a secret, so she does. No one is supposed to know, which is difficult when the drugs and alcohol she ingests at parties interfere with her anti-seizure medicine. But she can’t stop using. Because she was there the night Tress’s parents went missing, and she can’t forgive herself for that.

When they were in fourth grade, Tress and Felicity were the best of friends. On a sleepover at Tress’s house, Felicity felt a seizure coming on. She knew her parents didn’t want her to seize in front of everyone, so she asked Tress’s parents to drive her home, even though it was after midnight. The next thing Tress can remember is being on the side of the side of the road, alone and wet. Tress’s parents were nowhere to be found.

In the seven years since that night, both girls have been trapped in their secrets and their lies, trying to piece together what possibly could have happened and dealing with the consequences. Felicity insists that she remembers nothing. Tress doesn’t believe her and comes up with a plan to scare her into finally telling the truth. Tress is going to find out what happened that night, no matter the consequences.

Author Mindy McGinnis is known for her taut teenage thrillers, and The Initial Insult is no different. Inspired by the Edgar Allan Poe story “The Cask of Amontillado,” this story will keep you guessing the outcome until the very last page. Told in alternating perspectives of Tress, Felicity, and the panther in Tress’s grandfather’s zoo, The Initial Insult is an engrossing tale of secrets between friends and how those secrets can destroy the foundation of any relationship.

I was genuinely shocked at the ending of The Initial Insult. The voices of these characters drew me in to their stories, and I could feel their pain. I heard their secrets. I paid attention to their hopes and dreams. And then I couldn’t believe what happened to them. This is one intense, often painful novel to read, but if you decide to buy a ticket for the ride, it is one you will never forget. The Initial Insult will stick with me for many weeks to come, and I will never think of high school friendship quite the same way again.

Voice galleys for The Initial Insult were provided by Harper Children’s (Katherine Tegen Books) through NetGalley, with many thanks.