Quinn Littleton was a mean girl—a skinny blonde social terrorist in stilettos. She was everything Emma MacLaren hated. Until she died. A proud geek girl, Emma loves her quiet life on the outskirts, playing video games and staying off the radar. When her nightmare of a new stepsister moves into the bedroom next door, her world is turned upside down. Quinn is a queen bee with a nasty streak who destroys anyone who gets in her way. Teachers, football players, her fellow cheerleaders—no one is safe. Emma wants nothing more than to get this girl out of her life, but when Quinn dies suddenly, Emma realizes there was more to her stepsister than anyone ever realized. A meaningful and humorous exploration of teen stereotypes and grief, Dead Little Mean Girl examines the labels we put on people and what lies beyond if we're only willing to look closer. Gr 6–10—Emma is having the hardest year of her life. Her parents divorced, her mother just came out as lesbian (not a problem, just new), and her mom's girlfriend has the worst daughter in the world. Plus, Emma has to deal with school and friends while dodging the ploys of her evil stepsister, Quinn Littleton, who seems to cause trouble wherever she goes. Quinn is always dressed in the finest clothes and is one of the most beautiful people in school. But it turns out that Quinn isn't as bad as she seems, and maybe Emma isn't that innocent herself. Too bad it takes the death of her mean girl stepsister to make Emma understand the hardships Quinn was experiencing. Though this is an accessible and easy read, it will leave readers with a lot to ponder. Darrows delves into the topic of bullying and goes further, asking the question, Why is the bullying going on in the first place? This YA novel will have teens thinking about how they can stop the cycle. VERDICT This nuanced portrayal of bullying and family drama would be a great choice for any antibullying campaign, especially in school or public libraries serving teens.—Rena Gibson, Ralph Ellison Library, Oklahoma City "The macabre black humor is spot-on, while the subverted tropes rework edgy nihilism into a sniffle-inducing recognition of humanity. Another smart, savage winner from the author of The Awesome." -Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Eva Darrows is the pseudonym for New York Times bestselling author Hillary Monahan, author of Mary: The Summoning and Mary: Unleashed, and, as Eva Darrows, the critically acclaimed The Awesome. Eva lives in Massachusetts with her family of some parts human, more parts fur kids. She can be found on Twitter: @HillaryMonahan.