They'll Never Catch Us

Well, if it isn t the Steckler sisters. Coach Gary crosses his arms over his broad chest and widens his stance. He s wearing a blue Edgewater hat over his bald head and his legs are bronze, as if he s been outside every day for the past three months. When a breeze rustles his shorts, I glimpse his pearly white thighs where his tan line makes a hard stop.

Miss us, Coach? Ellie teases. But as soon as she says it, her face turns red, like she forgot she was greeting the dude who earned the nickname Coach Scary after he made a whole bunch of freshmen cry last year. But he gets results. And that s what everyone cares about. That s what I care about.

You two? Nah, he says, playing along. His dark eyes narrow and he tilts his head toward me. Breakbridge do you right?

I nod.

It better have, he says. You ve got a lot to prove this year.

I straighten my spine and don t look away. I know.

He snaps a piece of gum. Looking forward to seeing what you ve got. His eyes move over my shoulder and I turn to follow his gaze toward the bleachers. There, sitting in the front row, is a small white woman with gray hair and sunglasses, holding a clipboard. She s wearing a polo shirt and hiking shorts. I don t recognize her from the college recruiter lists.

What school is she from? I ask, fear building in my stomach. Scouts aren t supposed to come to practices. Hell, we re lucky when they show up to meets.

Ours, he says, his voice gruff and frustrated. School board oversight. They just wanted to keep an eye on things after last year.

Ellie lets out a groan.

Shut it, Baby Steckler, Coach snaps. I don t have time for this. You re my squad. My girls. Just have to show em I still have a handle on you lot.

Ellie clamps her mouth shut and looks to the ground. Before we can say anything else, we re interrupted by whooping and hollering. I turn to the parking lot to see Tamara Johnson,

Jessica Goodman is the op-ed editor at Cosmopolitan and author of They Wish They Were Us. They'll Never Catch Us is her second novel. Follow Jessica on Twitter @jessgood and on Instagram @jessicagoodman.

PRAISE FOR THEY LL NEVER CATCH US
 
A fast paced thriller Entertainment Weekly

[A] thrilling mystery of friendship, deception and jealousy" Women.com

Uniquely explores the complexities of sisters BuzzFeed
 
Goodman has delivered yet another twist-filled tale .Clear your schedule now because you won t be able to put this one down. E! Online
 
Beautiful Hudson Valley hiking trails are the perfect setting for this twisty small-town mystery. Cosmopolitan

If you like your beach reads more on the thriller side, you should definitely pick up Jessica Goodman s They ll Never Catch Us. The Young Folks

They ll Never Catch Us fully establishes Goodman as a force to be reckoned with in the world of contemporary YA thrillers Another twisty and suspenseful murder mystery [A] story of sisterhood and survival, the horrors of high school, the cruelty that young women are taught to show to one another. Culturess

[A] twisty, page-turning new novel out this week Like her fantastic first book, it s a Y.A. thriller about murder, gossip, the terror-scape that is the high school lunchroom, and competitive young women with ambitions too big for the boxes they re expected to fit into. Rich Text Podcast

There s a palpable passion for the joy and power of running as well as some biting commentary about restrictions on young women. Readers will sympathize with Stella s need for speed and keep the pages turning swiftly in response.   BCCB

This novel is a thoughtful examination of socio-economic challenges, the impact of crushing personal secrets, and the ways female athletes suffer under the weight of misogyny, especially when they are aggressively competitive. A deftly layered sports thriller populated with fierce girls. Kirkus Reviews

Suspenseful and gripping, yet a heart-wrenching coming-of-age story, you won t