Nola wants nothing more than a summer on her own?and a job at an upscale Maine coast resort sounds ideal. She'll have plenty of beach time between waitressing, some freedom from stresses back home, and the chance to make new friends. Enter Carly, the perfect pal: full of jokes, ideas, energy?and experienced at being away from her mysterious family. But Carly turns out to be much more complicated than the standard summer buddy?her borderline personality can turn on Nola in a flash, and even love becomes a rivalry. As the girls' instant friendship unhinges by subtle, increasingly powerful turns, the commonplace becomes dramatic?and the outcome unforgettable.

Jennifer Richard Jacobson

Jennifer Richard Jacobson is the author of picture books, stories for beginning readers, and middle-grade novels. Stained is her first book written for young adults. Born and raised in New Hampshire, she attended Lesley College and Harvard Graduate School of Education. She lives with her husband and two children in Maine.