The Little Black Dress
""More than a simple coming of age novel..." "
Synopsis:
Carmen is the most beautiful and desirable girl Lucy has ever known, and when she is savagely murdered, Lucy's teenage life crumbles. Devastated by the loss of her first love, fearing that her killers might never be found Lucy vows to solve the murder herself.
Then Lucy befriends Seth, the new boy at school, who is not only a master computer hacker but also the son of LA's new Chief of Homicide, and together they gain access to the gruesome autopsy reports. Learning the true extent of the horror inflicted on Carmen, Lucy gets closer to understanding the secret behind Carmen's little black dress.
When another beautiful girl is murdered, Lucy and Seth uncover the brutality lurking within the corridors of their privileged Los Angeles high school and put their lives on the line to come face to face with the murderer himself.
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Review:
Do you remember your first love? The worry and stress of trying to keep it? The pain of its loss? Lucy does. 'The Little Black Dress' is a great little LGBT novel, aimed at young adults, that captures all of those feelings well, along with the frustrations caused by a police department being unsuccessful in catching those responsible for Lucy's pain. More than a simple coming of age novel where Lucy embraces her sexuality and does what's required to move on with her life, Palund has written a complete tale with all of the elements you expect from a good crime novel, insidious plot, sex, violence, and all perfectly pitched at its target audience. 'The Little Black Dress' is a title I would certainly recommend as a great transition novel from those crime novels clearly written for children and pre-teens, to those enjoyed by adults around the world every day.