[♥] The Lifeguard

The Lifeguard

Richie Tankersley Cusick

Page Count: 213

Genre: Young Adult Horror

Cusick’s second novel The Lifeguard is a little lengthier than her premier novel, Evil on the Bayou. In this novel we see her character development evolve and  we also see more of the lush detail that we’ve come to love.

Right in the prologue we find out that there has been a murder. In fact, we vaguely see the murder through the killer’s eyes. But we have no idea who this person is. All we know is that he is (or perhaps was) a lifeguard.

In the first chapter we are introduced to our main character, Kelsey Tanner. She is en route to an island with her mother to spend the summer with her mother’s boyfriend, Eric. Kelsey would rather be going with her friend’s cabin for the summer, but Mom has the last say, and that’s that. As their boat pulls up to the island, Eric frantically greets them with news that his daughter, Beth, is missing. Soon we are thrown into a "who dunnit" type of story that has many twists and turns along the way. Could the killer be one of Eric’s sons: the charming Justin or the dark and mysterious Neale? Their best friend, Skip, who was the last person to be seen with Beth? Or perhaps Isaac, the creepy town drunk who seems to mysteriously appear wherever Kelsey is? Or could it be someone else all together?

The characters in this story are hard not to fall in love with. The dialogue between the teenagers is so real and their personalities, while not perfect, are positively enchanting. Once again, Cusick does an amazing job of painting the scenery with her gorgeous language. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you captivated, but not so much that it seems over the top. It will definitely keep you guessing until the end.

While this book is categorized as Young Adult Horror, it’s definitely a good read for anyone who likes any type of mystery or thriller novels. Although it is no longer in print, you can find used copies for sale on amazon, ebay, or bn.com. I strongly recommend buying a copy!