The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman

"Unexplained disappearances. Suspicious deaths. There's something wrong with the woods behind St. Bede's Academy.

When Cally Wood starts at St. Bede's halfway through her junior year, she's suddenly thrust into a world of privilege and prestige, and in no time flat, she learns to navigate the complex social world of the upper echelon. But amid the illicit romances and weekend-long parties, Cally discovers that a brilliant but troubled girl named Iris disappeared from St. Bede's just a few months ago. Most people assume she ran away, but the police still haven't found her. And Iris wouldn't be the first girl to go missing from the school. Ten years ago, Cally's sister was visiting a friend from camp at St. Bede's when both girls vanished from their beds.

As Cally tries to unravel the mystery surrounding Iris--one she can't help but link to her own sister's disappearance--she discovers that beneath the surface of this elite school and its perfect students lies a web of secrets where rumors are indistinguishable from truths and it seems everyone has something to hide."

This was pretty good. I liked the characters overall, some more than others. I think it may have been written for a slightly different personality type than me; Cally tends to lean toward the more skater-type, rebellious personality. I was able to get along with it okay, though. I think the part that I liked most about the book was the mystery element. I didn't like the romance in it much. Cally has a problem of making some really idiotic decisions when it comes to boyfriends, which at times in the book just made me want to yell at her. Seriously, she's not good at decision-making or reading people. But anyway, the "creepy" element was good enough to keep me reading, and most of the characters I grew to like. It kept me fairly hooked, so there's that. I think it the "prestige" angle was played up to good effect, mostly. It made the book more interesting for me, but I don't know how other people like it. In conclusion, I'd say it's a book for certain audiences. If it looks good to you, go for it. If you're unsure, proceed with caution. It's at Kettleson.