* "Equal parts endearing spunk and heartbreaking vulnerability, Sid Murphy is a character who feels more like family by story's end. The story-and even more importantly, Sid herself-will stay with readers long after the final page is turned. Kudos to Clayton for crafting a powerful, moving debut." ""Kirkus" (starred review)"" "Layering first love over trauma reveals a true struggle between moments of hope and despair that feels realistic for a young survivor, and Sid is a strong-voiced, sympathetic narrator who is easy to root for." ""The Horn Book""" "Sad, funny, and true, this book hits all the right notes" "Miranda Kenneally, author of" Catching Jordan "and" Stealing Parker""" "Debut author Clayton doesn't simplify Sid or her emotions... painfully realistic yet hopeful." ""PW""" "Girls will see themselves or someone they know in this thought-provoking story as it gets passed from friend to friend." ""SLJ""" "By turn heart-breaking, comic, and intensely truthful, Sid's story is a small gem of a book... This exceptional novel is an essential acquisition for all libraries serving teens." ""VOYA""" "Colleen Clayton's characters stuck with me long after I finished reading this great debut novel." "Lucy Christopher, Printz Honor Winning author of "Stolen""" "Real teenagers. Real issues. Real writing. I read "What Happens Next" in one big swoop. Heartbreaking, but still filled with hope and promise, author Colleen Clayton knows that the past can't be rewritten, but you can ruin the future by not learning from it." "Holly Goldberg Sloan, author of "I'll Be There""" "I absolutely devoured this book, and found myself reading the final pages more and more slowly, trying to put off seeing it end. I haven't been this in love with a set of characters in maybe forever. Sid's sassy spunk is as vibrant as her wild hair, and her painful dilemma made all the more real by her struggle to keep it hidden beneath her I-Got-This grit. Corey's gentle acceptance, sensitivity, and loyalty make him totally swoonworthy. This book is for every girl who thinks she's got everything under control, for every girl who thinks rape can't happen to her, and for every girl who thinks she knows how she would respond to the worst. May we all have a bit of Sid in us -- smart, strong, spunky, and ultimately aware that we can't do it all on our own." "Jennifer Brown, author of "Hate List, Bitter End, "and "Perfect Escape"""
Before the ski trip, Cassidy "Sid" Murphy was a cheerleader (on the bottom of the pyramid, but still...), a straight-A student, and a member of a solid trio of best friends. After the ski trip, she is an insomniac, an obsessive late-night runner, and her best friends haven't talked to her in months.
Taller and more developed than your average sixteen-year-old, Sid's never really been the object of affection for boys her own age, so when she's thrown on a ski lift with hunky local college boy, Dax Windsor, she's smitten. "Come to a party with me tonight," he tells her, but Dax isn't what he seems. He takes everything from Sid - including a lock of her perfect red curls - and she can't remember any of it.
Back home, Sid drops her college prep classes and takes up residence in the A/V room with only Corey "The Living Stoner" Livingston for company. But as she gets to know Corey (slacker, baker, total dreamboat), Sid finds someone who truly makes her happy and she can almost forget what happened. Now, if only she can shake the nightmares and reach her goal weight, everything will be perfect... or so Sid thinks.
What Happens Next is a natural and approachable, pitch-perfect portrayal of the aftermath of date rape.