The Telling, by Alexandra Sirowy, is a murder mystery and a coming of age story, which deals with social issues confronting today’s teens sensitively.  Lana McBrook divides her life into “before” and “after.”  Before includes her stepbrother, Ben; after does not.  Ben was murdered under suspicious circumstances; then others involved with Lana and Ben are also murdered.  This story is tightly written, with believable characters having realistic interactions.  There are interesting plot twists, and very good storytelling.  However, Lana does tend to go on a bit with some of her descriptions. The author is in no hurry to delve into the murders, prefering to establish the main characters and their relationships first.  The main thrust, besides the murders, is in exploring interactions among the main characters.  Lana was never part of the “in-group,“ keeping to herself along with her best friend.  After Ben’s murder, she is welcomed into this group and devotes a lot of time in learning how to resolve the sudden change.  There are elements to attract audiences of different types of literature.  There is a murder mystery, a ghost story, high school tensions, the meaning of the changing aspects of friendship, and, above all, courage in the face of adversity.  A murder mystery with surprising twists, an element of otherworldlyness, high school social angst, and personal growth for the main characters, The Telling will draw the reader into its web from the very first sentence.  Highly recommended.