Told through a series of redacted confessions recorded by a secret agency, this is the story of Talya—a girl who’s equal parts Katniss Everdeen and Harriet the Spy. She navigates crushes, cliques, bullies, and conspiracies, all while proving one undeniable truth—high school is pure torture.
Having lost her parents and her memory, Talya’s only goal is to survive senior year. When Axel walks into her English class, she’s convinced he’s a spy who holds the key to her past and can save her from a sinister plot. After she stumbles upon a real conspiracy, Axel reluctantly gives her the tools to protect herself. But Talya has secrets of her own—and even under interrogation, she won’t admit the real reason she’s drawn to the enigmatic, attractive new student.
When the homecoming football game explodes into an international crisis, Talya discovers she’s not just at risk—she may be the biggest threat of all.
Renate Wildermuth sometimes writes fiction under the name Adria Townsend because it’s easier to pronounce. Her articles, stories and essays have appeared in The San Francisco Chronicle, The Miami Herald, Adirondack Life Magazine, and on Public Radio. A habitual educator, she has taught German in public and private high schools and at universities. She lives in south-central Pennsylvania with her husband and their two children.
Reviews:
“Wildermuth’s debut features snappy prose that hearkens back to the hardboiled mysteries of Hammett and Chandler.” —Booklist
“The narrator] has a voice that is peculiar, blunt, sarcastic, and endlessly engaging as she drives the plot by sheer force of personality.” —Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Johns Hopkins University Press
“Young adults will certainly enjoy it and identify with the student characters (and maybe the suggestion that high school is a prison). But the layers, the stories within the stories — the history a wounded civics teacher embodies, e.g. — appeals also to adult readers.” —Adirondack Daily Enterprise
“… a fun read because it has a little bit of everything, so all readers get what they need.”—Moore Books
Praise for Gone Before You Knew Me
Gone Before You Knew Me is a great any-age novel. The tone is fast and smart. Wildermuth is an author with the skill to weave tiny, telling moments into a riveting story of school corridors and spy rings.
—Brendan Foley, best-selling author and creator of Sherlock & Daughter
A mysterious opening, an exciting ending and a whole lot of smart writing in between, Gone Before You Knew Me is a terrific read.
—Ken Jaworowski, Edgar-nominated author of Small Town Sins
With delightful doses of clever humor, perceptive insights, and the perfect pinch of romance, Gone Before You Knew Me is an absolutely winning read from first sentence to last.
—Neil Connelly, author of Into the Hurricane
Gone Before You Knew Me is a gripping tale of survival and grit. Fans of Alex Rider and The Hunger Games will find Talya a compelling character.
—Nev March, award-winning author of Murder in Old Bombay
Not your everyday outsider girl surviving high school story–not by a football field. Twists and intrigue speed down the hallways, along with teen angst and humor.
—Patricia Marcantonio, author of Best Amigas
