Overturned

Description

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas . . . Nikki Tate is infamous, even by Las Vegas standards. Her dad is sitting on death row, convicted of killing his best friend in a gambling dispute turned ugly. And for five years, he's maintained his innocence. But Nikki wants no part of that. She's been working on Operation Escape Vegas: playing in illegal card games so she can save up enough money to get out come graduation day.Then her dad's murder conviction is overturned. The new evidence seems to come out of nowhere and Nikki's life becomes a mess when he's released from prison. Because the dad who comes home is not the dad she remembers. And he's desperately obsessed with finding out who framed him--and why.As her dad digs into the seedy underbelly of Vegas, the past threatens everything and Nikki is drawn into his deadly hunt for the truth. But in the city of sin, some sinners will do anything to keep their secrets, and Nikki soon finds herself playing for the biggest gamble ever--her life.

Lamar Giles is the author of The Getaway; Spin which was a New York Times Editors' Choice and a YALSA Quick Pick; Overturned, which was also a YALSA Quick Pick; Not So Pure and Simple; Fake ID, which was an Edgar Award finalist and a YALSA Quick Pick; and Endangered, which was also an Edgar Award finalist. He the editor of the anthology Fresh Ink and has contributed to many other anthologies as well. Lamar is a founding member of We Need Diverse Books. He resides in Virginia with his family.

Praise for Lamar Giles "My twin, Lamar, is a phenomenal, innovative storyteller. His thrillers have laid the groundwork for us all. A true king!" --Tiffany D. Jackson, New York Timesbestselling author of Grown and The Weight of Blood "Lamar Giles's work always has something to say, and it's well worth your while to listen." --Barry Lyga, New York Times bestselling author of I Hunt Killers "When I think of Lamar Giles's work, I think of the books that make kids love reading. Whether it's through a fantasy adventure or a nuanced YA novel, he offers readers smart characters who face impossible circumstances that will keep them guessing until the end. A Lamar Giles book never disappoints." --Meg Medina, New York Times bestselling author of Burn Baby Burn Praise for Overturned A YALSA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers A Kirkus Best Book of the Year * "An utterly compelling whodunit." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review "Giles, a founding member of We Need Diverse Books and two-time Edgar Award finalist, is in top form, weaving together the threads of his whodunit-and-why and resonantly depicting his characters' home and school lives. As a poker genius Nikki may be a singular sort of teenager, but she's grounded in desires and motivations that make her story as moving as it is thrilling." -- New York Times Book Review "Another Giles winner." -- BCCB "A fast-paced, endlessly intriguing mystery." -- Booklist "Giles excels at pulpy crime drama, including a romance with a wealthy casino heir, scattering a trail of clues and bluffs to keep readers guessing." -- Publishers Weekly Praise for The Getaway "Timely, thrilling, and gripping from start to finish. An absolute page-turner." --Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying "The Getaway grabbed me from page one and didn't let go. I was immediately fascinated and disturbed by the fictional Karloff Country. You too will be lured in and then horrified by the truth behind those perfect customer service smiles..." --Malinda Lo, New York Times best selling author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club Praise for SpinA New York Times Book Review Editors' ChoiceYALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers "The first test of a whodunit is how heart-stopping and strange a thing has actually been dun. In Spin, Lamar Giles nails the murder...What's even more impressive is the subtle stuff you almost don't notice because Giles wears his intellect so lightly: the masterly knowledge of hip-hop and R&B; the command of technology's uses and abuses; the discerning ear for the way high schoolers talk.... A two-time nominee for an Edgar award, Giles is a terrific plotter...Spin champions the resourcefulness of teenagers and pities the grown-ups--villainous or just clueless--who underestimate them." --New York Times Book Review * "Not to be missed." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review) * "Spin delivers everything you could want in a book: lush, complex characters; a spine-chilling plot; a vividly drawn world; and, best of all, hip hop." --Booklist (starred review) * "This novel transcends its genre." --School Library Journal (starred review) * "This fast-paced tale seizes attention from the first thrown punch to the final curtain call...." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Lamar Giles has spun together a fast-paced, music-forward whodunit..." --School Library Connection Praise for Overturned"An utterly compelling whodunit." --Kirkus Reviews (starred review)"Giles once again spins a twisting, involving mystery played out among a diverse cast, and again race plays a cunning hand, with the African-American Tate family painfully aware that Nate's conviction had as much to do with his identity as evidence...[A]nother Giles winner." --BCCB"A fast-paced, endlessly intriguing mystery." --Booklist"A fast-paced, compelling mystery." --School Library Journal"Giles, a founding member of We Need Diverse Book, has written a fast-paced mystery." --VOYA"Giles excels at pulpy crime drama, including a romance with a wealthy casino heir, scattering a trail of clues and bluffs to keep readers guessing." --Publishers Weekly"Giles, a founding member of We Need Diverse Books and two-time Edgar Award finalist, is in top form, weaving together the threads of his whodunit-and-why and resonantly depicting his characters' home and school lives. As a poker genius Nikki may be a singular sort of teenager, but she's grounded in desires and motivations that make her story as moving as it is thrilling." --New York Times Book ReviewPraise for Fake ID"Giles ups the ante of YA witness-protection tales with a chilling foray into a much broader conspiracy, teasing readers with plausible suspects and clever misdirections that play off the tropes of running-from-the-mob stories." --BCCB (starred review)"Fast action, judicious plot twists, and sufficiently evil teens and adults should keep thrill-seeking readers awake long into the night." --Kirkus Reviews"Conspiracy theorists and thriller fans alike will be guessing right up to the end of this exciting debut." --Booklist*An ALA Top Ten Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers**Edgar Award Finalist*Praise for Endangered"Frequent plot twists and short, fast-moving sentences keep tension high. Suspenseful and often wise." --Kirkus Reviews"Giles writes a fast-paced, gripping suspense novel with an engaging whodunit mystery." --VOYA"Giles crafts an unpredictable psychological thriller filled with murky choices and colorful characters." - Publishers Weekly"This title delivers another skillfully devised plot, supported by a fully fleshed cast whose identities . . . complicate but do not solely define their characters." --BCCB*Edgar Award Finalist*