Haunted by Five Deaths

Five years ago, the town of Sunnybrook was shattered by the deaths of five cheerleaders in three separate incidents: a car crash, a double murder, and a suicide. The community, and especially Monica Rayburn, the younger sister of the last victim, Jennifer, still live in the shadow of these events. The cheerleading squad was disbanded, but the memories and rumors persist, haunting Monica as she tries to move forward with her own life.

Monica's Painful Secrets

Monica, now a high school junior and dance team member, is weighed down by both physical and emotional pain. She's recovering from a secret abortion after a summer fling with Brandon, the new cross-country coach, who is much older and now dating someone else. Monica's family is fractured, her relationship with her mother is tense, and she feels isolated, defined by her sister's legacy and her own mistakes.

The Ghosts of Cheerleaders

Monica is constantly reminded of her sister and the other dead girls—through school memorials, photos, and the town's collective memory. She's approached to participate in a memorial ceremony, which forces her to confront her unresolved feelings about Jen's death. Monica is convinced her sister would never have killed herself, and the lack of a suicide note only deepens her doubts.

Unanswered Questions and Old Phones

While searching for painkillers in her stepfather Tom's office, Monica finds anonymous letters sent every year on the anniversary of Jen's death, all hinting that the official story is wrong. She also discovers Jen's old cell phone, hidden and wiped of messages, but with a mysterious call on the day Jen died. Monica texts the number, opening a line of communication with someone who claims to know the truth.

Anonymous Warnings

The person Monica contacts warns her not to trust Tom and hints that the deaths are connected. Monica's investigation leads her to Ethan McCready, a former classmate expelled for making a "hit list" of cheerleaders. Ethan claims he was friends with Jen and that he saw something the night of the murders, but Tom, a police sergeant, dismissed his account.

The Hit List and the Outcast

Ethan was ostracized after being accused of threatening the cheerleaders, but Monica learns that Jen was the only one not on his list. Through yearbooks and old friends, Monica and her new ally Ginny Cordero piece together that Ethan and Jen had a complicated, secret friendship. Ethan's warnings and the town's rush to blame the neighbor, Jack Canning, for the murders begin to seem less clear-cut.

Connecting the Dots

Monica and Ginny, both outsiders in their own ways, team up to investigate. They discover inconsistencies in the official story, including witness statements about a pickup truck near the murder scene and the possibility that the car crash that killed two cheerleaders was not an accident. The girls realize that the deaths may be linked by more than just bad luck.

The Butterfly Effect

Ginny introduces the idea that a single event could have set off the chain of tragedies. The girls theorize that the deaths are not isolated, but the result of a series of choices and secrets, each amplifying the next. They begin to suspect that someone close to the victims—possibly a boyfriend or friend—may have played a role.

The Truth About Ethan

Pressed by Monica, Ethan admits he lied about where he was the night of the murders. He was actually with Jen, sneaking out of her room, and saw a confrontation at the Berry house from her roof. He describes seeing Juliana arguing with someone in a pickup truck, but his account was dismissed by police because of a privacy fence. Ethan's guilt and grief mirror Monica's, and he becomes both a suspect and a victim of the town's need for closure.

The Pickup Truck Mystery

Monica and Ginny trace the pickup truck to a group of older guys, friends of the cheer coach's boyfriend. Through social media and technology sleuthing and interviews, they learn that Juliana was involved with one of these men, and that she was threatening to expose him. The coach, Allie, and her boyfriend's friend, Brandon, become central to the investigation.

Carly's Lies and Juliana's Fate

Carly Amato, a senior cheerleader at the time, lied about her relationship with Juliana and her knowledge of the older guys. Pressured by Monica and Ginny, Carly admits that Juliana was scared and wanted out, but the men were dangerous. The night of the murders, Juliana was seen getting out of the pickup truck, and a violent argument ensued.

The Coach, the Boyfriend, the Dealer

Allie, the former coach, and her boyfriend's circle are implicated in supplying drugs and manipulating the younger girls. Monica learns that Brandon, now her ex-fling and the cross-country coach, was involved with Juliana and present the night she died. The adults' secrets and failures to protect the girls are laid bare.

Brandon's Dark Past

Monica confronts Brandon after realizing he has a dog bite scar matching the attack on the night of the murders. Brandon confesses: he was having a relationship with Juliana, who threatened to expose him. In a panic, he killed her and Susan, then let the town blame Jack Canning. Monica records his confession, but he attacks her, and Ginny intervenes, saving Monica's life.

The Final Confrontation

Monica and Ginny survive Brandon's attack, and the police arrest him. The truth about the murders, the cover-up, and the adult complicity comes out. Monica's family, especially her stepfather Tom, must reckon with their own roles in the tragedy and the town's need for easy answers.

Aftermath and Moving Forward

Monica is publicly identified as Brandon's victim, but the community is supportive. She quits the dance team, choosing to step away from the toxic legacy of the cheerleaders. Monica and Ginny's friendship deepens, and Monica begins to forgive herself and her family, even as she mourns her sister.

Ginny's Hidden Truth

In a final twist, it's revealed that Ginny's father caused the car crash that killed two cheerleaders, but she kept it secret, believing he deserved his fate. Ginny's guilt and silence are a parallel to Monica's journey, showing how trauma and survival are intertwined.

The Weight of Survival

Monica, Ginny, and Ethan all struggle with survivor's guilt and the knowledge that their actions, or inactions, shaped the tragedy. The book explores how the living carry the weight of the dead, and how moving forward requires both truth and forgiveness.

Choosing to Live in the Light

Monica decides to stop living in the shadow of the past. She chooses to believe in her own worth, to accept her family's love, and to let go of the need for perfect answers. The story ends with Monica, Ginny, and the town beginning to heal, even as they remember the girls they lost.

Characters

Monica Rayburn

Monica is the protagonist, a high school junior defined by her sister Jen's suicide and the town's collective trauma. She is intelligent, stubborn, and deeply wounded, struggling with guilt, anger, and a sense of alienation. Monica's relationships—with her mother, stepfather Tom, and friends—are strained by secrets and her relentless need for answers. Her journey is one of self-forgiveness, learning to accept help, and ultimately choosing to live rather than be consumed by the past.

Ginny Cordero

Ginny is Monica's unlikely ally, a former gymnast and dance team member who is overlooked by most. She is empathetic, resourceful, and loyal, but carries her own secret: her abusive father caused the car crash that killed two cheerleaders. Ginny's guilt and silence mirror Monica's, and her willingness to help Monica is both an act of penance and a search for connection. Ginny's development is about finding her voice and accepting that survival sometimes means living with impossible choices.

Jennifer Rayburn

Jen is present throughout the novel as a memory, a standard Monica can't live up to, and a mystery to be solved. She was beloved, ambitious, and kind, but also deeply lonely and struggling with her own pain. Jen's secret friendship with Ethan and her inability to confide in her family highlight the isolation that can come with trauma. Her death is the catalyst for the story, and her absence shapes every character's arc.

Tom Carlino

Monica's stepfather, Tom, is a police sergeant who becomes a symbol of both authority and fallibility. He loves Monica and Jen as his own, but his need to protect the family leads him to hide uncomfortable truths and dismiss inconvenient evidence. Tom's struggle is with guilt—over Jen's death, the shooting of Jack Canning, and his inability to save everyone. His arc is about learning to accept imperfection and the limits of control.

Ethan McCready

Ethan is the former classmate expelled for making a "hit list," but in reality, he was a lonely, misunderstood boy who had a complicated friendship with Jen. He is both a red herring and a victim, carrying the town's suspicion and his own guilt for not being able to save Jen. Ethan's development is about seeking redemption and connection, and his warnings to Monica are both a plea for understanding and a challenge to the town's easy answers.

Brandon Michaelson

Brandon is the new cross-country coach, Monica's older summer fling, and ultimately revealed as the murderer of Juliana and Susan. He is manipulative, charming, and deeply self-serving, using his position to exploit vulnerable girls. Brandon's arc is a study in the banality of evil—how predators hide in plain sight, and how communities can be complicit in their silence.

Carly Amato

Carly is a former cheerleader who lies about her relationship with Juliana and the older men involved in the girls' lives. She is tough, defensive, and shaped by her own traumas. Carly's refusal to help at first is self-protective, but she ultimately provides key information. Her character illustrates how victims and bystanders can become complicit through fear and shame.

Rachel Steiger

Rachel is Monica's best friend and the cousin of one of the dead cheerleaders. She is supportive but increasingly alienated by Monica's obsession with the past. Rachel's arc is about the limits of friendship and the ways grief can isolate even those who care most.

Alexa Santiago

Alexa is Monica's other close friend, more focused on the present and social status than the past. She provides levity but also represents the pressure to move on and fit in, even when the past is unresolved.

Mrs. Coughlin

The mother of one of the dead girls and a teacher at the school, Mrs. Coughlin is both a figure of authority and a symbol of the town's inability to let go. Her insistence on memorials and discipline is a way of coping with her own loss.

Plot Devices

Dual Timelines and Flashbacks

The novel alternates between Monica's present-day investigation and flashbacks to the events leading up to the cheerleaders' deaths. This structure allows the reader to piece together the mystery alongside Monica, gradually revealing secrets and shifting suspicions. The flashbacks also humanize the victims, showing their hopes, fears, and relationships.

Unreliable Narrators and Misdirection

Monica, Ethan, and other characters are unreliable in their memories and interpretations, reflecting the confusion and trauma of the events. The town's rush to judgment, the scapegoating of Ethan, and the dismissal of inconvenient evidence all serve to misdirect both the characters and the reader, heightening suspense and emphasizing the dangers of easy answers.

Symbolism of Pain and Survival

Monica's physical pain (from her abortion, from Brandon's attack) mirrors her emotional wounds. The recurring theme of survival—what it means to live after trauma, to carry guilt, to choose life—is explored through multiple characters. The motif of "connecting the dots" becomes a metaphor for making sense of chaos and finding meaning in suffering.

Social Media and Technology

Monica and Ginny use social media, old phones, and digital sleuthing to uncover secrets, reflecting the ways technology both connects and isolates. The anonymous texts, deleted messages, and hidden photos are plot devices that drive the investigation and reveal the limits of digital evidence.

The Butterfly Effect

The idea that a single action can set off a chain of tragedies is central to the novel. Each character's choices—whether to speak up, to protect, to hide—ripple outward, shaping the fates of others. This device underscores the interconnectedness of trauma and the impossibility of isolating blame.

Analysis

The Cheerleaders is more than a whodunit; it's a psychological exploration of how communities process tragedy, the dangers of scapegoating, and the complexity of survival. Kara Thomas uses the framework of a mystery to interrogate the ways adults fail to protect children, how secrets fester in silence, and how the need for closure can blind us to uncomfortable truths. The novel's greatest strength is its empathy for the living and the dead alike, refusing to offer easy villains or heroes. Instead, it asks what it means to live with pain, to forgive ourselves and others, and to choose hope in the aftermath of horror. The lesson is clear: healing requires both truth and compassion, and sometimes the bravest thing is to keep living, even when the past refuses to let go.

Last updated: May 8, 2025