ABOUT THIS BOOK

When longtime animosities between a Mexican and a white American student at a Texas high school finally flare into violence, one ends up in the hospital with a broken arm and a fractured ego. A few hours later, the other ends up dead. In the reverb, friends and enemies alike are left to grapple with loss, suspicion, and rapidly escalating racial tensions. Narrated with brutal candor by six boys—each with a very different take on the week’s events—The Confessional blends murder mystery, contemporary politics, and high school drama to create a gritty, fast-paced read.


REVIEWS

“Power’s first novel powerfully combines timely story lines regarding illegal immigration, school violence, and racial tension.” —Publishers Weekly, Starred


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

J. L. Powers’s yen to tell the story of The Confessional began when she worked on a local paper and taught writing in El Paso, Texas. She lives in San Bruno, California.