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Table of Contents
About The Book
A group of friends start a secret society in this “intense page-turner” (Kirkus Reviews) from the author of The Telling and The Creeping that examines the all-consuming love of lifelong friendship—and what someone is capable of when they’re afraid of losing it.
Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create something that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.
Izzie loves nothing more than her three best friends, Viv, Graham, and Harry, and the bond the four of them share. And she’s terrified of their friendship falling apart next year when they go off to college. To bind them together, she decides to create something that will belong only to them, a special thing that they’ll always share between the four of them. And so they dream up the Order of IV, a secret society devoted to mischief that rights wrongs and pays back debts. At first, it works like a charm—but when the Order of IV’s escapades get recognition beyond their wildest expectations, other people start wanting in. And soon, what started as a game of friendship is spiraling into something dangerous and beyond their control—and before it’s over, they’ll pay the ultimate sacrifice.
About The Author
Photograph © Lori Huneke
Alexandra Sirowy is the author of The Creeping and The Telling. She was born and raised in Northern California, where she attended a women’s college as an undergraduate and received her MA at the University of San Francisco. She is a voracious reader, the oldest of three children, an avid traveler, a record-holding high school long jumper, a gourmet cook, a feminist, and forever grateful to her parents for reading to her as a child. Alexandra lives in Northern California with her husband.
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers (July 25, 2017)
- Length: 448 pages
- ISBN13: 9781481478441
- Ages: 12 - 99
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Raves and Reviews
"Sirowy is a master of suspense...Shocking, inventive, and woven through with dread, this is a satisfying mystery."
– Booklist
* "Hand this to readers who like their mysteries dark and deep, with strongly developed characters and stunningly good prose."
– BCCB, starred review
"Any fans of How to Get Away with Murder here? If so, this novel’s for you."
– Young Entertainment Mag
"The concept alone makes First We Were IV stand out in the ever-expanding roster of small-town YA thrillers. But Sirowy’s phenomenal execution will have readers salivating to get to the end. Her fine-tuned writing style draws an intricate sketch of events as they unfold and there are no extraneous details that delay the plot. The characters are unique, well-developed and perfectly flawed."
– Romantic Times
"A disturbing, morally gray, intense page-turner."
– Kirkus Reviews
"Alexandra Sirowy uses creepy imagery to peel back the layers of a quaint, coastal town to reveal its seedy core and to bring this twisty ride to its inevitable yet shocking conclusion."
– Bookpage
"Dark, edgy, and wholly unpredictable, Alexandra Sirowy’s First We Were IV is the wild summer read you need."
– The Fandom
"A strong choice for fans of E. Lockhart’s We Were Liars and Lauren Oliver’s Panic."
– School Library Journal
"Alexandra Sirowy's latest thriller spills its secrets drop by drop, exposing the murkiest corners of the human psyche. Disturbingly compelling, and guaranteed to make you shiver this summer."
– Stacey Lee, award winning author of Outrun the Moon
"FIRST WE WERE IV is one of those books that hooks readers from the first page."
– Teenreads
"A small town legend, a missing redhead, a monster in the forest...Sirowy'sThe Creeping is a haunting, modern day folktale, in the darkest sense of the word. Fantastic."
– April Genevieve Tucholke, author of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, on THE CREEPING
"Leave[s] chills long after the last page."
– Publishers Weekly, on THE CREEPING
"Genuine and truly eerie. Readers will be up all night finishing Sirowy's debut."
– Romantic Times, on THE CREEPING
"Sirowy successfully weaves in an unnerving supernatural backstory, but the book’s very human conclusion is far more frightening than any of the town’s superstitions. A solid choice for horror fans, this novel will is a spook-tastic spine-tingler."
– School Library Journal, on THE CREEPING
"Delivers with a nicely suspenseful plot that builds to a crisis point. Intriguing all the way through."
– Kirkus Reviews, on THE CREEPING
"[For] horror fans looking for a creepy thrill."
– BCCB, on THE CREEPING
“Haunting…[an] addictive novel."
– Publishers Weekly, on THE TELLING
“Will leave readers stunned and satisfied.”
– Booklist, on THE TELLING
"A neatly done murder mystery."
– Kirkus Reviews, on THE TELLING
"Lana’s got a steely edge to her narration, even in her most vulnerable moments, and her confident determination that she’s going to figure out what is going on may inspire plenty of readers to follow her."
– BCCB, on THE TELLING
Awards and Honors
- Bank Street Children's Book Award
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): First We Were IV eBook 9781481478441
- Author Photo (jpg): Alexandra Sirowy Photograph © Lori Huneke(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
