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As a huge fan of courtroom dramas, I really enjoyed this and especially the switch between timelines - then and now.
Emily has argued with her best friend, Shell, and feels invisible at school, so when one of the more popular girls takes a liking to her, Emily is delighted. And so begins the spiral of wanting to please her new friend so that she can fit in.
Yet, it takes just one ordinary event to change Emily's life for good - babysitting. By joining her friend on an evening's babysitting, Emily is introduced to the family she is later accused of negligently killing. It's a page turner to understand Emily's inner thoughts, to recognise how the need to fit in drives her to give in to peer pressure even though she knows that leaving the young children on their own is wrong. That fateful weakness lands her in a whole load of trouble - could it be any worse than ending up on a manslaughter charge?
The court case is riveting, as those in her "new friendship group" are not above twisting the truth to save themselves. Yet it is the care shown to her by her family and old friends that gets her through the darkest moments - until she decides to testify in the case herself. Can she really explain away the events of that night after others have painted her in such a poor light?

A compelling story, told in such a way as to maintain the pace and keep the reader guessing as to how it might end.
4.5 stars overall.