Twelve-year-old Karin is a member of her local Scout troop and has signed up to be part of their annual “dropping” event, a rite of passage for many Dutch children. She and three other kids are blindfolded and dropped off at a location unknown to them inside the Hoge Veluwe National Forest. All they have are a map of the forest, a compass and basic survival tools. They are to work together to find their way to the base camp, where they will be reunited with their troop leaders and other scouts who have completed this challenging and daring activity.

"[T]his constantly shifting storyline, in addition to the fast-paced writing and numerous plot twists and turns, will keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats as they find out what will happen next."

Unfortunately, things do not go according to plan. Karin’s stepfather, Martijn, is one of the adults who is supposed to supervise the children to make sure that no one gets lost or hurt. However, when a series of unexpected events occur, Karin is left alone and must navigate her way through the forest by herself.

The narrative then shifts to Karin’s mother, Grace, an American citizen who is living in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband. She is not comfortable with this ritual but goes along with it because Karin is determined to participate. But when she learns that one of Karin’s shirts has been found in the forest, she panics and heads out to look for her daughter, terrified of what she might find.

Although aimed primarily at adults, Nina Siegal’s YOU’LL THANK ME FOR THIS is a wonderful crossover novel for teens. The chapters alternate between the points of view of Karin and Grace; this constantly shifting storyline, in addition to the fast-paced writing and numerous plot twists and turns, will keep readers engaged and on the edge of their seats as they find out what will happen next.