Shine by Lauren Myracle

When 16 year old Cat's former best friend Patrick is found beaten, unconscious and tied to a gas pump at the gas station where he worked, everyone in rural Black Creek, NC assumes it was local college students that put Patrick in a coma because he refused to sell him alcohol and that it had nothing to do with the fact that he is openly gay. Cat, however, knows that's not what happened. She has drifted apart from Patrick and her other friends in the last few years but she's determined to find out exactly what happened to Patrick that night. As Cat begins to investigate, she turns up twisted relationships, shocking evidence and disturbing memories. This book is raw and gritty and at times difficult to read but it will definitely have you turning the pages and second guessing yourself! I highly recommend this for anyone who loves a good mystery with rough characters.