Other editions of book Rundown

Driven by something she cannot understand, a teenager tells a dangerous lie In the last 16 days, 7 women have been assaulted by the South Bay rapist, and the students of UC Berkeley walk to class in fear. To the campus, he’s a terror. To Jennifer, he’s an opportunity. An overindulged high school student who feels unable to escape her older sister’s shadow, Jennifer is desperate for attention—no matter how she gets it. To steal the spotlight from her sister, she’s about to do something unspeakable. Jennifer goes running in the canyon after dark. She throws herself through a bramble patch and staggers to the campus police, covered in scratches and blood. She was attacked by the South Bay rapist, she claims. She barely got away. When her lie spirals out of control, however, Jennifer realizes the spotlight is hotter than she can handle.

Jennifer Thayer went for a run, threw herself down a hill, and then filed a false police report, claiming that she fought off a rapist. Now the police are reassuring and sympathetic, and hardly anyone questions Jennifer's story. Friends and family express their concern, and the press is interested. But Jennifer can't hide from the only person who knows what really happened -- herself.