Hereafter

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Level: YA
Location: Coming soon (pub date 06/07/2011)

Amelia is a ghost, but she doesn't know who she is or how she died, other than she knows she fell off the high-rise bridge and wakes up with nightmares of drowning. She doesn't feel anything until she helps save a drowning boy who can see her. From there, her existence has meaning and she starts to remember who she is. All would be happy, except for the entrance of a fellow ghost Eli with his own objectives.

The Bottom Line:
I really enjoyed this book. The story was well-developed and unpredictable, and the romance was very sweet. I couldn't put this book down and really cared about the characters. I hope there is a sequel!

This advance copy was provided by the publisher via NetGalley.

Title: The Dead End- a Poison Apple book
Author: Mimi Mcoy
Level:
Location: J McCoy

Casey Slater and her best friend Jillian have plans for a great summer when Casey's parents announce they bought a summer house in New Hampshire. Casey is ok with a vacation away from the city until she finds out her parents plan on living in New Hampshire the entire summer!

Soon after school is out Casey's parents pack up the car and a rental van and off they go to Stillness, N.H. This town is appropriately named because there is nothing going on in Stillness. There isn't even a real grocery store. The house doesn't have ac and the power isn't working. Wouldn't you be thrilled.

Soon odd things happen in the house. Casey has some strange dreams. Then she starts reading the journal of Millicent Hughes, a girl her age, who once lived in the house. Millicent was also having strange dreams and experiencing odd things in the house. Casey tries to talk to her parents about it all, but they don't believe her and think it's just her bad attitude. When Millie's journal suddenly stops Casey has a bad feeling. Find out what happened to Millie and how she is connected to Casey. Will they have the same fate? Pick up this quick read to find out.

Bottom Line: A fairly quick, interesting read. It's spooky, kind of strange, without being scary or weirding you out. The story is believable and made me want to checkout more titles in the Poison Apple series. ( Which Indian River owns- This totally bites!,Miss Fortune,Now You See Me...)

Ghostgirl: Homecoming

Title: Ghostgirl: Homecoming

Author: Tonya Hurley

Reading Level: Young Adult

Location: YA Hurley (will be released July, 1 2009)

This review discusses major plot points from the first ghostgirl novel. If you have not yet read Ghostgirl, skip ahead to the bottom line.

At the end of the first Ghostgirl novel, it seemed as though Charlotte’s afterlife was really looking up. She graduated her Dead-Ed class and was moving on to what she thought was the final stage of her journey. Instead, Charlotte and the rest of her classmates end up in a phone bank where they act as a conscience for teens making tough decisions. Charlotte quickly becomes frustrated over this unfortunate turn of events and with her lack of phone calls and visitors, she turns into her old, insecure self. However, when Charlotte’s friend, Scarlet, needs some ghostly help for her ultra popular, self-absorbed sister, Petula, she turns to Charlotte for help. Will Charlotte be able to come up with a plan to save Petula and Scarlet? Or will the two sisters be the newest students to Dead-Ed?

Ghostgirl: Homecoming was another exciting, humorous romp with Charlotte as she wades through her insecurities and gains a better understanding of herself. The writing is not amazing but it is adequate and can be quite creative at times. The language of the teens, both alive and dead, is accurate and not overdone. Even though most of the characters are one-dimensional, they manage to feel very real and their relationships with each other are wholly authentic. The plot is intriguing and has an ending that is touching without being overly sentimental. Even though the story had some minor flaws, it was still a pleasure to read and Ghostgirl fans should love this latest tale about the afterlife of Charlotte Usher

The Bottom Line: With this sequel, Ghostgirl is really turning into a wonderful series for teens. With its unique, exciting storyline and fun characters, it has broad teen appeal, but I think it is especially good for younger teens. Ghostgirl: Homecoming is a sequel, if you have not yet read the first Ghostgirl, pick it up before starting this one.