Review by Booklist Review
New York Times best-selling author Henry returns with a new mystery set in Portland, Oregon. Two days after a raucous house party at her childhood friend Tori's house, high-schooler Adele stumbles on Tori's body in a nearby park. For years, Adele has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, though she believes the truth is far more complicated: she can see the dead not as hallucinations, but for real. As investigators try to solve Tori's murder, so, too, does Adele with the help of Tori, now a ghost whom she can see and speak with. The truth, though? Adele's memory after the party is hazy. She doesn't think it's possible, but is there a chance the real murderer could be . . . her? And if it isn't, who is the murderer? Henry's latest offering is taut and suspenseful, with a hint of the supernatural. Her clear, lucid prose and well-paced action scenes make for a fast, accessible read with high appeal for both the middle- and high-school crowd. Hand to anyone in search of a page-turner.--Jennifer Barnes Copyright 2018 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 9 UP-Women in Adele's family communicate with the dead but at a terrible cost. Her grandmother was lobotomized, and when Adele's dad died, her mom lost touch with reality and, shortly after, was killed in an accident. When Adele is caught talking to a long-dead Native American girl on a school field trip, she is diagnosed as schizophrenic and put on medication. It works, but leaves her feeling half alive. She stops taking it and a few weeks later goes to her childhood friend Tori's party. Nerves lead to drinking too much, too fast, and when she is caught kissing Tori's boyfriend, she flees, ending up in a blackout. Later, while walking through the wooded area of the local park, Tori's ghost calls from a shallow grave asking Adele to help find her killer. What follows is a taut, fast-paced, and, at times, scary tale as Adele tries to figure out who killed Tori. It's far from easy, as suspicion quickly turns to Adele. Getting the authorities to believe her is doubly difficult because she can't explain how she knows certain things. The ending is a dandy one with everything wrapped up nicely. Narrator Piper Goodeve is flawless in her pacing and inflection. VERDICT A perfect audio for teens who enjoy mystery with a dash of the supernatural.-John R. Clark, formerly with Hartland Public Library, ME © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
For most of her life, Adele has been told that her visions are a result of schizophrenia. But what's the truth?When Adele sees her friend Tori in the woods as she's cutting through the park on her way home, she's confused. Why would Tori be out there in the November cold wearing a halter dress? Adele realizes that, after not taking the pills for her schizophrenia, the visions that used to haunt her before her diagnosis are back. Tori isn't real. After noticing a mound of fresh dirt with a toe sticking outand a few minutes of diggingAdele finds Tori's body. Although Tori is dead, Adele can see her, just as she can see all the dead, just like her mother and grandmother before her could. But can she use her power to solve the mystery of Tori's murder before the killer strikes again? Henry (Count All Her Bones, 2017, etc.) delivers a compelling thriller that weaves supernatural elements into a topical tapestry of loss, betrayal, and family drama. In an interesting twist, Adele, who can't remember much from the last time she saw Tori, becomes a prime suspect and even doubts her own innocence. This book is set against a high school backdrop with mostly white characters (one African-American friend is introduced, relating Tori's racist behavior).A thriller that manages to be both creepy and fun. (Thriller. 14-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
