Touch of death

Sixteen-year-old Georgia "George" Colburn--who lives in the small witch-founded town of Windrop--hates her magical gift: she can experience a person's death firsthand simply by touching them. She has always been careful to cover as much skin as possible, and even adopts a prickly attitude that she hopes will keep others from getting too close to her. When she accidentally touches new student Silas, she witnesses his bloody demise and is shocked to learn that she's responsible. Panicked and searching for answers, she turns to classmates Felix and Trixie for their magical expertise. As the three investigate Silas's background, George must also prepare to undergo a series of trials meant to help her gain control of her powers and ready her to step into her coven's role as a death witch. Along the way, she learns more about her deathly gift and uncovers a secret about Windrop's history that threatens the immortal soul of everyone who lives there. Via appropriately eerie prose that fits in well with its witchy contemporaries, debut author Munsell smartly balances horror beats with sardonic humor; steady pacing and a pervading sense of dread anchors the myriad interconnected story lines. Main characters read as white. Ages 13--up. (Sept.)

A young death witch struggles to prevent a bloody prediction from becoming reality. Georgiana Colburn keeps her distance from everyone, literally; her death magic allows her to see ghosts and to experience a person's moment of death through skin-to-skin contact. Separated from the world with the additional assistance of fashionable gloves, George is an otherwise normal teen who juggles being unpopular at school with her death witch duties to her beloved grandma, who's the coven's Supreme. Although she previously only spent time with best friend Felix Davies, George is drawn to the friendly new witch, Trixie. Meanwhile, she's being haunted by the ghost of Jen, a recently deceased popular mean girl. When Silas, another new student, instantly attracts attention with his good looks, all George can think about is what she saw when they collided: his brutal murder at her hands. With Trixie's guidance, George rushes to master her magic before her vision can come true. George and Trixie's slow-burn romance in the background of the story avoids common tropes and is surprisingly emotionally mature. Although observant readers will see the final reveal coming, the central themes of family bonds, death, and grief are well executed and add complexity. The discussion of consent and the importance of touch in the context of George's magic together add a realistic dimension to an otherwise underdeveloped magic system. George reads white, Trixie is cued Black, and Felix has brown skin. An entrancing, emotionally insightful story with a somewhat predictable ending.(Fantasy. 14-18) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.