Ghosting

Gr 9 Up—This swift, free-verse page-turner follows seven teens and the events before, during, and after an evening that permanently alters their lives. Once childhood friends, they have gone their separate ways. Maxie moved away with her family and recently came back; Chloe is pretty and popular; Emma and Brendan play varsity sports; and Felix smokes marijuana to escape his unhappy family life. They are reunited (joined by Chloe's boyfriend Anil) on a late summer night right before the beginning of school year, and a series of bad decisions lead to a terrible tragedy. The story features increasing tension coupled with first-person narration that moves the plot along rapidly as each character picks up the story line left off by another. The narration gives readers the chance to see exactly what all of the characters are thinking and a glimpse of their families and homes. After the tragic event, the characters all demonstrate personal growth and maturity. Pattou is even generous with the young man responsible for the tragedy, giving him somewhat sympathetic and recognizable "Boo Radley" (Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird) characteristics. What begins as a story featuring typical teens haunted by the past, and dismayed by the present, turns into one where everyone is reminded that mistakes can be learning experiences and that people can adjust to what one character concludes is a "new now time." Recommended for reluctant readers given the book's realistic portrayal of a Midwestern town, the lyrical narrative, and the readily relatable protagonists.—Anne Jung-Mathews, Plymouth State University, NH