Glimmer

Gr 9 Up—Summer Falls appears to be an enchanted small-town Colorado paradise. The weather is always balmy, the buildings are freshly painted, and people are constantly cheerful. But such perfection has a terrible price: restless spirits haunt the area, absorbing residents' negative feelings, but every time the townsfolk are relieved of their bad memories, they get closer and closer to losing their minds. When Elyse and Marshall awaken with no memories, they vow to help each other find out what happened to them. They discover that the town is being controlled by a dark magician who feeds off its life force to remain young. Over the course of trying to figure out who they are, the teens learn that Marshall, a skilled magician, is responsible for their amnesia. As part of their original plan to save the community, he erased Elyse's memory, but then decided not to follow through with everything because he was afraid of losing her, and then erased his own. He needs Elyse to trust him again so they can try once more to free Summer Falls from the dark mage's clutches, but can she forgive his betrayal? Laced with magic and a touch of romance, and enhanced by a truly creepy setting, this is an intriguing mystery. Alternating narration gives insight into Elyse's and Marshall's characters. Give this one to teens who want something other than the typical supernatural romance.—Alissa J. LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI