Notes from Ghost Town

Gr 9–11—Sixteen-year-old Olivia's best friend, Stern, is murdered, and her mother confesses to the crime. Her mother had never been well balanced, and her refusal to stay on her meds led to increasing mental instability. Unable to cope, Olivia's father filed for divorce. And just a week before Stern's death, Olivia's sight started faltering, all color bleaching out of her world. She is afraid that her graying vision is just the first sign of impending, inherited schizophrenia. With the boy she secretly loved dead, her father remarrying, and her mother in prison awaiting sentencing, Olivia struggles to make it through each day. When Stern's ghost shows up to save her from drowning, she wonders if it is another sign of her oncoming madness or if the visitation is real. If it is truly appearing, what could be causing his spirit's unrest? This tightly plotted novel is both heartfelt and suspenseful. Olivia mourns not only the loss of her best friend/romantic interest, but also the life she once knew. She feels as if her parents, home, friends, and even her artistic talent have all deserted her in one way or another. Ellison portrays Olivia sympathetically yet realistically, creating a believable character in an extreme situation. This book will find many readers, among them fans of Sarah Dessen's works and Jennifer R. Hubbard's The Secret Year (Viking, 2010).—Heather E. Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, AL