Claire Fraise

I was expecting a ghostly read with several harder themes woven in, and all that from a teen drama direction. What I didn't expect was this read.

The tale is told from two directions. First, there's Shiloh, the daughter of the town's Sheriff and an abusive father/husband, and then there's Francesca, the 'crazy', ghost-seeing misfit who lives with her brother in a trailer park. The story dances between these two characters in seemingly two different plot lines, which later somewhat converge and let everything really take off. Along the way, two other characters, Miles and Jonah, get pulled into Shiloh's attempt to find and save her little brother, and round off the group marvelously.

I'm usually not a huge fan of novels, which head in with more character depth, since this often steers things into a slower lane. This book, however, gives the characters tons of depth, and this, in turn, builds the haunting and disturbing atmosphere up more than any action or quickened pace ever could. Both characters are in difficult positions, and the emotional connection to them allows everything else to take root. Even side characters hold vivid personality, which, mixing everything into the dynamics of a small town, allows the reader to really sink into the setting and scenes.

The first part of the book did feel a bit disjointed as the plot constantly switched from Shiloh's difficult family life and the horrid desperation when her little brother disappears, to Francesca's paranormal tilt and the strange meeting with graveyard ghosts. It comes across as two different stories, but knowing that they'll somehow collide is part of what makes it so interesting. Plus, this isn't a young adult book in the same 'drama' sense that often hits these novels. The characters are teens and do act immature as well as hold usual teen reactions, but they come across naturally. The author tackles the issues of abuse, death, drugs, and other harsh problems with as much realistic care as she places in the more haunting ghost aspects and kidnappings. It creates a very original tale, which is a treat to get swallowed up in. I'm looking forward to the next book and to see what the author has in store next because this was an amazing beginning to the series.
I received a complimentary copy and found this to be so much more than I expected.… (more)