Capetta, Amy Rose. Echo After Echo.

Capetta, Amy Rose. Echo After Echo. Candlewick Press     2017 421p $17.99  ISBN 978-0-7636-9164-6  hs/adult  Mysery/Suspense  E-BN         

Zara knows she is meant to be on stage. In her senior year of high school, she lands the leading role of Echo in the off-Broadway Greek tragedy Echo and Ariston. The writing is exquisitely filled with imagery of the theater, from the soft folds and smell of the curtain to the cluttered prop storage rooms, from the sparse costume design rooms to the dark spaces in the catwalks. Her first trip inside the theater finds her with a dead body on her hands and the curse of the Aurelia seems to be coming to life -- three deaths will occur before opening night. The lecherous director intimidates her, and the lead actor, a famous teen star portraying Ariston, is himself a puzzle. She finds herself falling in love, not with Ariston, but with Eli, the lighting director. Her confidence soon fades as she wonders if she is in over her head, with her life possibly in danger. The taut suspense waiting for the next death and the clues to the identity of the real killer will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last few pages. For any fan of theater, this book will have special appeal. Relationships among the actors and those behind the scenes complicate both the love story and the mystery.  For any mystery or theater lover, this is a must read. Riveting reading.   

A must-purchase for high-school libraries, especially where theater has a strong presence. For mystery lovers, the twists and turns will surprise even the most veteran sleuth of a reader.  

Summary: Zara lands a leading part in an off-Broadway Greek tragedy and her confidence diminishes under the tutelage of a harsh lecher of a director. The curse of the Aurelia Theater comes to life as people die. Outstanding imagery, taut suspense. Gr 9+

Romance-Fiction, Theater-Fiction                   --Lois McNicol

Kessler, Liz. Haunt Me.

Kessler, Liz. Haunt Me. Candlewick Press  2017  371p     $17.99    ISBN 978-0-7636-9162-2    ms/hs  Fantasy  VG-BN         

Joe dies; Erin’s family moves into his home after his family sadly departs.  When Erin finds Joe’s poetry written on his bedroom wall, Joe appears as a ghost and the two fall for each other.  Olly, Joe’s brother, meets Erin and pursues her, much to Joe’s dismay.  The twist?  Olly does not know that Erin has a relationship with his dead brother. This book must be savored for many reasons.  First, the relationship between Joe and Erin raises thought-provoking ideas for the reader about possibilities of life after death.  When Joe returns to his home after his tragic death (the reader does not know how he died until the falling action), he discovers a new family has moved into his home.  Erin, an equally tragic protagonist, accepts his attentions because she needs someone who needs her. She comes from tragedy herself, first, as a bullied young teen, and next, as a suicide survivor. She and Joe fall for one another. For a while, the plot becomes predictable, yet it is never boring! Yes, Erin meets Olly, Joe’s brother, at school and falls for him, all the while professing her love for Joe. Yes, Olly is looking for something unique because before Joe’s death, his larger-than-life personality and his extreme good looks only attracted girls who wanted him superficially. Now a changed man, he wants and needs depth. Erin is different, attractive and secretive, and Olly pursues her. Meanwhile, Erin is riding high with new friends at school, a ghost that she has fallen for, and the ghost’s brother, who is the only one who can provide some answers as to how Joe died. Joe remembers very little, only that he once had a wonderful family and that he wrote poetry under the wallpaper of his bedroom closet.

Love stories abound, but this one has the unusual twist of love between the living and the dead, without the vampire and without time travel or any other gimmick. Joe does not want Erin to see Olly, but she persists. Drama comes to a head near a cliff where Joe often wrote poetry, and the climax and falling action are quite original at this point. Book of note this selection is; it merits the honor because Erin’s character is as needy as Joe’s and Olly’s. Readers will be drawn into the conflicts. Teen readers beware; there is a spoiler alert. Do not read the flyleaf! One will not want to know that Erin does find true love.    

Regardless of the somewhat predictable nature of this book (the bullying, the good-looking brother and the less popular brother, etc.), the book merits a spot in both middle- and high-school libraries. It is about possibilities, love, death, tragedy, emotions and the curative power of conversation. Teen girls, especially, will pore through it and cry.    

Summary: Joe dies tragically; he returns to change some lives.

Ghost stories, Romance-Fiction           --Martha Squaresky

Laure, Estelle. But Then I Came Back.

Laure, Estelle. But Then I Came Back. Houghton Mifflin      2017  310p  $17.99      Hardback  ISBN 978-0-544-53126-0  hs  Romance  VG

Eden is the lucky one ... she survives a coma.  Her hospital mate, Jaz, is not as lucky.  She stays in a coma while Eden moves on with her life, learning how to eat, walk and relate to those around her.  When Eden meets Jaz’s friend Joe, her recuperation becomes a love story.  Many have wondered what happens in the moments before death, in the "In Between".  Is there another level of existence when one is in a coma or is the lack of response indicative of exactly what it states.  In the case of Eden following a fall into water and a hit to the head that knocks her into another “awareness”, she sees flowers and a girl who is trying to tell her something, a girl with angels tattooed on her arms.  Eden is the lucky one, however.  She wakes up.  What comes after the inciting incident is the story of the recovery of a young lady who is lucky to be alive.  The research needed to creatively weave together information about coma victims and a developing plot is spot on and real.  As if that weren’t enough to create interest in her new novel, Estelle Laure introduces Joe, a young man who regularly visits his best friend Jaz, another coma victim.  Eden discovers exactly what she needs to help her cope in Joe, finding in him what she is unable to find in her friends and her twin brother.  Joe is someone with whom she can really communicate and just BE.  Eden’s remarkable survival reminds her of her life left behind, with dance, studies, college applications and family.  Yet she is unable to connect to her former self and return to normal.  With the help of a therapist, she makes some progress toward dealing with her date with death.  In an unusual twist, Eden finds herself able to see Jaz in her “other world” where Jaz remains, and discovers that Jaz does not want to come out of her coma.  This shakes Eden to the core. 

In the resolution, Laure presents many options. The one she chooses will satisfy young readers who like love stories to end happily. Laure uses a compelling writing style -- she knows how to add palpable emotions to her characters -- and a storytelling ability that will both entertain her readers.  Its mature topic makes this a better choice for the high-school library, but a middle-school reader could handle the content.  Readers who want a love story with a twist will enjoy the unique triangle formed between the protagonist, Joe, and Jaz, and the surreal nature of communication on another plane of existence.

Coma-Fiction                                                --Martha Squaresky

Stanton, Angie. Waking In Time.

Stanton, Angie. Waking In Time. Capstone Publishers   2017  360p  $17.95      ISBN 978-1-63079-070-7    hs/adult  New Adult  VG-BN

As Abbi settles into college life at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she becomes immersed in a time-travel journey that will ultimately lead to solving a family mystery. On her deathbed, Abbi’s grandmother told Abbi to “find the baby”. One morning, Abbi awakes in her same bed, same dorm room, but in a different year as she travels backward in time. With each new jump back in time, she meets some of the same people at varying stages of their lives, including her own spunky grandmother and great grandmother. The historic details about clothing, slang, and events are integral to the novel. Could her grandmother have a sibling that no one knows about? Abbi meets a fellow time traveler, Will, who seems to only travel forward in time. Through their combined efforts, along with those of a physics professor who studies string theory/time travel, the three manage to solve the question of the missing family member. The descriptions, plot devices, and most of all the love between Abbi and Will are compelling. This is a book that is meant to be devoured in one big gulp and then reread for subtle clues at a more leisurely pace.  Perfect for romance fans who believe in fate, mystery lovers who love to untangle puzzles, and readers who want more sophisticated reading than the standard teen romance affords. A perfect bridge from teen to adult reading.              

Summary: A college freshman awakens to find herself in the same bed and same college dorm room, but several years earlier. She has a family mystery to unravel as she travels backward through time. Romance ensues with a fellow time traveler.  Grades 10+.

Romance, Time Travel                                              --Lois McNicol

Stanton, Angie. Waking In Time.

Stanton, Angie. Waking In Time. Capstone Publishers   2017 360p $17.95     ISBN 978-1-63079-070-7    hs/adult  Fantasy  VG-BN

Just before beginning college at the University of Wisconsin, Abbi’s grandmother dies with a final request on her breath … "Find the baby.” Thus begins this time-travel mystery aboout love and family.
     

This tale hooked this reviewer immediately, and will undoubtedly do the same for most who pick up the book. Abbi goes to bed one night and finds herself having gone back in time, waking up in 1983, where she meets Colton, the first clue in this time-travel mystery. Her next wakeup is in 1970, and each subsequent time hop continues to send Abbi back further in time. Will, having started college at the same school in 1927, finds himself traveling forward in time. Their relationship through time is what drives the story. The book is quite reminiscent of The Time Traveler’s Wife by Niffnegger, but written for a YA audience. The story is well written and held this reader’s attention throughout the book, and is a comfortable read. The romantic and intimate allusions referred to throughout the book make this a high-school age book. It would make an engaging high-low title, but will no doubt also find an audience with students who like romance and a bit of sci-fi.            

Summary: A college freshman awakens to find herself in the same bed and same college dorm room, but several years earlier. She has a family mystery to unravel as she travels backward through time. Romance ensues with a fellow time traveler.  Grades 10+.

Romance, Time Travel                                                    --Lynn Fisher