Shattered Souls

October 17, 2011
In Lindsey’s debut, a well-crafted and imaginative ghost story, 17-year old Lenzi Anderson fears she’s losing her mind. Tormented by voices pleading for help, Lenzi follows dreamlike visions and meets Alden, who tells her she’s a Speaker, someone who helps hindered spirits resolve their issues and move on. Because Speakers allow the ghost to possess their bodies, and the possibility exists of being possessed by a malevolent soul, each Speaker is assigned a Protector, and Alden is hers. In fact, Alden has been Lenzi’s partnered Protector for numerous lifetimes, as they are reincarnated together again and again. But something’s wrong—Lenzi has been missing for 100 years and is suffering past-life amnesia. As she steps from her normal life into a world both gratifying and terrifying, Lenzi becomes tangled in complicated relationships while being hunted by a malicious shade. Though Lenzi’s family members are thinly drawn and almost extraneous, Lindsey deftly remolds and refreshes familiar elements and makes them her own, coupled with a light romantic touch. Her accomplished writing breathes energy into realistically flawed characters and smoothly builds to the book’s intense climax. Ages 14–up.

November 15, 2011
A formulaic forbidden-love story and teen debut featuring [insert female name:] Lenzi, who [insert paranormal gift:] serves as a conduit for ghosts with unresolved issues, and [insert male name:] Alden, the guy she wants but shouldn't have. When Houston teen, origami-loving Lenzi, begins experiencing hallucinations and disembodied voices, she's sure that she's succumbing to the same schizophrenia that recently claimed her father's life, until Alden unexpectedly arrives. The 17-year-old should remember Alden and the last time she died, in the Galveston hurricane of 1900; after all, their souls have been cycling together for generations. But somehow she's developed past-life amnesia. Reminiscent of Lauren Kate's Fallen series and Alyson Noël's Immortals series, the story builds slowly as Alden, who can (get ready to swoon, romantics) feel Lenzi's soul respond to emotion, explains their roles as paired Protector and Speaker in helping Hindered spirits pass on to the next world. The only real action occurs when the pair battles Hindereds who have turned into Malevolents, including a court-martialed Civil War soldier still bent on revenge for Lenzi's deception in a past life. As she struggles to recall her past life and understand her current role, Lenzi must also reconcile her feelings for Alden and both their previous platonic, work-only relationship and the strict demands on their gifts. Lingering threads suggest a sequel, but isn't that part of the formula? (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

January 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-To 17-year-old Lenzi's great surprise, she can talk with the Dead, and as a Speaker she has the power to assist souls that have not moved on, to join with them physically and help them resolve their ghostly lives. Some spirits are angry and vengeful, and one in particular has it in for her. Enter Alden, a cute guy who helps Lenzi channel her powers; he is her Protector, the "body" she must use to complete the transition for these lost souls. Lenzi starts to feel more than friendship for Alden, but there's an added twist-her angst-filled, hottie musician boyfriend. As her relationship with Alden deepens, her connection to Zak loosens, and his anger increases until a final, devastating scene occurs. While the writing sometimes feels rushed, the fast-paced plot keeps readers' attention, characters are intriguing, and flashbacks to old Galveston add to the story's ambience. Fans of Courtney Allison Moulton's Angelfire (HarperCollins, 2011) may enjoy this similarly themed past-life action romance. Larger libraries that cannot keep light supernatural titles on the shelf should consider adding it.-Angela J. Reynolds, Annapolis Valley Regional Library, Bridgetown, NS, Canada

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 15, 2011
Grades 8-12 Lenzi, a mostly well-adjusted high-school student, has moved back to Houston after her schizophrenic father's death. She and her mother are picking up the pieces of their lives, but just before her birthday, Lenzi is beset by an unshakable auditory buzz. And when she hears a distinct voice pleading for help, she believes her father has gifted her with schizophrenia. Her boyfriend, Zak, tries to be supportive. But another young man, Alden, has the understanding that Lenzi requires to come to terms with the role that has been thrust upon heragain. Although she can't remember her previous life cycles as a Speaker for unresolved issues held by the recently dead, Alden re-educates her, and together they meet and overcome an array of past and present problems. Lindsey has created a credible world and distinct and compelling characters in this first novel. Twisting together fantasy, realism, romance, and suspense, she tells a story that evokes empathy for all three teen characters, while showing how analytical thought can be applied to life's most difficult problems.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2012
Lenzi is a Speaker who can hear the voices of unsettled souls; Alden is her Protector. Resisting her gift, Lenzi struggles to maintain her normal high school life--until an evil spirit forces her to make a decision. Lindsey's characters are original, and her plot is fast-paced.

(Copyright 2012 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)