Invisible Ghosts

March 26, 2018
Since the death of her older brother, Logan, high school junior Rose has withdrawn from her drama-crowd friends. Her solitary behavior isn’t due to grieving, though; it’s because she always hurries home from school to meet a visitor: Logan’s ghost, who is invisible to everyone else. Rose loves her brother, but four years of keeping his presence a secret and doing his favorite activities (mostly watching endless reruns of Dr. Who) have taken their toll, making her acutely aware of her loneliness. She feels it most sharply after her childhood friend Jamie moves back to town. Just as their mutual affection takes a romantic turn, Rose makes a startling discovery: Jamie is in tune with the supernatural world as well. In a story about letting go and courageously moving forward, Schneider (The Beginning of Everything) makes the paranormal seem plausible. Readers will readily suspend their disbelief to see how Rose, a relatable heroine, deals with an apparition who grows increasingly bothersome while trying to pursue a meaningful relationship with the boy she loves. Ages 13–up. Agent: Merrilee Heifetz, Writers House.

April 1, 2018

Gr 8 Up-Rose Asher's older brother Logan died accidentally four years ago, and he has been haunting her ever since. She isn't sure why she can see her brother's ghost, but she's content to spend afternoons on the couch watching Netflix instead of living the life a 16-year-old girl should. However, when old friend Jamie Aldridge moves back into town, Rose begins to experience the life her brother never got to have. Friends, parties, and romance all pull Rose away from the past; but at home, Logan's ghost drags her right back. Schneider's premise is an interesting twist on books featuring protagonists dealing with grief. Rose is a likable character. Her struggles are believable and readers will relate to her having to choose between friends and family. The romance with Jamie is a little too quick-it's obvious they will be paired off and the "will they or won't they" tension is light. The other protagonists are a variety of lovable nerds or characters who offer very little to the overall story line. Dealing with Logan's spirit is a nice touch and adds interesting elements about being held back by past traumas. Rose's guilt is aptly handled. VERDICT Purchase where contemporary romances with a sliver of supernatural are popular.-Paige Garrison, The Davis Academy, Sandy Springs, GA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2018
Ghost stories tend to feature only two kinds of ghosts: kindly ones who want to help and terrifying ones who put people in danger; this novel presents an alternative: a ghost who's just mildly annoying.Logan is a teenager who spends all day watching old episodes of Buffy and Doctor Who and sulking when his sister, Rose, spends time with anyone but him. Four years have passed since Logan died, and the younger sister he used to protect is now taking the PSAT and thinking about dating. Logan is a fantastic metaphor. He represents both Rose's fear of adulthood and the pain and grief she still feels, years after losing her brother. But a ghost who does nothing but whine and binge on Netflix quickly becomes repetitive. Logan starts to feel like a distraction from the main characters. Jamie, Rose's potential boyfriend, is much more complex--laid back and insecure, flirtatious and intellectual--and so are Rose's other high school friends. (They're also fairly diverse: Rose and Logan are Jewish, Jamie has a white father and a Filipino mother, and their school includes interracial and same-sex couples.) The story requires that Rose let go of her brother, but it would be a lot more heart-rending if it felt like more of a struggle.Much too often, Logan isn't just an "invisible ghost." He's hardly there at all. (Fiction. 13-16)

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Narrator Caitlin Kelly's smooth transitions lend credibility to this audiobook, that tells a story that blends love and a ghost. Rose Asher is a junior who has believed in signs since the day her brother, Logan, died. The ghost of her brother is now her best friend--a relationship that is complicated by her feeling that she is responsible for his death. Kelly portrays Rose's ironic tone well. Rose's complex feelings are amplified when her childhood friend, Jamie, moves back to town. Her initial mix of scorn and attraction gradually yields to respect and then surprise when she learns that Jamie also can see Logan's ghost. Kelly easily switches between her well-differentiated characters. She deftly captures the increasing willfulness of Logan as Rose's affections shift and Jamie's tender feelings for her grow. S.W. � AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

April 15, 2018
Grades 8-12 There are only two superstitions that Rose Asher believes in: (1) when she has a good hair day, something bad will happen; and (2) the existence of ghosts. The proof: she was having a good hair day when her brother died, and now his ghost is her best friend. At least, until Jamie Aldridge moves back into town. As they rekindle a childhood friendship, Rose begins to see how much life she's missed in order to spend time with her brother. But rejoining her old friends comes with a choice?�keeping the brother she loves around or investing in a future he could never have. Schneider's characters shine in this romance, strapped with quirky, nerdy obsessions that many teens will relate to and supported by realistic voices. The integration of the ghost story is engaging and puts a fresh spin on the story line seen in most teen romance stories. Schneider accurately represents high-school culture, authentically capturing the sensation of not knowing where you belong, a feeling many teens know well.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)