Snap

November 1, 2009
Gr 6-10-Something strange is going on in 15-year-old Madison's family. Instead of vacationing in Hawaii, she and her mother will be spending the summer in a faded beach town where her father is working as a construction contractor. Madison is shocked when she sees their dingy motel, but comforts herself with the knowledge that she'll soon be back in her upscale home, gossiping with her friends. Then Madison's parents reveal the truth: the bank is foreclosing on their house and the move to Sandyland is permanent. Devastated, the teen plunges into her passion for photography, making friends with the local kids who hang around Psychic Photo, an odd fortune-teller/photo shop where she has taken her camera for repairs. Madison notices something odd: her pictures include eerie images of figures who weren't there when the shots were taken. Intrigue becomes alarm when the first one dies a few days later and the second is in a life-threatening accident. The mystery takes on a new urgency when Madison catches sight of some familiar faces in her latest images. Snow's novel is a page-turning blend of romance, mystery, and the supernatural, with the backdrop of the mortgage crisis as viewed through the eyes of an angst-ridden teen, providing a sense of freshness and currency. Characters are well developed, especially the scraggly townies whom previously stuck-up Madison gradually learns to accept as true friends. A perfect choice for fans of supernatural chillers."Meredith Robbins, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School, New York City"

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