Watch Over Me

Starred review from August 10, 2020
Mila, 18, is thrilled to leave behind four years of foster care when she is given the opportunity to live and work at a picturesque coastal farm in Northern California whose owners, Terry and Julia, care for adopted children of all ages and bring on interns to share the workload. Mila, haunted by the events that led to her mother’s abandoning her, wants desperately to believe that she is “good,” and she strives to be a trusted companion and compassionate teacher to her sole student on the farm, nine-year-old Lee. The two bond over their similar histories, made-up fairy tales, and a shared sense of distance from the rest of the close-knit community, including their dislike of the ghosts that inhabit the idyllic, foggy farm. As mysterious gifts that link to Mila’s past begin appearing on her doorstep, she confronts memories of childhood trauma, told in short interstitial chapters. Printz Medalist LaCour’s (We Are Okay) portrait of a young woman yearning to belong and facing her past while navigating the liminal space between childhood and adulthood brims with tender moments and sensory details. Ages 14–up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties.

Jorjeana Marie's quiet, somber narration adds to the eerie beauty of this haunting story about grief, chosen family, and the ghosts we carry. When 18-year-old Mila ages out of the foster system, she takes a job on a remote farm on the California coast. The farm is home to children with nowhere to go, who all carry pain similar to Mila's. Marie's raw, husky voice is melodic and mesmerizing. She imbues her narration with the rhythms of the sea and wind, transporting listeners to the farm where trauma, love, healing, and magic mix. As she expertly captures the many stages of Mila's journey from pain and denial to joy, she also creates memorable voices for young children and ghosts. This is an absolutely gorgeous listen. L.S. � AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine

Starred review from March 1, 2021

Mila has long been haunted by her past, both in memory and by the ghosts that follow her. When she ages out of foster care, Mila gains a placement as a teacher at an isolated farm in Northern California. Terry and Julia are known for taking in foster children with troubled pasts, but Mila doesn't realize that it's not only children who live at the farm; ghosts claim the space as well. As she becomes more at home at the farm, the hauntings increase and so do the memories she is desperately trying to escape, the things she's done in her past that creep into her daily life. Mila struggles with being accepted and welcomed, which conflict with her own sense of worth and feelings of guilt and regret. The audiobook is read by Jorjeana Marie, and her gentle and melodic voice brings LaCour's atmospheric story to life. She captures the feel of the isolation on the farm, the spooky but not scary presence of the ghosts, and the melancholy sadness that aches in Mila. Her narration coupled with LaCour's emotional text bring the story alive around the listener. It's a moving tale of loneliness, regret, acceptance, and forgiveness. VERDICT Fans of LaCour's previous YA novels will not be disappointed by this hauntingly beautiful tale. The audiobook is a cathartic masterpiece and will evoke strong emotions in listeners.--Erica Coonelly, Monroe Township M.S., NJ

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from March 1, 2021

Gr 9 Up-Mila has long been haunted by her past, both in memory and by the ghosts that follow her. When she ages out of foster care, Mila gains a placement as a teacher at an isolated farm in Northern California. Terry and Julia are known for taking in foster children with troubled pasts, but Mila doesn't realize that it's not only children who live at the farm, but ghosts claim the space as well. As she becomes more at home at the farm, the hauntings increase the memories she is desperately trying to escape, the things she's done in her past that creep into her daily life. Mila struggles with being accepted and welcomed, conflicting with her own sense of worth and feelings of guilt and regret. The audiobook is read by Jorjeana Marie, and her gentle and melodic voice brings LaCour's atmospheric story to life; she captures the feel of the isolation on the farm, the spooky but not scary presence of the ghosts, and the melancholy that aches in Mila. Her narration coupled with LaCour's emotional text brings the story alive around the listener. It's a moving tale of loneliness, regret, acceptance, and forgiveness. VERDICT Fans of LaCour's previous novels will not be disappointed by this hauntingly beautiful tale; the audiobook is a masterful performance of an artistically prolific work. LaCour's latest novel is a cathartic masterpiece and will evoke strong emotions in listeners of this audiobook.-Erica Coonelly, Monroe Township M.S., NJ

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.