Haunted

January 15, 2011

In this sequel to Dreaming Anastasia (2009), 17-year-old Anne faces up to the fact that she has a magical destiny that she cannot escape. The plot relies heavily on the earlier book; this sequel does not stand on its own. It progresses in chapters divided between the viewpoints of Anne and Ethan, Anne's centuries-old, formerly immortal friend. Preble writes the voices of each as nearly identical, however, so readers must pay attention to the chapter headings in order to understand who's speaking. Also in the mix are Ben, Anne's current, very nice, boyfriend, and Tess, her somewhat humorous, chatty best friend and the most appealing character in the novel. The supernatural characters—Baba Yaga, the dreadful, powerful witch of Russian folklore, and Anne's grandmother Lily, who's become a crazed and vengeful Russian mermaid—provide the villainy and the motor for the narrative. In all, it's a somewhat confusing but well-paced roller-coaster ride of death-defying magical encounters. Suspenseful scenes fly by quickly as Anne tries to make sense of unexplained events from the previous book. Entertaining, if quite a jumble. (Supernatural thriller. 12 & up)

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

May 1, 2011

Gr 9 Up-After rescuing the Grand Duchess Anastasia from Baba Yaga in Dreaming Anastasia (Sourcebooks, 2009), Anne Michaelson is eager to put aside thoughts of both magical destinies and of Ethan, the former magician who regained his mortality when Anastasia was returned to her historical fate. But no amount of focusing on her normal life in modern-day Chicago or her new boyfriend can drive away Anne's conflicted feelings for Ethan, or her own increasing magical powers. Baba Yaga still haunts her dreams, while during the day, Anne is haunted by a strange, wild woman (eventually identified as a rusalka, a Russian water spirit), who begs the teen to help her. Ethan's return soon brings things to a head, and Anne must sort out the rusalka's role in her family history, figure out what Baba Yaga requires of her, and decide which boy she really wants to be with. Themes of destiny, loss, and sacrifice run heavily through this tangled tale, with Anne's brassy friend Tess providing a welcome lighter note. Not a stand-alone read, this is very much a middle chapter to the trilogy, with most of the action focused on elaborating past events or establishing the set-up for future ones. Consider purchasing where the first book has a following.-Christi Esterle, Parker Library, CO

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2011
Grades 9-12 The will and desires of 17-year-old Chicago high-school student Anne, a mysterious, wild-haired Russian rusalka (mermaid demon), and the infamous Baba Yaga collide in a complex story of love, betrayal, and revenge. This convoluted sequel to Dreaming Anastasia (2009) has a few pacing problems that may bog readers down, and the choice to have the story bounce among several narrators makes for choppy and occasionally confusing reading, but the love triangle and the standoff between supernatural creatures involve characters that readers will come to care about. Knowledge of the first book is very helpful but not essential.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)