Radiance

August 16, 2010
Riley, who appeared in ghost form
to her older sister, Ever, in Noël's bestselling Evermore, takes center stage in this middle-grade spinoff, first in a planned series. Having recently crossed over into the afterworld, Riley has reunited with her parents, who were killed in the same accident, but is having trouble adjusting. "I'd do anything to go back home," she admits. When she gets assigned to be a Soul Catcher, persuading dead people to "cross the bridge and move on," she is thrilled to return to Earth in spirit form, even if it means traveling with Bodhi, a "dorky" teenage guide. As she and Bodhi help the deceased cross over (at one point, they are sucked into the grieving soul of a mother wrongly executed for her children's murders), the assignments help her, too. If Riley is bratty—a fact she realizes after viewing video recaps of her brief life ("Are these like—edited—or maybe even, um, you know, Photoshopped, or something?")—her wit, attitude, and maturation should have readers gladly following her into the second installment. Ages 9–12.

August 15, 2010

Twelve-year-old Riley is dead, and she isn't particularly happy about it.  It took her quite a while to finally accept her fate and cross the bridge to the other side, and she still misses her earthly life, particularly her adored older sister (Ever, of Noël's Immortals series for teens). In the afterlife, Riley is given the job of Soul Catcher and assigned a guide to help her. She immediately clashes with her 14-year-old guide, Bodhi, who dresses badly and hides his handsome face behind oversized glasses. As first Riley and then Bodhi set out to complete their less-than-suspenseful assignments, they gain confidence and skill as well as an appreciation of each other. The overall tone is humorous, though the conclusion—Riley's realization that the dead are soon forgotten by the living yet can still go on to heights of glory in another plane—is bittersweet. This is a tale for lovers of the genre only; it doesn't generate enough reality to sustain an outsider's interest. But for those preteens who like a mild supernatural adventure with romantic overtones, you go, ghost. (Paranormal. 9-12)

(COPYRIGHT (2010) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

September 1, 2010

Gr 5-8-Riley Bloom, 12, has crossed the bridge to "Here," the afterlife, leaving behind her teenage sister, Ever, in the Earth plane. In Here, the time is always Now, and Riley can manifest anything she wants by just imagining it. She is forced to take an honest look at her past life, find her new place, and learn her purpose. Bodhi, a "dorky guy," has been assigned as her guide to teach her everything she needs to reach the next level. Her yellow Lab will travel with her. She is assigned the duty of Soul Catcher and is responsible for making Earth-bound souls move on and cross the bridge to Here. Her first subject is Radiant Boy, a 10-year-old who has been haunting an English castle for years. Other Soul Catchers have tried and failed, but now it's time for Bodhi and Riley to help him. This new series is by the author of The Immortals (St Martin's Griffin, 2010), where readers first meet Ever and Riley. Narrating in a contemporary voice with an honest and comfortable cadence, Riley is imperfect, but always likable as she sweeps readers to her faraway land where she makes herself and readers assess their behaviors and, quite possibly, make adjustments. In the midst of this wildly fanciful setting, Noel is able to capture with nail-on-the-head accuracy common worries and concerns of today's tweens.-Helen Foster James, University of California at San Diego

Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.