Dust to Dust

February 15, 2015
Second in a two-book series-but nicely readable as a stand-alone-after Ashes to Ashes (2013), this continues the dual-world adventures of teen Callie. Torn between two lovers and caught between two worlds, Callie is recovering from the coma that thrust her into the Prism, where spirit-guide Thatcher wooed her and ghosts Reena and Leo played with the dark side, attempting to possess bodies of the living and displacing their souls, possibly permanently. Now Callie's coming to terms with both strange truths ("one thing is for sure: My body may have been in that hospital bed, but my soul sure as hell wasn't") and normal teen dramas. Steadfast mortal boyfriend Nick isn't quite as cozy as before, and poltergeist Reena is eyeing best friend Carson for a takeover. Callie's return to the mortal world allows for new characters (Thatcher's living sister; a potential boyfriend for Carson with a convenient knowledge of the occult) and introduces some mystery. Callie's present-tense narration provides access to typical teen thoughts, high jinks and melodrama; "guilt ravages" her mind as she faces "the horrifying truth. A truth that I couldn't prevent. A truth that I brought upon all of us." The intriguing worldbuilding of the initial book is missing; though Callie retains the obliviousness that got her in trouble to begin with, her self-reflection is purely emotional. But with a watery homage to the movie Ghost, will anyone mind? Paranormal romance done well, with a warning: When it comes to incantations, always read the fine print. (Paranormal romance. 12-18)

March 1, 2015

Gr 7 Up-In this sequel to Ashes to Ashes (HarperCollins, 2013), Callie is recovering after two months in a coma and catching up on all that she's missed on Earth. While she's reconnecting with her dad and her closest friends, Carson and Nick, Callie dreams of a place where ghosts live-the Prism. As her memory starts to come back, Thatcher risks breaking the rules to warn Callie that not all is well in the Prism. Reena and Leo, the two poltergeists stealing Callie's energy in the Prism, are missing and somehow able to stay on Earth. Callie will not only need to remember what happened to her in the Prism but also to channel her memories to save her closest friends and herself. Callie tells her story in the first person, sharing her experiences as she remembers what happened while she was in between life and death. The narrative focuses more on the relationships between the protagonist and her loved ones, who are recovering and rebuilding after Callie had worked on helping them move on from her "death" while in the Prism. VERDICT Readers need to have read the first book to understand this sequel; fans of the previous installment will find that the story lines and themes are more deeply explored in this follow-up.-Natalie Struecker, Rock Island Public Library, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 15, 2015
Grades 8-12 Callie, 16, wakes from a weeks-long coma that her soul spent in Prism, a ghost world for souls not quite ready to relinquish their ties to the living. Now she is finding it hard to let go of her attraction to handsome Thatcher, an enigmatic ghost guide. This sequel focuses more on plot expansion and new characters, while larger issues of morality, forgiveness, and the afterlife take a backseat to ghostly smackdowns. But romance readers who appreciated sensitive Callie and the world of loss balanced by love will find much to enjoy here and will hope the abrupt ending signifies a third title in the series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)