Hanging by a Thread

July 1, 2012
Clare's paranormal ability to experience the past when she touches clothing involves her in a murder mystery. A serial killer may be stalking Winston, Clare's tiny northern California beach town. A boy may have been murdered during the Fourth of July holiday last year. Now, a girl, Amanda, has disappeared. Clare and her mom have returned to their ancestral home in Winston, where Clare has made one friend. Rachel helps sell the outfits Clare designs from bits of vintage clothing. The more she learns about Rachel, however, the more Clare wonders if the girl is stable. Clare's isolation continues within her own family, as she quarrels with her mom. Meanwhile, other families appear to be breaking up all over town. When Clare acquires a torn jacket, she touches it and has an alarming vision that she's certain will somehow lead her to Amanda. She also falls for Jack, Amanda's old boyfriend, who was accused of the crime at the time. Can she trust him? As Clare delves more deeply into the tangled relationships of the townsfolk, she pieces the mystery together just as she pieces old clothing together, and she thinks she knows whodunit. If she's wrong, though, she may become the next victim. Littlefield writes a nifty little mystery and hits the right buttons for the current paranormal craze. Throwing in fashion design and a hot romance with a hunky bad-boy type also boosts interest, but well-drawn family and friend relationships form the heart of this story. The author plays fair by sprinkling in some teensy but real clues that should steer alert readers toward the solution. Intriguing and entertaining. (Paranormal mystery. 12 & up)

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October 1, 2012

Gr 9 Up-Clare Knight recently moved back to Winston, California. She inherited more than a home from her family; she also inherited an affinity for sewing and design as well something darker. A seamstress, she redesigns vintage clothing, and with one touch of a garment, she can see the life of the person who wore it. As she prepares for her junior year in high school, Rachel, an old friend, introduces her to the popular crowd, and Clare finds herself invited to one wild beach party after another. However, behind the carefree life in this seaside town lies a terrible truth; two children have been murdered in as many years and on the same date. Parents fear it will happen again. With Clare's gift comes great responsibility, and the teen finds herself caught up in the mystery of these tragic deaths. The author keeps readers hanging on to each page with a fast-moving plot, but sacrifices fluidity in the process. However, most teens will not mind at all. Littlefield includes just the right amount of conflict, mystery, fashion, teenage mischief, and hot guys to keep readers entertained, and they'll enjoy the ending that ties together all the loose threads.-Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2012
Grades 10-1 High-schooler Clare and her mom move back to the beach town where Clare lived as a child. Her remembered serenity has been shattered however, and now unending parental warnings morph together: Don't end up being Winston, California's third Independence Day murder victim. Clare tries to figure out which friends she trusts and which boy she loves while designing and sewing her own clothes and dealing with the added burden of her special clairvoyance. Triggered by touching certain pieces of old clothing, it compels her to relive the experiences and heightened emotions of a previous wearer. Contact with a missing girl's jacket sets Clare on a collision course with a murderer. Well-known for her adult mysteries, Littlefield also writes effectively from a teen's perspective. Though a sense of menace is often present in the background, the actual murder mystery only picks up momentum later in the story. Readers may find Clare's magical gift more believable than her mother's personality change in the novel's happy ending. Still, the story's premise and even Clare's unusual fashion sense will attract readers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)