Ask Me

February 3, 2014
Pauley (Cat Girl’s Day Off) updates the conceit of a compulsively truthful, Cassandralike protagonist in this well-executed mystery. Aria, 17, is both mysterious and familiar—the girl cringing in the corner, mumbling weird stuff. It’s not awkwardness or a wretched home life that makes her behave this way, though. Aria is an oracle, who must answer truthfully every question she hears. She doesn’t have conscious access to most of this knowledge, and she’s often confused by what she says. After classmate Jade goes missing, it’s Aria who gives the crucial clue that leads to discovery of the body. But when she is drawn into the quest to discover Jade’s killer, the twists of her oracular gift obscure the answer until it’s nearly too late. Pauley’s characterizations are superior, and the startling, sometimes painful things Aria says make for sharp dialogue. The only stumble is in the denouement, when the emotions built over the preceding pages unravel too quickly and superficially. For the most part, however, this is an absorbing and resonant read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Susanna Einstein, Einstein Thompson Agency.

February 1, 2014
A girl's unwanted oracular powers mean she can't make friends or even go out in public, as she cannot stop herself from answering any question she hears. Aria, 17, is the latest in a long line of oracles, beginning with the original Erythraean Sibyl in ancient times. Her grandmother also was an oracle, although the gift--curse, as Aria sees it--skipped her mother. If she hears any question, from any source, even as she walks down her crowded high school hallways, she must answer, normally with a cryptic statement or rhyme. Telling unpleasant and unasked-for truths to anyone within earshot makes Aria a pariah, although popular Jade treats her with compassion. When Jade's found murdered, Aria finds herself caught between Jade's two boyfriends, Will and Alex, both suspects in the case. Warned away from each boy by the other, Aria, who can't understand her own prophecies, nevertheless finds herself drawn to Will and tries to work with him to uncover the truth. Although readers probably won't have too much difficulty in discerning who the real killer might be, Pauley keeps the pages flipping. She paints a fascinating portrait of Aria, both her insecurities and eventually her courage. By giving readers occasional glimpses into the mind of the killer, she raises the stakes for Aria. A well-written character study and thriller all in one. (Paranormal suspense. 12-16)

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April 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-In a small town in the center of Florida, Aria Morse, 17, is an outcast-mostly by choice. Her gift is both blessing and curse: she must answer any question she hears with absolute honesty. However, the oracle within her usually spouts cryptic messages that reveal answers only after the foreshadowed events take place, such as her Grandad's comical scheme to win the lotto. To avoid a constant stream of muttering, Aria roams the halls of Lake Mariah High School with her MP3 player blasting, wearing the home-sewn clothes Gran made for her. Aria's isolation ends when the only girl to show her any kindness, Jade Price, goes missing. Aria's reputation for being a weirdo, coupled with her low socioeconomic status, should automatically make her suspicious when Will Raffles-popular and gorgeous and Jade's ex-boyfriend-begins to show her attention after Jade's body is discovered. But she willingly accepts his plea of innocence and inadvertently shares her secret. Readers will be biting their nails as Aria puts her trust in him, hoping against hope that he is not the killer. Part romance, mystery, and horror, Pauley's novel has enough suspense and dynamic characters to sustain interest, even for reluctant readers.-Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from May 1, 2014
Grades 7-10 *Starred Review* Aria's talent has been passed down through the ages. She is an oracle. Ask her anything, and she must tell the truth. This ability, appearing at 12, has lost her parents, who couldn't handle the truth telling, and her old life. Now she lives in her grandparents' ramshackle house in nowhere Florida, and she wears earbuds in school to drown out the questions swirling around her that she can't ignore. When a girl at her school is murdered, Aria finds herself answering queries with fragmented and confusing bits of information that bring her closer to three students: Will, Delilah, and Alex, one of whom is the murderer. Pauley offers a real page-turner that will have readers thinking they know the killer and then changing their minds, leaving them wondering right up until the end. She also successfully integrates Aria's abilities in ways that make them realistic as they both move and obfuscate the story line. And kudos for (almost) never forgetting that every single question asked throughout the text must be answered by Aria with a snippet of cryptic honesty. A dark mystery featuring a unique heroine.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)