Lost in Thought

March 1, 2014
This debut sends a paranormally afflicted teen to a posh school with a secret in this familiar-feeling series opener. Lainey has lived most of her life traveling with her artist aunt and learning from tutors. When she begins to experience blackouts, her guardian suddenly sends her to a posh prep school, where she's eagerly accepted as a Legacy student. Lainey loves antiques, but sometimes when she handles them, she sees the death of a person who touched the object. The Northbrook Academy authorities are well-aware of some of their students' paranormal abilities--all their Legacy students have some kind of talent. Lainey learns that she is one of the Sententia and can use Thought to affect the physical world. As she deals with her quickly developing powers, Lainey falls for Carter, the handsome boy who works in his family's bookstore and is involved with the secret society of Sententia all over the world. Alas, several other female students also covet Carter's attentions, and when he seems to fall for Lainey, jealousies arise. Bertrand focuses mostly on the romance between Carter and Lainey, though the plot broadens a bit toward the end. She takes some potshots at science, favoring the metaphysical instead. Characterizations skew toward genre norms, and the book ends with a whopper of a premonition to propel readers into the sequel. For genre fans only. (Paranormal romance. 12-18)

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April 1, 2014

Gr 9 Up-First-time author Bertrand offers a quietly compelling supernatural romance. Since childhood, Lainey Young, 16, was living nomadically with her godmother following her parents' deaths. A fondness for antiquing triggers the first of Lainey's supernatural gifts: touching objects involved with death allows her to witness these fatal occurrences. Accompanied by dizziness, fainting, and migraines, this power lands the teen at Northbrook Academy, where she learns that, like most legacy students, she's Sententia (a secret society of people with special perceptive abilities). With a strong ally in Amy (her non-Sententia roommate) and romance with fellow Sententia Carter Penrose (recent Northbrook grad and town It Guy), Lainey gets her first taste of high school drama, which also melds with her suddenly supernatural life. Bertrand infuses the book with plenty of mystery surrounding the main character's family history and the Sententia's governing body. She ups the ante and tension by finally revealing the protagonist's and Carter's more dangerous talents. Lainey is a likable heroine who holds her own but with realistic insecurities. Initially, the narrative's focus skews more toward the teens' romance than the Sententia plot; still, the author is able to establish the characters and the New England prep school setting well. With occasional swearing, teen drinking, and frank but not crude references to sex, this novel is suitable for older teens. A violent altercation and unearthed secrets leave plenty of workable and interesting loose ends for the next installment. A promising start to a series that will find a fan base.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

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