Rebel Spirits

May 15, 2013
Fervor for the Civil War never dies; neither can one of its soldiers. When Lori Chase and her hospitality-industry-driven parents move the family from a snazzy Philadelphia hotel to a bed-and-breakfast in Gettysburg, it's not long before the 16-year-old begins seeing a dashing yet melancholy Union soldier (although the book's title implies the opposite) named Nathaniel Pierce. And in just a few days' time, Lori not only agrees to solve the mystery of Nathaniel's death, but falls deeply in love with the soldier. Competing theories, involving treason, a Hatfield-McCoy-type family feud and a missing ring once owned by Abraham Lincoln, as well as numerous historical elements, keep the teen's predictable, first-person, present-tense narration from growing stale. Also driving the tension are Nathaniel's July 3 deadline (or he'll have to wait again until next year's re-enactment of the battle) and the unyielding attention of Evan, the very much alive B&B groundskeeper for the summer, who offers to help with the case. But Lori's not the only one looking for clues. The dubious (and very much stereotypical) elderly housekeeping couple, Old Dryden and his wife, Bertha, lend a Scooby Doo feeling to the story (think of the show's oft-used phrase: "I would have gotten away with it too, if it weren't for you meddling kids"). A squeaky-clean romance for the youngest end of YA or readers who want nothing objectionable when it comes to love stories. (Ghost story. 12 & up)

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June 1, 2013

Gr 7-9-Sixteen-year-old Lori's parents open a B and B in Gettysburg that has a reputation for being haunted. On one of her first nights at the inn, a Civil War ghost appears in Lori's bedroom. Nathaniel Pierce tells Lori that he did not die of battle wounds; he was murdered. Only she can solve the mystery of who killed him, and she has three days in which to do it. At the same time, she has to figure out who is meddling in the shed at night and why. Lori's task is made all the more difficult because she falls in love with Nathaniel and the teenager hired to mow the grass. The juxtaposition of past and present is the backbone of the story. Lori's modern existence of Skyping and wearing shorts offers a striking comparison to Nathaniel's 1860s' strict social mores and cringe-worthy health care. The integration of the real Gettysburg cemetery, Evergreen, provides a haunting backdrop. The mystery is tangential. At the outset, it is pretty clear who is in the shed at night for reasons foul, and who killed Nathaniel. A few points go unanswered, including why Lori has only three days in which to solve the crime. Give this novel to readers who like mild ghost stories or innocent romances, and who don't mind loose story threads.-Jennifer Prince, Buncombe County Public Libraries, NC

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