Fading

Leath is torn between her long-standing love for Victor, comfortable and dependable, and her requited longing for James, a total stranger who is literally the boy of her dreams.When James transfers into Leath's small-town, North Carolina high school, she recognizes him--he's shared her dreams for years--and learns he's been searching for her. Since her father's death several years earlier, her mother's life has revolved around work and Leath, a junior who will be departing for college. As James and Leath grow closer, Victor, previously patient, grows jealous--with reason. Leath's friend Anamae is more understanding. Leath's affection for Victor pales next to the passion she feels for James. Yet his possessiveness scares her. Who is James? His account doesn't add up. Even as he reveals the strange truth behind his arrival, James hesitates; which path they choose will determine their future, and all choices involve loss. Meanwhile, Leath asserts her own right to decide. To do so, she'll need to remember the past the way it really happened. Latino Victor excepted, Leath and other characters appear white, while James' and Anamae's races are unspecified. While Leath's agonizing indecision is overstressed (the gender roles mostly adhere to typical romance memes and tropes), her struggle to make her own choices is compelling.Transcending genre clichés, this series opener unfolds with a gripping emotional intensity, raising expectations for future installments. (Paranormal romance. 12-16)

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