Desires of the Dead starts three months after The Body Finder ends. By now, 16-year-old Violet Ambrose has come to terms with her little "talent" of recognizing the imprints left behind by the dead. Sort of. It's not like she's ready to broadcast her freakishness to the world, but at least she's learning to control the sensations that cloud her mind every time she's near a dead body or someone who's been responsible for another's death. She's relieved that life's returning to normal, or at least this new version of normal. Violet may never get used to the fact that adorable Jay Heaton's no longer her best friend, but her boyfriend. Not that that's a bad thing.

Violet's tentative hold on normal shatters one day when she's wandering along Seattle's waterfront and hears the faint strains of a harp. From the way her body tingles with anticipation, pulling her toward the sound, she knows the music's not coming from the radio or a street performer. It's an echo. Violet's anonymous, phoned-in tip leads police to the body of a missing child. And grabs the attention of the FBI. An agent wants her help to find the little boy's killer.

As much as Violet wants to use her skill for good, she doesn't want it to take over her life. But ignoring the FBI agent's calls doesn't bring normal back. Someone's sending Violet disturbing messages, she's seeing a weird imprint at her high school, and Jay's spending more time with the new kid than he is with her. As if all that's not quite enough to deal with, Violet's being trailed by Rafe, a guy with "talents" that seem all too familiar. Overwhelmed by all the mysteries, she doesn't know where to turn, whom to trust. Only one thing is really clear: Violet's running out of time to figure it all out.

If this were a movie, it would be rated: R for language (a handful of F-bombs, plus other, milder invectives), violence and some sexual content

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find

Since the book is so hard to describe and I can't discuss it in detail without being spoilerish, I'll give you the summary from the back of my ARC:

The monster showed up after midnight. As they do.

But it isn't the monster Conor's been expecting. He's been expecting the one from his nightmare, the nightmare he's had nearly every night since his mother started her treatments, the one with the darkness and the wind and the screaming ...

This monster, though, is something different. Something ancient, something wild. And it wants the most dangerous thing of all from Conor.

It wants the truth.

I know - it doesn't give you much to go on, does it? Suffice it to say, A Monster Calls is a book about a 13-year-old boy dealing with the shock and grief of watching his mother wittle away from cancer. It's about anger and guilt and sadness and coming to terms with the cruel blows life deals to all of us, even the very young. Conor's a sympathetic character, one whose feelings are so familiar they'll strike a chord with anyone who's ever experienced a loss, be it large or small. The story itself is told in a dark, compelling way that keeps readers guessing, even as it barrels toward a not unexpected ending.

As I mentioned, I didn't love the book like I wanted to. I liked it, though, and found it to be quite profound in its simplicity. Perhaps even more so because the idea for the short novel (novella?) actually came from British writer Siobhan Dowd, who died of breast cancer in 2007 at the age of 47. After Dowd passed away, Ness was asked to develop Dowd's story idea into an actual story. Since trying to imitate her voice would have been a "disservice to her, to the reader, and most importantly to the story" (from Author's Note), he told it his own way. Enhanced with illustrations by Jim Kay, A Monster Calls becomes a familiar tale told in a new and different way. With its distinctive Ness polish, it's a book to be proud of, one that pays homage to a beloved writer whose life ended much, much too soon.

(Readalikes: Theme-wise, it reminds me of Season of Secrets by Sally Nicholls; style-wise, of some of Neil Gaiman's stories)

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild language

To the FTC, with love: I received an ARC of A Monster Calls from the generous folks from Candlewick Press.

While focusing on Sean distracts Payton from her problems at home, it doesn't erase what's happening to her dad. She still can't deal with that. It's only when things really start to fall apart that she's forced to face everything she's been avoiding. Now she'll have to focus on the one thing she's been trying to avoid all along: the truth.

Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt is one of those issue novels that doesn't necessarily feel like an issue novel. It's about an issue, yes, and a serious one, but it manages to stay upbeat and funny while still addressing a teen's very real feelings about her dad's illness. It avoids cheesy melodrama, dealing with Payton's emotions in a way that remains authentic and true. Since I can't say it any better than this, I'm going to sum it all up with a line I stole from Melissa's excellent review over at Book Nut: "[Sean Griswold's Head is] sweet without being cloying, a disease book without being issue-y. Gotta love that." See what I mean? And, for the record, I completely agree.

Grade: B

If this were a movie, it would be rated: PG for mild sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love: Another library fine find