Absent

by Katie Williams
288 pages
Reviewed by GBHS Student, Molly Kegley

 
Forever is a long time to be stuck in high schoo. 17-year-old Paige is dead, the victim of a freak fall from the roof during Physics class. Now she’s a ghost permanently bound to the grounds of her high school. It isn’t all bad: she has the company in fellow ghosts Evan and Brooke who also died there. When Paige hears a rumor spread by a popular girl at school; that her death wasn’t an accident, and that she had jumped on purpose, she is desperate to stop the gossip.

 
The book begins with a seemingly cliche teen drama that turns into an intense mystery. It is a beautiful and powerful story of true love, loss, and letting go. Paige herself, is an entertaining and engaging character that I followed to the end and missed when I closed the book. The writing is fantastic,and the expressive beauty of the words an excellent addition to the thrilling mystery of Paige and the other ghosts. The plot is genius and the twits and turns make for an exciting read. Trust me, this book is definitely a new favorite, next to City of Bones and Papertowns .