When eighteen-year-old Lexi foresees the brutal murder of a girl outside a club in downtown L.A., she is powerless to stop it. But when the girl’s ghost appears, seeking vengeance, Lexi is swept into a dangerous search that could put her directly in the path of a serial killer. From the author of Devils Unto Dust, this fast-paced and literary thriller will haunt fans of Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious and Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying.

With a touch, Lexi can sense how and when someone will die. Some say it’s a gift. But to Lexi it’s a curse—one that keeps her friendless and alone. All that changes when Lexi foresees the violent death of a young woman, Jane, outside a club. But Jane doesn’t go to the afterlife quietly. Her ghost remains behind, determined to hunt down her murderer, and she needs Lexi’s help. In life, Jane was everything Lexi is not—outgoing, happy, popular. But in death, all Jane wants is revenge. Lexi will do anything to help Jane, to make up for the fact that she didn’t—couldn’t—save Jane’s life, and to keep this beautiful ghost of a girl by her side for as long as possible.Emma Berquist’s second novel is a haunting and atmospheric murder mystery that tackles themes of depression, loneliness, love, and identity. This high-concept novel is for fans of Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series.

Thank you so much to Edelweiss and HarperCollins for the eGalley of this book! I have grown up obsessed with the paranormal. I was an X-Files kid, a Twilight teenager, and now a Missing, Presumed Dead somewhat adult. Something about magic, ghosts, and gore has always kept me coming back for more instead of running away screaming. Lucky for me, this novel has all three!

We are introduced to Lexi, who has a spectacular yet devastating gift. She can see how any person can die from just a touch. She works in a club where she is surrounded by people like her; psychics, pyrokinetics, you name it. Patrons start to die, and Lexi is soon joined by two ghosts who make up her Buffy the Vampire Slayer-esque Scooby Gang.

We first meet Trevor, who is long dead. The way that ghosts are portrayed in this novel blew me away. It is a lore that I have never encountered before and it was a breath of fresh air. Through Trevor we learn that ghosts are energy, they are warm, they are able to control their appearances.

However, when we are greeted by Jane, we see the opposite side of that coin; she is the spitting image of her death with bleeding wounds and milky eyes. The contrast between the two is lovely, and they both have such an important impact on the story.

The tone was so dark and the imagery so vivid that I breathed a sigh of relief at the end. That doesn’t mean there aren’t bright spots throughout, however. I love Lexi’s connection to her Deda, and the bond they both share with the spirits they encounter. They light up each other’s lonely lives, and do the same to the poor souls left wandering this earth far after their bodies have expired. There is also a romance that I never saw coming, but is solidified in my heart as one of my very favorites that I’ve ever read. Edward and Bella who????

Anyway, all that to say this is my first read by this author but I can’t wait to devour more of her work. She can truly spin a remarkable tale!

5/5 stars