Summary: While Liv is away at an out-of-state high school art academy, her best friend and was-almost-boyfriend Stern is murdered, and all evidence points to Liv’s schizophrenic mother. Read the summary and tell me if you can think of any books with a similar premise. It’s cool that I can’t think of anything to compare this book to. Perfect for: Contemporary and mystery YA fans will both find something to like. As far as the story goes, I have some suggestions! (of course) (the book’s cover is not even official – I had to take a pic with my phone). It was pretty good! I am reviewing an ARC so there are some aspects of the story that may change before the book is published. Verdict: An atmospheric YA mystery with ambiguous supernatural elements and a bit of a love triangle (sorta). 'About this title' may belong to another edition of this title.Good story – Let’s hack it and make it great Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. Miller Cover, Homewood Public Library, ALα(c) Copyright 2011. Hubbard's The Secret Year (Viking, 2010).-Heather E. This book will find many readers, among them fans of Sarah Dessen's works and Jennifer R. Ellison portrays Olivia sympathetically yet realistically, creating a believable character in an extreme situation.

She feels as if her parents, home, friends, and even her artistic talent have all deserted her in one way or another. Olivia mourns not only the loss of her best friend/romantic interest, but also the life she once knew. If it is truly appearing, what could be causing his spirit's unrest? This tightly plotted novel is both heartfelt and suspenseful. When Stern's ghost shows up to save her from drowning, she wonders if it is another sign of her oncoming madness or if the visitation is real. With the boy she secretly loved dead, her father remarrying, and her mother in prison awaiting sentencing, Olivia struggles to make it through each day. She is afraid that her graying vision is just the first sign of impending, inherited schizophrenia. And just a week before Stern's death, Olivia's sight started faltering, all color bleaching out of her world. Unable to cope, Olivia's father filed for divorce.

Her mother had never been well balanced, and her refusal to stay on her meds led to increasing mental instability. Gr 9-11-Sixteen-year-old Olivia's best friend, Stern, is murdered, and her mother confesses to the crime.

Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison