Grim Crush (Grimly Ever After)

S. L.
Bynum
Genre: 
Young Adult

PARANORMAL:  Xia and her best friend Jayza work in the same area of Arizona, helping souls to the other side. There is a code that they have to follow, and three more stringent rules: one of which is that they can't show themselves to humans. Though Xia is known for smaller infractions, and has to guide a trainee as punishment, she didn't intentionally show herself to Shilah, a Native American high school student whose family is obsessed with death.  Against her best friend's advice, she decides to find out how on earth the boy can see her before informing her supervisors. 

 

This story reels the reader in with the first line, and will keep them engaged throughout! Told through Xia's eyes, at times, the author retells events for the character's benefit, and there are editing issues that can easily be corrected in the next edition. That should not deter potential readers. The characters have problems with which readers young and older can identify. The plot boils down to a new twist on a well-loved theme. Xia knows many languages; exhibited in sparse examples of dialogue in Italian. There is also a good balance between description and dialogue, which fits the teenage mentality and gives insight into characters' personality. 

 

Dealing with the newly departed is a 24/7 job. This imaginative page-turner, despite its otherworldly leanings, will leave the reader thinking about death, life and love in a whole other light.

 

Heather R Nielsen