Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison

Olivia will always regret not confessing her undying love to best friend Lucas, for just as she begins to tell him, fate intervenes. The next time Olivia sees Lucas, he’s a ghost. So begins Notes from Ghost Town by Kate Ellison that I read as part of the RIP challenge at Stainless Steel Droppings.

Olivia, a promising artist, faces multiple problems for one so young. Someone killed Lucas, and she must discover who it is before her mother is sentenced for the crime. This requires Olivia to communicate with dead Lucas to uncover the truth. At the same time, she has inexplicably become color blind, has lost confidence in her artistic ability, and resents the impending marriage of her father.

As Olivia investigates the lives of those closest to her for clues, she must wrestle with issues of love and loyalty. How much loyalty does she owe her lost childhood love? Can she ever allow herself to love another—such as beguiling bad boy Austin Morse? Who in her life is a betrayer?

I found the plot pacing excellent—slow enough to allow for character growth and internalization, yet fast enough that it never bogged down or lost focus.

There are young adult novels with crossover appeal, that combine literary innovation with imagistic storytelling. Most notably, Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief comes to mind, a novel that appeals to both genders, all ages, readers of multiple genres. Notes from Ghost Town is not one of those. Instead, it is a book perfectly geared to its audience: teen girls (especially teens dealing with loss) and those of us who remember what it’s like to be teen girls.

This is a sweet love story in which the protagonist must learn when to embrace life and chance and when to let go. As Olivia explains, “You remember it is important to be alive because there is love, even if you cannot touch it with your hands or your lips” (321).