Liv, Forever

January 13, 2014
Think Ghost meets The Sixth Sense, acted by the Brat Pack—this first novel from screenwriter Talkington has the feel of an elevator pitch. Readers who haven’t seen the movies shouldn’t have a problem with the lack of originality; the author’s prose is highly readable, her story is well-paced, and the three protagonists (while not much more than familiar types) are sketched with appealing deftness. Liv, the arty outsider, is accepted to old-money Wickham Hall, a boarding school in the woods of New Hampshire. She naturally gravitates toward Gabe—a strange, moody boy shunned by the rest—but her heart thrills to Malcolm, one of the most popular students. Gabe claims to see ghosts, which pragmatic Liv doubts, until she becomes one. Discovering who killed her drives the final two-thirds of the book. The relentlessly visual focus of the prose (with frequent references to William Blake, Giacometti, Haring, Caspar David Friedrich, and more) reveals Talkington’s personal vision, but it’s a vision that readers without a significant cultural vocabulary will find it difficult to fully share in. Ages 14–up. Agent: Blair Kohan, United Talent Agency.

February 1, 2014
A ghost story set at a posh boarding school hits plenty of buttons for school-conspiracy and romance fans. Sixteen-year-old Liv has had a difficult life in a series of foster homes. Now adopted, she still seeks escape and thinks she's found it when she wins a scholarship to attend New Hampshire's uber-exclusive Wickham Hall. Upon arrival, she immediately realizes that, as a scholarship student, she won't fit in with the bluebloods that have populated the school for generations. As usual for the genre, the school has an elite secret society, the Victors. It also has ghosts, spirits of various girls who were murdered on campus over a span of many decades. When the same fate befalls her, Liv begins, as a ghost, to investigate the mystery of the deaths, which somehow may be tied to the Victors. Through her friend Gabe, who can hear ghosts, she finds a means to communicate with her new heartthrob, Malcolm; he's a Victor, but he appears to love her. Can the trio fully trust one another, and can Liv not only solve the mystery, but convince the police as well? While the narrator-as-ghost adds an interesting twist, the book remains primarily a mystery surrounding the school's secret society. The romance elements come across as bittersweet, of course, considering the fact that Liv's dead. Average, but satisfying enough for paranormal fans still engaged by the genre. (Paranormal mystery. 12-16)

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March 1, 2014

Gr 7 Up-Olivia Bloom never expected to attend the distinguished Wickham Hall, an exclusive East Coast prep school populated by the progeny of the country's wealthiest and most powerful people. A scholarship student, she's instantly shunned by the majority of the student body, except for Gabe, another scholarship student, and Malcolm, campus golden boy and member of the secretive Victors. Although Malcolm is immediately attracted to Liv, his friends despise her and her kind. When Liv is murdered, her death is ruled a suicide, a lie perpetuated by the Victors, but Liv knows better: she exists as a ghost, and with the help of Gabe, who can see and hear spirits, she plans to bring the truth of her death-and the deaths of countless other female Wickham students-to light. Talkington crafts an interesting mix of paranormal fiction, mystery, and romance in her debut novel, and while the story could have been overwhelmed by the multiple genres, it holds up surprisingly well. Liv is a likable outsider whose lack of understanding of the school's traditions should resonate with readers who've ever felt like they don't quite fit in, giving the character credibility. Although years in foster care have made her guard her emotions, she's a romantic at heart, and Talkington plays that up. What is bothersome is the insta-love that Liv and Malcolm feel, especially since Malcolm's character lacks substantial development to warrant Liv's strong feelings. Overall, this is a light, suspenseful read that will have broad appeal.-Audrey Sumser, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Mayfield, OH

Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 15, 2014
Grades 7-10 A foster kid and small-town girl, Liv seems an unlikely candidate for the prestigious Wickham boarding school. But her talent for art has gotten her a scholarship, and captures the attention of legacy student Malcolm. Yet soon enough, Liv is dead, and it's left to Gabe, the kid who can see the school's ghosts, to join with Malcolm and figure out what's happened not just to Liv but to girls who have died throughout the school's history. Reporting Liv's death is not a spoiler, since it's on the flap copy, but it comes about halfway into the book, which makes the narrative flow a bit awkwardas do the interjected stories of several of the other late coeds. On the plus side, this has a snappy mystery at its center, and the growing friendship between preppy Malcolm and nerdy Gabe (aided by the presence of Liv, quite vivacious in death) makes for a fast-paced story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2014
High school can be hard, but at Wickham Hall being a poor outcast puts you in jeopardy of ritualistic murder--as Liv posthumously discovers. Joined by a team of fellow ghost victims, Liv and her friends seek justice for 150 years of untimely deaths. Talkington's intricately woven, cross-generational murder stories create a suspenseful and entertaining puzzle for readers.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)