LEXI

Just as in A Dog for Life (2006), Matthews combines elements of fantasy with a sometimes rather grim reality. Lexi, a young girl, awakens in the forest with a bad headache and total amnesia. She’s rescued by a concerned older man, Joe, and taken to a shelter in a city torn apart by violent crime. The only clue to her past is a silver key she wears on a necklace. A recently deceased rock-star father, a missing identical twin, a long-lost grandmother and a criminal with evil intent but a poorly developed plan all melodramatically contribute to an exciting climax. One subplot in which a small boy is haunted by his older brother’s death seems to serve no purpose at all. Next to Lexi, who has a clear and amusing voice, the other characters seem underdeveloped and flat. The predictable plot features a feel-good ending that seems contrived. Fans may welcome this new effort, but after the author’s other, excellent works, this one may disappoint. (Fiction. 10-14)