RADIANCE

Twelve-year-old Riley is dead, and she isn’t particularly happy about it.  It took her quite a while to finally accept her fate and cross the bridge to the other side, and she still misses her earthly life, particularly her adored older sister (Ever, of Noël’s Immortals series for teens). In the afterlife, Riley is given the job of Soul Catcher and assigned a guide to help her. She immediately clashes with her 14-year-old guide, Bodhi, who dresses badly and hides his handsome face behind oversized glasses. As first Riley and then Bodhi set out to complete their less-than-suspenseful assignments, they gain confidence and skill as well as an appreciation of each other. The overall tone is humorous, though the conclusion—Riley’s realization that the dead are soon forgotten by the living yet can still go on to heights of glory in another plane—is bittersweet. This is a tale for lovers of the genre only; it doesn’t generate enough reality to sustain an outsider’s interest. But for those preteens who like a mild supernatural adventure with romantic overtones, you go, ghost. (Paranormal. 9-12)