ALL HER GHOSTS

In a world haunted by ghosts and ravaged by climate change, 17-year-old Persephone Green has always related more to the dead than the living.

Persephone and her mother have lived in six houses in three years, always running from something. The only constants in Persephone’s life are her contentious relationship with her mother, her status as a social outcast, and the mysterious paranormal abilities she calls her “party trick.” But everything changes when Persephone meets two strangers: a man seeking to right a long-standing wrong and a boy named Bas to whom she feels an unusual connection. When a trip to the school nurse reveals that Persephone doesn’t have a heartbeat, she’s left reeling—and only Bas seems to have any answers. Together, the two uncover both a conspiracy and the truth about themselves. Combining science fiction, paranormal, fantasy, dystopian, and mythological elements, the premise of Prith’s YA debut is enticing. But the book is unfortunately slowed down by the repetitive nature of the prose. The relationship between Bas and Persephone, who present white, is the strongest point, forming the heart of the story. The two have an interesting dynamic, but the dynamic of the mystery surrounding it isn’t fully explained. Relationships among other characters often feel underdeveloped or rushed, and some plotlines are confusing.

An intriguing setup, with execution that falls flat.