“Run, Ronnie, run,” whispers the river. And Ronnie runs. Daily, long-distance jogs help her come to terms with her father’s psychological crisis, the sudden addition of two foster siblings and the family’s abrupt transition from city-dwellers to country innkeepers. Running helps Ronnie cope, and she looks forward to it until the day her carefree run turns into a mad dash for help. In desperation, Ronnie runs to the Ranger’s office to report the discovery of her young friend Karen’s body in the river. Ronnie has to run yet again, this time for her life, when she crosses the path of some dangerous criminals as she searches for clues about what happened to Karen. In insightful and often surprisingly funny prose, Beaufrand presents the search for Karen’s killer, interspersing it with Ronnie’s memories of special times she enjoyed with Karen. Supporting characters, including Ronnie’s troubled friend Gretchen and foster brother/potential boyfriend Tomás, are not fleshed out as much as one might hope, but the story is really about Ronnie, and she feels entirely real. Compelling. (Suspense. YA)
Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-316-04168-3
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: Dec. 31, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2010
BOOK REVIEW
Solid dark academia that’s strongest in its spooky, enchanting atmosphere.
Fueled by a drive for vengeance against her best friend’s murderer, a girl becomes entangled in a society that harbors supernatural secrets.
Violet Harper enters the prestigious Hart Academy with one goal: to learn what happened to her late best friend and enact revenge. Last year, Emoree Hale was reported to have tragically fallen from a tower, but Violet knows she’d never have taken her own life. Not long before her death, Emoree admitted to having feelings for the headmistress’ son Percy Lockwell. Now Violet is sure Percy killed her friend—and that his mother is covering for him. But Percy has disappeared by the time Violet arrives on campus, so she pursues his siblings for information instead. Both Calvin and Sadie are members of the campus club known as the Cards, an exclusive group with great privileges and mysterious intentions. Calvin, in particular, becomes Violet’s target: He’s a notorious playboy who clearly knows more about Emoree’s death than he lets on. But even as Violet uncovers the truth, more questions arise, and ghosts and vicious curses come into play. She must battle an undeniable connection to Calvin and a host of supernatural horrors before she completes her mission. Calvin and Violet’s chemistry and the moody setting will propel readers despite the uneven pace and somewhat predictable lore of the curse. The lead characters are cued white, and there’s racial diversity in the supporting cast.
Solid dark academia that’s strongest in its spooky, enchanting atmosphere. (Paranormal mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Sept. 2, 2025
ISBN: 9780593693193
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: July 3, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
BOOK REVIEW
A quietly compelling story.
Welcome to St. Hilaire, New York, a town that speaks to the dead.
Daniel “Dec” Hampton, still reeling from the deaths of his parents two years ago, feels suffocated by the rules and regulations set forth by the Guild, the authoritarian town council, and anxiously awaits the day he can leave. Russ Griffin, Dec’s best friend, struggles with his mother’s abandonment and desperately wants the coveted spot of Student Leader, a placement that will lead to a permanent Guild position after high school. Talented teen pianist Anastasia Krylova has recently lost her mentor, whose last request is that Annie find the missing portion of the Unfinished Prelude, a composition with an enigmatic history. When fate brings Annie to Dec’s door, the lives of all three teens are upended in unexpected and mysterious ways. How is Annie connected to Tristan, the ghost who occupies Dec’s home—and how is Tristan linked to the Prelude? Will Dec leave St. Hilaire, or will he be trapped here forever? Can Russ pass muster as a medium to gain his place with the Guild? Dec, Russ, and Annie share the first-person narration; each has a distinct voice. Dec’s is angry while Russ’ is brooding and Annie’s is grief-stricken; the story may resonate with readers who have experienced loss. The setting is inspired by Lily Dale, the spiritualist community in upstate New York. All characters are assumed white.
A quietly compelling story. (Paranormal mystery. 14-18)Pub Date: Aug. 1, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4926-6737-7
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Review Posted Online: May 31, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 15, 2020
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