Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Eleventh grader Jake Livingston fights for survival when the ghost of a school shooter starts to haunt him.Besides dealing with being the only Black kid in his grade, Jake also must contend with the ghosts he sees every day. Remnants of the dead world envelop every aspect of his waking life, ghosts distract him in school, he astral projects at night, and now hes the target of a particularly incensed spirit. Sawyer Doon, a White boy who committed a mass shooting at a neighboring high school, has set his sights on Jake, seeking to possess his body and commit more atrocities from beyond the grave. Newfound friends Fiona Chan and Allister Burroughs, a new Black student at St. Clair Prep, assist Jake in his quest to vanquish Sawyer and protect those he loves. Meanwhile, diary entries from Sawyer himself pepper the novel, offering a glimpse into what can drive someone to violence. Jake, who is gay and dealing with the stress of being closeted, not only manages supernatural antagonists, but everyday racism and microaggressions as well. His experiences supply crucial social commentary and insight into the ways discrimination can isolate and depress young adults. Lush and emotive prose chronicles Jakes journey, though the novels short length and brisk pace leave some crucial aspects of the plot feeling underdeveloped.Spooky, atmospheric, and layered. (Paranormal. 12-18) Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Eleventh grader Jake Livingston fights for survival when the ghost of a school shooter starts to haunt him. Besides dealing with being the only Black kid in his grade, Jake also must contend with the ghosts he sees every day. Remnants of the “dead world” envelop every aspect of his waking life, ghosts distract him in school, he astral projects at night, and now he’s the target of a particularly incensed spirit. Sawyer Doon, a White boy who committed a mass shooting at a neighboring high school, has set his sights on Jake, seeking to possess his body and commit more atrocities from beyond the grave. Newfound friends Fiona Chan and Allister Burroughs, a new Black student at St. Clair Prep, assist Jake in his quest to vanquish Sawyer and protect those he loves. Meanwhile, diary entries from Sawyer himself pepper the novel, offering a glimpse into what can drive someone to violence. Jake, who is gay and dealing with the stress of being closeted, not only manages supernatural antagonists, but everyday racism and microaggressions as well. His experiences supply crucial social commentary and insight into the ways discrimination can isolate and depress young adults. Lush and emotive prose chronicles Jake’s journey, though the novel’s short length and brisk pace leave some crucial aspects of the plot feeling underdeveloped. Spooky, atmospheric, and layered. (Paranormal. 12-18) Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

School Library Journal
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Gr 7 Up—Jake, who is gay, one of the few Black students at his exclusive private school, and a medium who interacts with spirits, is derided by teachers and bullied by classmates. All he wants is to stay invisible. Sawyer, now dead, shot and killed several classmates and then himself. Instead of finding peace in death, his spirit reaches for power, justice, and revenge. Jake appears to be a perfect vessel for Sawyer's rage and terror. Unexpectedly befriended by an unusual student and the new boy at school, Jake finds that he must face the menace that only he knows is supernatural. Alternating between Jake's real-time plight and Sawyer's journal leading up to his heinous act, this novel tackles mental illness, rejection, and loneliness. Unfortunately, both the narration and the plot execution are uneven. Many of the issues are presented and relationships established too quickly without warranted character development or backstory. Though almost everyone in school, including adults, acts horribly, two students inexplicably decide to be Jake's friends, immediately believe his fantastic tale, and make questionable decisions for him but then just as inexplicably are unbothered by his disappearance and the horror that he ends up facing alone. The use of two narrators, Kevin R. Free and Michael Crouch, for the two time lines is effective but imbalanced. While Sawyer's reader provides a stellar performance with just the right accent and accentuations, Jake's point of view reader is less masterly, with especially weak interpretations for female characters. VERDICT Regardless of its flaws, this novel takes a hard look at brutality in many forms, racism, homophobia, and consequences of the choices that we make.—Lisa Youngblood, Harker Heights P.L., TX