Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike
Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.
No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.
Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Publishes in US: April 30th 2013 by HarperTeen
Genre: paranormal
Source: Harper Teen for review
Series? No.
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So, the whole only one person can see the ghost book has been done, but I enjoyed the plot then and I enjoyed it this go round as well. This one does have the unique twist that the ghost is a rich girl. Who stole. A lot. And Jeff, our main character, the only one around who can see her, is guilted into helping her and makes a new, if at times annoying, but funny ghostly friend, Kimberlee.
I will be honest, I almost didn't read this one because I thought it would be soo much drama and I guess when I first got it, I just dismissed without fully reading the synopsis, but once I got a chapter in, I was hooked.
I liked being in Jeff's head. There just aren't as many male POV although they are becoming more popular as a dual narrative, but here it is all boy, all the time. I liked the way that he interacted with her, and that he was skeptical. At first he thought it was all some big joke. But I really appreciated his line of thought, and while he had his flaws, that he was just a good person, and had a desire to do the right thing.
I felt for Kimberlee and despised her, sometimes all at once. I understand that it was a compulsion, her stealing, and that she desperately wants to cross over. But just some of her attitudes turn me off. I know that she is covering up pain, but still. But she made such amazing character development and growth, and that left me smiling when the book was over. The inherent goodness of Jeff really changed her and how she looked at (after)life. And I like that it wasn't a romantic thing with them.
Khail and Sera are great secondary characters. I really enjoyed the in some instances unexpected roles they play in the book.
I liked how everything tied up and the ending was *just* open enough to picture them going on with their lives in a good way.
Books similar to Life After Theft: (links go to my review) The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade, , The Deepest Cut by J.A. Templeton,
My question to you, my lovely readers:
Do you think you would feel obligated to help a ghost if only you could see them?
