Absent by Kate Williams

Published: 2014

Forever is a long time to be stuck in high school.

 Seventeen-year-old Paige is dead, the victim of a freak fall from

the roof during Physics class. Now she’s a ghost, permanently

bound to the grounds of her high school. It isn’t all bad, she can

find out everyone’s secrets, which can be amusing—for a while.

But then Paige hears something that isn’t amusing at all: the

rumor spread by the most popular girl at school that her death

wasn’t an accident—that she supposedly jumped on purpose.

Paige is desperate to stop the gossip, but what can a ghost do?

Then Paige discovers something amazing. She can possess

living people when they think of her, and she can make them do

almost anything. Maybe, just maybe, she can get inside the girl

who’s responsible for the stories. . . and have a little fun turning the tables while she’s at it.

Katie Williams’s second novel is a suspenseful page-turner full of

eerie wit and a touch of the otherworldly.

This book had a bit of Tonya Hurley’s, Ghost Girl series, and a bit of The Lovely Bones fused with an entirely new, and refreshing story. For a novel of less than 200 pages, Williams sure packed a punch into this surprisingly deep YA book.

The main female characters have so many different quirks that they are easy to relate to. The dialogue is almost like you are overhearing a conversation amongst friends. I loved how Paige developed, she is one of absolute favourite female protagonists. She is such an interesting, and compelling character.

I especially liked the fact that so many truths were just barely scraping the service. Through most of the book, the characters see rumours as true accounts. I loved the end how so many great truths were finally revealed.

This book has an interesting take on life after death. It really makes you think, and question the true importance of cliques, high school and other trivial things that at the time seem so important.

Great read.

Book provided for review by Raincoast Books.