I Heart You, You Haunt Me »

Lisa Schroeder is the author of numerous books for kids and teens. Her first novel, I HEART YOU, YOU HAUNT ME was a 2009 ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers. Lisa lives with her family in Oregon.

Girl meets boy.

Girl loses boy.

Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see him or touch him, unless she's dreaming. She can't hear his voice, except for the faint whispers in her mind. Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson. The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with. He's back from the dead, as proof that love truly knows no bounds.

KLIATT

Part love story, part ghost story, I Heart You, You Haunt Me opens with the funeral of Ava's boyfriend Jackson. Through short, staccato sentences we see the stained glass windows, the flowers, the casket as Ava sees them--bursts of color in a sea of black. The days pass and Ava's love, memories, grief, and guilt threaten to swallow her (it was because of her dare that Jackson died). Instead, Jackson comes to her. Taking up residence in her house, he uses music on the stereo to talk to her, and begins to haunt her days and dreams. Ava's initial comfort turns to fear when she suspects Jackson of stalking her and keeping her from moving forward. Nothing, however, is as it seems, and in an interesting twist, the author absolves Jackson while leaving Ava on the path to recovery. Although the narrative in verse suggests a quick read, the storyline is anything but easy. Schroeder's stripped-down images capture the pain of losing someone, the bewilderment posed by memories so strong that they seem more real than the present, and the isolation that often goes hand-in-hand with grief. Age Range: Ages 12 to 18. REVIEWER: Debra Mitts-Smith (Vol. 42, No. 1)