In 1918, the world seems on the verge of apocalypse. Americans roam the streets in gauze masks to ward off the deadly Spanish influenza, and the government ships young men to the front lines of a brutal war, creating an atmosphere of fear and confusion. Sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches as desperate mourners flock to sEances and spirit photographers for comfort, but she herself has never believed in ghosts. During her bleakest moment, however, she' s forced to rethink her entire way of looking at life and death, for her first love-- a boy who died in battle-- returns in spirit form. But what does he want from her? Featuring haunting archival early-twentieth-century photographs, this is a tense, romantic story set in a past that is eerily like our own time.
About the Author :
Cat Winters was born and raised near Disneyland in Southern California. She is the creator of the Suburban Vampire blog and runs Corsets and Cutlasses, a group blog featuring authors of young adult historical fiction. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her family.
Angela Goethals is a native New Yorker who has appeared on and off Broadway in Picnic, Four Baboons Adoring the Sun, and The Good Times Are Killing Me, for which she won an Obie Award and a Drama Desk nomination. Since moving to Los Angeles with her husband, she has appeared on Grey's Anatomy, Without a Trace, and Boston Public, with a recurring role on 24.
Review :
"Cat Winter's debut novel is creepy good."
-- "Boston Globe"
"In this book, the passion of first love and the paranoia of the times are realistically and movingly rendered."
-- "Oregonian"
"More than anything, this is a story of the breaking point between sanity and madness, delivered in a straightforward and welcoming teen voice."
-- "Booklist (starred review)"
"One of the creepiest (in a good way) covers of the season! What's inside, historical YA set at the time of the Spanish influenza, is equally haunting."
-- "Atlantic Wire"
"Romance fans will love Stephen's ghostly visits to Mary Shelley, confirming that their romance is as steamy as ever. Mystery lovers will enjoy the satisfactory resolution of the puzzle. Recommend this title to fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners."
-- "VOYA"
"This engrossing combination of historical fiction, ghost story, psychological thriller, and straight-up whodunit moves between genres with stunning ease, maximizing the tropes of each to satisfying effect."
-- "Bulleting of the Center for Children's Books"
"Winters deftly combines mystery, ghost story, historical fiction, and romance. Excellent pacing and deliciously creepy descriptions."
-- "School Library Journal (starred review)"
"Winters strikes just the right balance between history and ghost story, neatly capturing the tenor of the times, as growing scientific inquiry collided with heightened spiritualist curiosity."
-- "Kirkus Reviews"
"Winters' masterful debut novel is an impressively researched marriage of the tragedies of wartime, the 1918 flu epidemic, the contemporaneous Spiritualism craze, and a chilling love story and mystery."
-- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"
