(2) YA Trell has the ability to communicate with the dead through letter-writing. Her skill brings comfort to the loved ones of the deceased and much-needed income to Trell. The teen is the breadwinner for an extremely neglectful and abusive household consisting of her unemployed mother and Mom's revolving door of unappealing, sometimes violent boyfriends. One of the dead she communicates with warns Trell to stop her supernatural activities. But when she discovers that she can actually raise the dead, it's hard to resist this lucrative prospect, as she is desperate for anything that might alleviate the horrifying emotional and physical violence she suffers at home (and hesitant to ask for help, as she fears being ­separated from her mother). Lewis's debut straddles the line between fantasy and horror, the latter coming from both the life this protagonist was born into and the dark magic she ushers in. Compellingly written with nuanced, fallible characters, the story is intense and at times heart-wrenching; relationships with a friend and a guidance counselor offer some bright spots for Trell. Alongside issues of poverty, parental neglect, and abuse, the novel provides welcome positive examples of resilience, friendship, vulnerability, and growing into one's personal power.

Reviewer: Monique Harris | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021