Another Little Piece

Gr 10 Up—Annaliese returns to her family in Buffalo after disappearing. She has complete amnesia, a terrible scar on her forehead, and brain damage. However, the teen seems no worse for it-until she finds herself craving human flesh. Little by little, memories begin to surface, but they are not hers. Rather, they belong to Anna, the being who has taken over Annaliese's body. Anna's memories are of living one short year in the bodies of many other teenage girls until it is time for the bloody ritual that allows her to transfer to yet another. The old body turns to dust as the new one is inhabited. Anna realizes that she is some sort of monster. She is determined to stop the horrifying cycle with the love and support of an outsider named Dex, who has his own dark secret. Her story is nicely written in short segments, each with a title, and independent poems are dispersed throughout. The author cleverly assists readers in mentally switching between the past and present as the story unfolds, while the poems allow them to get to know the real Annaliese. The mystery builds at a leisurely pace, giving plenty of time to plot and character development. The varied story elements also tie together neatly at the end. This supernatural romance will fit the bill for teens who like eerie mysteries tinged with grit and gore.—Mindy Whipple, West Jordan Library, UT