Dead River

Gr 7 Up—Kiandra Levesque's father has kept her away from bodies of water ever since her mother killed herself in the river near their New Jersey home. Now living in Maine, Ki, 17, skips prom to go on a white-water-rafting adventure with her boyfriend, her cousin, and an annoying travel companion. As her group tells ghost stories, the teen has visions of the deaths of the individuals in the legends. She also begins seeing the spirits of those who died in bodies of water, and as she gets closer to the river, she hears voices. During her first journey on the Dead River, she is pulled out of the raft by something supernatural and is saved by Trey, a ghost from one of the stories. Ki, it turns out, is a "Mistress of the Waters" and has great magical powers. Trey warns her to leave the river, but she stays when another ghost, Jack, tempts her with seeing her mother again. Sticking around and kissing Jack costs Ki her life. Her mother is able to bring her back from the dead, but only at a great sacrifice of her own powers. Ki then uses her abilities to return Trey to the living as a romance between them sparks. Balog tells a unique story providing supernatural romance fans with plenty of adventure, paranormal mystique, and angst.—Adrienne L. Strock, Chicago Public Library