Token of Darkness

Cooper Blake has everything going for himuntil he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesnt know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that shes a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Coopers old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

"Cooper Blake's car crash left him emotionally and physically damaged — and able to see a brightly clothed teenage ghost named Samantha, who has no memory of her life when she was alive. But as high school senior Cooper begins trying to 'find a way to bring her peace,' he soon discovers other young people with unusual abilities, including Brent, a sensitive mind reader, and Delilah, a cheerleader casting reckless spells (the narrative shifts among the three teenagers). But Cooper is unsure who to trust — even friendly Samantha may be 'something else, something bad.' Some of the plot particulars seem forced, especially surrounding the book's ending, which feels rather convenient. But Atwater-Rhodes (Persistence of Memory) certainly understands how to create a mood: her story offers extreme weather, flashbacks to Cooper's mysterious and tragic car accident, and creepy, shadowy 'scavengers' that feed 'upon the power put out by emotions like pain and fear.' Readers may not understand exactly how all the magic works in this fast-paced supernatural thriller, but there are enough plot developments to keep them engaged. Ages 12 — up." Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes wrote her first novel, In the Forests of the Night, when she was 13 years old. Visit her online at www.ameliaatwaterrhodes.com.