Absent by Katie Williams

**Nota Bene: Possible spoilers may or may not be present in this review.
Read at your own risk**

Links for Book Descriptions: Goodreads & Library Things

I won an advance reader's copy in a First Reads Giveaway on Goodreads.

 

I loved this book. It was a fast read but it kept my attention hooked the entire time and the first person perspective was executed well. I could really feel Paige's pain at Usha being convinced she jumped from the roof and refusing to paint the mural despite being her friend.

 

It has an interesting take on the afterlife - Paige and the two other ghosts are trapped on the school property and when they try to leave they are respawned to the spot where they died. I liked the air of mystery behind Evan's and Paige's death, not finding out until the book nears the end.

 

I was extremely shocked when I found out that Brooke was responsible for Paige's death as I thought Lucas would have been directly involved with Paige's death (technically, he indirectly caused it but still, I thought he had a much more active role in it).

 

The ending felt like a bit of a cliffhanger for me but it leaves it up to the reader's imagination what happened to Paige, Evan, and Brooke once they step through the mural (ie. did they cross over or what?).

 

The characters are thought out well and interesting. Poor Harriet, the only person that could see them and winds up in a coma so Brooke doesn't want Paige to discover the truth. I liked how Wes was more than just a "stoner", he was actually a really nice guy.

 

In all, I would definitely recommend this book to other readers.

My Verdict: Four stars out of Five.