Lost in Thought (The Sententia) - Hardcover

Bertrand, Cara

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1935462938 ISBN 13: 9781935462934

Publisher: Luminis Books, Inc., 2014

Synopsis

Perfect for readers who love books and series such as Vampire Academy, Spellbound, and Sweet Peril, Lost in Thought is a sure winner for young adult readers interested in the paranormal, romance, and action-packed twists

Lainey Young has a secret: she's going crazy. Everyone else thinks she has severe migraines from stress and exhaustion. What she really has are visions of how people died--or are going to die. Not that she tells anyone that. At age 16, she prefers keeping her crazy to herself. When doctors insist she needs a new and stable environment to recover, Lainey's game to spend two years at a private New England boarding school. She doesn't really think it will cure her problem, and she's half right. There is no cure, but as she discovers, she's not actually crazy.

Almost everyone at Northbrook Academy has a secret too. Half the students and nearly all the staff are members of the Sententia, a hidden society of the psychically gifted. A vision of another student's impending death confirms Lainey is one of them. She'd like to return the crappy gift of divining deaths with only a touch, but enjoys spending time with Carter Penrose--recent Academy graduate and resident school crush--while learning to control it. Lainey's finally getting comfortable with her ability, and with Carter, when they uncover her true Sententia heritage. Now she has a real secret.

Once it's spilled, she'll be forced to forget protecting secrets and start protecting herself.

About this title

About the Author

Cara Bertrand is a former middle school literacy teacher. This is her first novel; it was one of three finalists for the 2011 Amazon/Penguin Breakthrough Novel Award in the Young Adult category. She lives in Sturbridge, Massachusetts.

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—First-time author Bertrand offers a quietly compelling supernatural romance. Since childhood, Lainey Young, 16, was living nomadically with her godmother following her parents' deaths. A fondness for antiquing triggers the first of Lainey's supernatural gifts: touching objects involved with death allows her to witness these fatal occurrences. Accompanied by dizziness, fainting, and migraines, this power lands the teen at Northbrook Academy, where she learns that, like most legacy students, she's Sententia (a secret society of people with special perceptive abilities). With a strong ally in Amy (her non-Sententia roommate) and romance with fellow Sententia Carter Penrose (recent Northbrook grad and town It Guy), Lainey gets her first taste of high school drama, which also melds with her suddenly supernatural life. Bertrand infuses the book with plenty of mystery surrounding the main character's family history and the Sententia's governing body. She ups the ante and tension by finally revealing the protagonist's and Carter's more dangerous talents. Lainey is a likable heroine who holds her own but with realistic insecurities. Initially, the narrative's focus skews more toward the teens' romance than the Sententia plot; still, the author is able to establish the characters and the New England prep school setting well. With occasional swearing, teen drinking, and frank but not crude references to sex, this novel is suitable for older teens. A violent altercation and unearthed secrets leave plenty of workable and interesting loose ends for the next installment. A promising start to a series that will find a fan base.—Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ

About this edition

• Publisher: Luminis Books, Inc.
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1935462938
• ISBN 13: 9781935462934
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288