The Haunting of Springett Hall

Winner of the 2015 Gold Quill for best young adult fiction from the League of Utah Writers.

Eighteen-year-old Lucy doesn't know how she became a ghost, but the more she remembers of her life in Victorian England, the more she wants to forget. Her only hope of changing the mistakes of her past is to enlist the help of a servant named Philip - the one living person who can see her. This impossible romance story is filled with delightful period detail and plenty of mystery.

Gr 6 Up—Lucy is in serious trouble. She is caught between the worlds of the spirits and the living. The translucent teen is bound to a bustling mansion with no recollection of who she is and a strong suspicion that she was involved in something very dark. She is quickly frustrated with her ethereal body and enlists the help of Peter, one of the few people in the house who can see her. Despite her misgivings in trusting Peter, who is also unable to remember who he is, they fight to put the puzzle pieces of the past together, complete the mission that may have killed Lucy, and banish the evil that seems to lurk at the estate. Every step closer to comprehension brings them, and all of the members of the household, closer to mortal danger. The book is set in Victorian England, and the romantic developments are tame, and the setting is sinister. Wheeler spreads clues throughout the narrative that lead readers in one direction only to later reveal the true, and very different, meaning of each one. The mysterious events grow more ominous with each chapter, weaving together the fragments of Peter's and Lucy's memories with beautiful snippets of poetry. Ultimately, teens are led to ponder the same question as Lucy and Peter: Love is a powerful force, but can some actions taken in the name of love go too far? VERDICT An enjoyable recommendation for fans of supernatural mysteries with romantic flair.—Paige Rowse, Syosset High School Library, New York