Hereafter

For years, Amelia has drifted in an ambiguous haze, punctuated by nightmares. She knows she is dead; no one in the living world can see her; she has encountered no other ghosts; and, from her nightmares, she knows she died by drowning. This static, anguished existence suddenly changes when a boy falls into the river, dying before her eyes. As he fades, he sees Amelia, really sees her, galvanizing him to struggle and be saved. Thus begins the romance between Amelia and Joshua (who can still see and speak with her) as they grapple with maintaining the tenuous and mysterious electricity between them. The obvious difficulties are complicated by Joshua's grandmother, who insists that it is his job to exorcise Amelia, and the appearance of another ghost, who has an entirely different fate in mind for her. Using the device of Amelia's memory loss, Hudson avoids the chunks of exposition that sometimes weigh down paranormal stories, and the narrative gradually unfolds as Amelia and Josh learn her history. It's a straightforward tale, refreshingly without too much "apparatus," and an encouraging debut for Hudson. Ages 12%E2%80%93up. (June)