Second Hand Stops

In this winning novel from St. Claire, six 18-year-olds%E2%80%94all raised together in a manor house in England%E2%80%94are forced to drink a life-prolonging elixir to receive multimillion-dollar inheritances and internships in New York City courtesy of an anonymous benefactor. This promising premise kicks off St. Claire's Black Moon series, and finds Julia Malone abandoning her sheltered upbringing in England to become vice president of the product research and development firm Van Buren Industries in the Big Apple. Julia's telepathic abilities help her sustain her lifetime bond with confidante and former housemate Nic amid luxurious Manhattan penthouses, but feed her concerns about possibly duplicitous company staff. The unclear motives of Claude Van Buren, the inscrutable benefactor, in promoting a skin cream that includes traces of the untested elixir, which had ambiguous effects on the teens, leave Julia wondering about its safety and her future. St. Claire's novel is well plotted and the characters skillfully developed. Her convincing portrayal of Julia's angst and Nic's loyalty help make this a lively paranormal fantasy adventure. Julia's insistence that she is a normal teen, albeit with unusual abilities, makes her a character with which readers%E2%80%94both young and old%E2%80%94can empathize.