The Life and Death Parade

Katherine “Kitty” Damice is a 16-year-old orphan who lives in an English castle with her deceased mother’s former employers, Lord and Lady Bramley. The previous summer, a psychic told the Bramley’s youngest son, Nikki, that he had no future. Now Nikki is dead, and his family is falling apart. Kitty goes in search of the fatalistic fortune teller, hoping for answers. Instead, she finds Roan, a teenage medium. Roan, who belongs to a religious traveling carnival called the Life and Death Parade, offers to help Kitty and bring the Bramleys closure by contacting Nikki. His séance proves cathartic, and the grateful family invites him to move in. But as Roan teaches Kitty about “the LDP,” she can’t stop questioning his motives. An intriguing premise, clever twists, and evocative writing buoy Wass’s debut novel. Flashbacks chronicle the events preceding Nikki’s demise, heightening suspense, and although shallow plotting and underdeveloped characters dampen the story’s impact, Wass delivers some keen observations regarding love, faith, and grief. Ages 14–18. [em]Agent: Madeleine Milburn, Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency. (June) [/em]