I’ll Be Waiting for You

Turk (The Other Side of Perfect) explores grief, friendship, and spiritualism in this stunning summertime genre-bender. Japanese American Natalie Nakada and her best friend Imogen have a yearly tradition of hiking, sleeping in rented cabins, and skulking around the notoriously haunted Harlow Hotel in Estes Park, Colo., with their families. After Imogen dies in her sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition during one of their trips, Natalie works to process her grief. She finally feels ready to tackle her internship at the Harlow Hotel, where she’ll complete her senior project filming an audition tape for her favorite ghost- hunting TV series, but her plan goes awry when she encounters fellow intern Leander, the writer of her school’s “Truth Hurts” newspaper column and known condescending buzzkill. Forced to collaborate on their respective projects, Natalie begins seeing Leander in a new light, especially when she learns he’s a fellow skeptic. As the two work to debunk the many mysteries of the Harlow Hotel, unexplained glimpses of Imogen haunt Natalie. Told via Natalie’s witty and organic first-person voice, this exhilarating novel is many things: an homage to a lost friend, a spine-tingling ghost tale, and a sweet, budding love story. Ages 12–up. Agent: Alexandra Levick, Writers House. (Apr.)