Strange Girl

In a novel presented as an unconventional love story recounted 10 years after the fact, Pike (the Witch World series) offers a less-than-subtle exploration of faith and spirituality. Seventeen-year-old struggling musician Fred Allen can’t wait to escape his small South Dakota town. Then he meets Aja Smith, a beautiful Brazilian transfer student utterly unfamiliar with American culture. Despite her many quirks—referring to herself as “this body” and taking questions literally—Fred is quickly attracted to her, and a relationship blossoms. When Aja’s mere presence sparks miracles in which people are healed of physical or emotional wounds, she becomes famous, instigating a series of controversies. Although Aja claims she isn’t a healer, merely an instrument for “the Big Person,” what that means remains open for debate. Unfortunately, Pike’s characters are stuck acting as well-educated mouthpieces for various religious and philosophical stances, rather than actual teens faced with the remarkable or unbelievable. Aja fares worst of all, existing solely as a plot device and Christ allegory, her role to benefit everyone but herself, leading to a maudlin, clichéd conclusion. Ages 14–up. Agent: Jennifer Unter, Unter Agency. (Nov.)