The Messenger

Williams’s engaging, supernatural-tinged novel opens in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on Evie Messenger’s 15th birthday—the day that Messenger women are traditionally bestowed with a special skill that determines their life path. When no new ability presents itself, Evie assumes that the “Messenger Gift” has skipped a generation. After a few days, though, she realizes that Tommie—the intrusive girl who has dogged her ever since her birthday party—is a ghost, and that Evie isn’t just able to communicate with spirits but is expected to help them cross over. Being a teenager is difficult enough without having to tackle the dead’s unresolved issues, too. Can Evie strike a balance, or will her gift render normal life impossible? Relatable characters and a down-to-earth narrative carry Williams’s story to a pat yet emotionally gratifying conclusion. The plot is slight, but clever twists and efficient worldbuilding keep the pace swift, and Williams (Never Said) makes smart use of her premise to encapsulate what it’s like to straddle the line between childhood and adolescence. Ages 12–up. Agent: Stephen Fraser, Jennifer De Chiara Literary. (Oct.)