Kiss’d

In this light paranormal romance, 16-year-old Jenny Tyler goes to stay with her eccentric Aunt Connie, following a hurdle-jumping injury during a track meet that resulted in a concussion. Aunt Connie, who conducts séances with a small group of fellow enthusiasts, believes that Jenny will bring new luck to their attempts to contact a spirit. When Jenny has a dreamlike meeting with a young man dressed as a soldier, it seems as though her aunt may be correct. The ghostly figure’s kiss transports Jenny to WWI-era Belgium, where she learns that he is a Canadian soldier named Jack. Along with two of his cohorts, Jenny and Jack seek safety from advancing German forces as Jenny grapples with her inexplicable new circumstances and falls for Jack. Allen and Reep, who previously collaborated on The Dangerous Summer of Jesse Turner, vividly portray the historical moment and keep tension levels high through a series of perilous encounters. Jack and Jenny aren’t the most memorable of romantic leads, but readers intrigued by the idea of past-life loves should still be intrigued by this girl-meets-ghost story. Ages 12–up. (BookLife)