Afterlight

Australian high school senior Sophie Teague is left living above her Gran’s bar and hotel following the deaths of her mother, a former stripper, and father, an ex-biker gang member. When Sophie sees a news report about a missing girl who resembles her mother, she doesn’t give it a second thought until the same girl repeatedly appears by her bed as a ghost, beckoning Sophie to perform heroic deeds through a jigsaw of clues. Just when Sophie’s popularity as “The Saviour of Sancerre Street” hits its zenith, she learns that her crush, Jordan, can also see the girl, who Sophie has come to call Eve. Together they dig into Eve’s disappearance as Jordan, a gatekeeper of a spiritual world steeped in guardianship rituals, tries to keep Sophie safe. The more they delve into Eve’s last moments, the further they fall in love, but that may not be enough to save them. Though Jordan’s underworld dealings feel extraneous at times, Lim (The Astrologer’s Daughter) delivers satisfying action and romance throughout, continually raising the stakes on the way toward a chilling, violent ending. Ages 14–up. (Apr.)