Shimmer by Alyson Noel

Published March 15, 2011 by Square Fish
ISBN 9780312648251
187 pages
Series? Yes
Rating: PG
BUY / Nook

Having solved the matter of the Radiant Boy, Riley, Buttercup, and Bodhi are enjoying a well-deserved vacation. When Riley comes across a vicious black dog, against Bodhi’s advice, she decides to cross him over. While following the dog, she runs into a young ghost named Rebecca. Despite Rebecca’s sweet appearance, Riley soon learns she’s not at all what she seems. As the daughter of a former plantation owner, she is furious about being murdered during a slave revolt in 1733. Mired in her own anger, Rebecca is lashing out by keeping the ghosts who died along with her trapped in their worst memories. Can Riley help Rebecca forgive and forget without losing herself to her own nightmarish memories?

Anger. From the beginning of the book Riley's anger is emphasized for maximum affect. And so is her impatience and while I normally can not stand Riley's attitude on another person for some reason I really like her how she is and it is hard for me to find her selfish way of think about herself anything but endearing. It is probably helped out by the fact that she does have times where she is completely unselfish and only wants to help out the people around her. It is all about balance and she is a good example of it. The fact that she is twelve and acts that way is also a big plus. I feel as if I had a warning and all and any immature behavior is very easy for me to understand make her seem more real for me.

This book starts almost immediately after the first book with what seems like no interruption whatsoever. And the ending the the first is an undisguised cliffhanger. It seems that the author took the first chapter of what should have been the third book and stuck it in at the end of the second book. We get a very good idea of what will be in the third book from the last one and while it could be seen as a very kind thing to do it is also really annoying when you know that you have to wait for the fourth book to come out in order to find out. So I think it is safe for all to say that I am not a fan of cliffhangers. I like the book to seem like it is hunky-dory at the end and then they can freak me out until the next installment. Lucky for me that I have the third book with me and ready to read. Thank you for the library that lets me request books from different branches without you I would never read all of the awesome books that I do read.

On a slightly off topic note but it seems that I will finally meet Riley's sister, Ever, in the third book and depending on if I like her or not I am thinking about reading the immortal series. Cross your fingers.