As featured on Bustle.com, Best of Summer Round-up
Sure, Arielle won't deny that she has a vivid, even wild, imagination. Sure, it sometimes runs away with her. And yes, it's true that she never recovered from the drowning death of her older brother, Justin, ten years ago, when Arielle was a little child. She almost hopes that ghosts are real, so that she might see Justin again. But ever since the misty morning when Arielle stumbles on the macabre sight of the body of her sister Casey's best friend, Perdita, being lifted from a nearby pond, ghostly images begin to appear to Arielle. Can they be Perdita, reaching out as speculation about her death ramps up from suicide to foul play? Perdita's younger brother, Tex, is back from private school, and Arielle can't get him off her mind, although he's a beautiful boy with scary secrets. Worse yet, there's no one to tell: big sister Casey's off to college, and Arielle discovers her own sister's cache of secret writings, along with a bizarre note from Perdita. What's real? What's fantasy? In a compelling tale that hurtles toward a stunning conclusion, the imprint of grief and the boundaries of human imagination are stretched to their limits.
"Intimate, fascinating. An edgy, intriguing debut novel of suspense, suspicion, and surprise." --Kirkus Reviews
"Arielle is a sympathetic, likable, and realistic narrator, thanks to Gardner's keen ear for teen dialogue.... An absorbing mystery...that will hold readers' attention throughout." --School Library Journal
"Told in first person, Faith Gardner paints an intense psychological portrait that's fascinating and chilling." --Bustle.com
"Do you believe in ghosts? Even if you don't, I just about guarantee that after reading PERDITA by debut novelist Faith Gardner, you'll be afraid to turn your bedroom light out at night. This spookiness...is good for anyone looking for a bit of a thrill.... Overall, PERDITA is quite impressive, and I will eagerly await Gardner's next novel." --Teenreads.com