Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Release Date: May 21, 2019
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Genre: Young Adult / Thrillers & Suspense
When eighteen-year-old Lexi foresees the brutal murder of a girl outside a club in downtown L.A., she is powerless to stop it. But when the girl’s ghost appears, seeking vengeance, Lexi is swept into a dangerous search that could put her directly in the path of a serial killer. From the author of Devils Unto Dust, this fast-paced and literary thriller will haunt fans of Maureen Johnson’s Truly Devious and Karen M. McManus’s One of Us Is Lying.
With a touch, Lexi can sense how and when someone will die. Some say it’s a gift. But to Lexi it’s a curse—one that keeps her friendless and alone. All that changes when Lexi foresees the violent death of a young woman, Jane, outside a club. But Jane doesn’t go to the afterlife quietly. Her ghost remains behind, determined to hunt down her murderer, and she needs Lexi’s help. In life, Jane was everything Lexi is not—outgoing, happy, popular. But in death, all Jane wants is revenge. Lexi will do anything to help Jane, to make up for the fact that she didn’t—couldn’t—save Jane’s life, and to keep this beautiful ghost of a girl by her side for as long as possible.
Emma Berquist’s second novel is a haunting and atmospheric murder mystery that tackles themes of depression, loneliness, love, and identity. This high-concept novel is for fans of Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown and Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series.
Missing, Presumed Dead is the follow-up to author Emma Berquist's Devil Upon Dust. One could call this book a murder mystery with a paranormal twist. Protagonist Alexandra "Lexi" Ivanovich can see how a person is going to die just by touching them. She calls it a curse and for good reason. Doesn't really do much for relationships knowing the person you are with may end up dying. She's also been warned by her grandfather never to tell anyone what she is able to do.
Plus, there is the fact that there is absolutely nothing Lexi can do to stop whatever she sees from happening. Truth be told, Lexi is a mess. Lexi suffers from depression and spends time recuperating in the psych ward of the local hospital. She puts on a brave face, and acts like a badass at times, but she still runs at the first sign of issues. Lexi works in a club where she is surrounded by people like her;
psychics, pyrokinetics, you name it. She works as a bartender, but she doesn't dance on the bar shaking her booty like Piper Perabo in Coyote Ugly.
One of the first ghosts we meet in this book is Lexi's roommate Trevor. From Trevor, we learn that in this world, ghosts are not cold. They actually carry body heat and Lexi can actually touch them without fear. Trevor is a bit unusual. He died long ago and has no desire to let Lexi guide him to the otherworld. Part of her ability is sending a ghost onto the next life. Things abruptly change when the ghost of a (beautiful, vivacious) girl whose death she foresaw
shows up asking Lexi’s help in revenge.
Lexi is pulled into investigating after
a series of disappearances hits uncomfortably close to home. Lexi and Jane’s search for Jane’s killer is fast-paced and engaging. Lexi, Jane and yes, even Trevor, work together to uncover a mystery that kept me guessing right to the end. Ok, there was a subtle hint that I missed that would have given me the identity of the killer sooner. The interactions between Lexi and Jane are curious. Lexi’s feelings for Jane quickly develop into something more, and she
struggles to resolve those feelings with her sense of guilt for Jane’s
death.
It was apparent from the onset that the author wanted something to happen between the characters even though one was alive and one would never been again. It is fair to say that I had small issues with this book. Let's talk about the fact that the author could have explained better to the reader about the
abilities some of these characters in this book had. Readers know how Lexi got her powers because it is pretty much laid out as to how one person in a family may get them, and another won't. Plus, Lexi's relationship with her grandfather (Deda) was really sweet.
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