Teen Spirit

3.3

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Author(s)

Francesca Lia Block

Publisher

Harper Teen

Genre(s)

Paranormal

Age Range

12+

Release Date

February 04, 2014

ISBN

978-0062008091

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After Julie's grandmother passes away, she is forced to move across town to the not-so-fancy end of Beverly Hills and start over at a new school. The only silver lining to the perpetual dark cloud that seems to be following her? Clark—a die-hard fan of Buffy and all things Joss Whedon, who is just as awkward and damaged as she is. Her kindred spirit. When the two try to contact Julie's grandmother with a Ouija board, they make contact with a different spirit altogether. The real kind. And this ghost will do whatever it takes to come back to the world of the living. Francesca Lia Block's latest young adult novel is a haunting work about family, loss, love, and redemption.

Editor reviews

2 reviews

Teen Spirit

January 27, 2014 (Updated: January 28, 2014)

Overall rating

3.3

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I'm a huge fan of Francesca Lia Block's poetic voice which resonates throughout most of her novels. Her latest introduces readers to Julie right after the loss of her beloved grandmother. If that wasn't bad enough, her mother is fired from her job and they have to move to a small apartment. Julie ends up going to Beverly Hills High School and fears she'll never fit in until she meets a kindred spirit in Clark. When she finds an Ouija board in her new apartment she thinks this is a sign that she can reach out to her dead grandmother. Instead it unleashes something else.

What worked: I love Block's words and how she works magic in each of her novels. In TEEN SPIRIT I love how she shows Julie's relationship with her grandmother and how painful it is after her death. The descriptions are very vivid and alive. It reminded me so much of my own grandmother.

When Julie finds an Ouija board in her new apartment she thinks it's a sign from her grandmother. She asks Clark to help but something else happens. Little do they know what they've unleashed. The changes that come over Clark are subtle at first, then downright creepy. This sinister twist I totally loved.

I liked the little quirks throughout too: the Buffy the Vampire mentions; Julie's love of her grandmother's vintage clothing; and the reveals on her own paranormal 'gifts'.

The changes over Clark and the hidden secret isn't obvious at first which I liked. Readers find clues on what's happening and if Julie had accidentally let out something more sinister with her quest to find her grandmother.

I did have a hard time with the voice at the beginning. I'm more used to Block's free verse novels and this one was a little different. I wasn't quite sure on where this story was going. It was only after Julie finds out that her new friend Clark has a secret that the voice really starts to stand out. The paranormal happenings increase as does the tension and suspense. After that, I couldn't put this book down.

Engaging gothic tale with a secret that takes a sinister twist. Paranormal fans will love this latest Block tale.

Kim Baccellia, Staff Reviewer Top 10 Reviewer 889 reviews

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Overall rating

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I read this nonstop!

June 03, 2014

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3.7

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This was such a good ghost read! I read it in one sitting. also, Julie is part Native American which is something you don't see in many books. Julies grandmother dies in the middle of telling her something important. Most likely she was trying to tell Julie about how she can see auras and ghosts because of her being Cherokee and what not. Julie moves and meets this boy Clark who is quirky. And yes, sometimes I got very annoyed with his character. I get that he is weird,okay? You don't have to take it to the extreme with his many hats and weird food he eats with a big pot that HE CARRIES with him. Just stop. He would have been better if you didn't do that, Ms. block. Okay well let's get back on track. So Julie finds a Ouija board and tries to contact her grandmother. The board starts to spell out a word and then Clark gets freaked out and leaves. Turns out Clark had an identical twin named Grant who starts to take over Clarks body. Now they have to find a way to get rid of Grant before he takes over Clark forever..... Overall, despite Clark's weirdness it is such a great read that I highly recommend.