Ashes on the Waves by Mary Lindsey (review)
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The people of Dòchas, a small island off the coast of Maine, hold fast to the [End Page 30] traditions of their Celtic ancestors, and their beliefs sustain the supernatural Otherworlders that inhabit the area. Liam MacGregor knows that the islanders' beliefs also tend to make them closed-minded; his traumatic birth eighteen years ago, which left his mother dead, also left him with a paralyzed arm that marks him as demon spawn in the eyes of his fellow townsmen. His only joy has been his memories of his childhood friend Anna Leighton, the daughter of wealthy vacationers, and when she returns to the island after a ten-year absence, the two fall in love almost immediately. The Otherworlders, however, aren't particularly fond of human happiness, and they make a wager to determine if mortal love can withstand any obstacle, including death. Inspired by Poe's classic poem Annabel Lee, this gothic tale is dramatic and romantic, and it will be entirely irresistible to those teens drawn to stories of doomed love. Liam's narration leans toward hyperbole at times, but both his palpable loneliness and his total enchantment with Anna echo Poe. Anna, on the other hand, is a thoroughly modern girl, and her confidence and no-nonsense attitude provide a nice counter to Liam's more gloomy charm, making their relationship surprisingly playful at times. Elements of Celtic lore are skillfully woven in, recalling other tales of tragic loves, and the Otherworlders themselves are a mysterious, fickle bunch whose actions only heighten the significance of Anna and Liam's relationship and its us-against-the-world romance. The ending is either bittersweet or entirely heartbreaking depending on interpretation—either way, the Otherworlders get what they wanted all along, and readers will likely need a hanky or two.
