Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano (review)

Smoke has had a grueling life, and his existence at a youth offender rehabilitation center hasn’t improved things. However, there he can sometimes earn small favors with his unusual ability—he can leave his sleeping body and travel as a spirit to see how things are going in the outside world. It’s a limited ability because he travels at real speed and he can’t actually do anything as a ghost, but it does let him check up on people and, he hopes, to solve the mystery around who actually committed the murder for which he was imprisoned. Enter a sardonic, beautiful waitress who can see him on his spirit journeys (no one else can), and suddenly Smoke’s actually got someone on his side, a rarity in his life. Pink’s got her own problems, but the two bond quickly, finding comfort and strength in each other as they unravel the worst parts of their lives together. Cosimano ably adds plot twists and surprises, keeping Smoke as the center while also weaving a complex story of shady guards, honorable bad guys, romance, and the foibles and limitations of the justice system. The quick pace and cool premise may be enough to coax reluctant readers who might otherwise be daunted by the sturdy size of this book.