The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington (review)

Senior year has brought Jade to an upscale Boston suburb, where her family has just been fortunate enough to move. She’d rather be in her old home, especially when she finds out that her new house only sold so cheaply because that’s where the reigning queen of last year’s junior class suffered a fatal accident—or was murdered. In fact, Jade has become aware of Kayla’s chilling and manipulative presence, and she’s horrified when Kayla takes over Jade’s beloved little half brother with a threat: if Jade doesn’t find Kayla’s killer, the ghost will keep Colby forever. This is cheesily written good ghostly fun, complete with poltergeist mischief, freezing drafts, and a young child’s unknowingly portentous reports. Jade’s negotiation of the school social dynamics has some interesting touches, including her friendship with the ultimate nerd and her quasi-friendship with Kayla’s former second-in-command; those dynamics, Kayla’s secret diary, and some upfront hints will allow some genre veterans to guess the murderer up front but never make it too obvious. Unfortunately, the relationship with Donovan, Kayla’s ex and Jade’s immediate crush, is formulaic to the point of being ludicrously predictable, and the fact that their romance is overtly based on her pity (“I wanted to fix him,” she says longingly, and refers to him as a “broken boy”) is creepier than Kayla’s ghostly antics. The spooky details remain entertaining, though, and the hat-tips to Rebecca (openly acknowledged in the book) will add interest for knowledgeable gothic fans.