Grave Message

by Mary Jennifer Payne

Overview

Jaylin is studying for a stressful English exam when she receives a message from her best friend, Fatima.

The thing is, Fatima died a year ago in a terrible traffic accident. At first, Jaylin thinks someone is playing a horrible prank, but as the texts become more detailed, containing secrets that just the two of them shared, Jaylin realizes she’s either going mad or Fatima is actually reaching out to her from beyond the grave. Then Fatima shares one last secret and asks Jaylin to set the record straight around the circumstances of her death. Jaylin is torn. Is she strong enough to relive losing her best friend all over again?

This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for teen readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read! The epub edition of this title is fully accessible.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459828643
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	02/15/2022
Series:	Orca Anchor
Edition description:	High readability edition
Pages:	80
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 7.50(h) x 0.25(d)
Lexile:	HL590L (what's this?)
Age Range:	12 - 17 Years

About the Author

Mary Jennifer Payne is a graduate of the Humber School for Writers' Summer Workshop in Creative Writing and the author of many books for young people including the Daughters of Light series, Enough and Since You've Been Gone which received a Quill & Quire starred review. Her writing has been published in journals, anthologies and magazines in Canada and abroad. She works as a special education teacher and lives in Toronto.

Editorial Reviews

Gives readers an edge-of-the-seat experience…A terrific story, blending the theme of grief and bereavement with the excitement of the supernatural and murder mystery genres. Highly Recommended.

CM: Canadian Review of Materials

2021-11-30
What would you do if you received messages from beyond the grave?

High schooler Jaylin Laws is nervous about an upcoming English test. Diagnosed with dyslexia, she is a bright and accomplished student who has support and accommodations, but Jaylin is still anxious. She’s been spending all her free time studying, which leads to her boyfriend Jamal’s feeling neglected; Jaylin has kept her dyslexia secret from him, and he doesn’t understand why she has to work so hard. After they have a fight at a party, she heads home to read Dracula for her English class, and she receives an Instagram message supposedly from her best friend, Fatima Lopez—but it’s the one-year anniversary of Fatima’s death. Someone must be messing with her, but with each additional message, the sender shares things only Fatima could know. The mysterious messenger sends Jaylin on a mission to uncover the truth behind Fatima’s death. Dredging up difficult memories, questioning those who may know something, and exposing a lie, Jaylin heads down a dangerous path. Payne effectively uses simple vocabulary and short chapters to tell a story that is full of suspense and intrigue and made even more accessible through the book’s physical design. Names signal some diversity in the cast; Jaylin’s mother uses a wheelchair.

An engaging, suspenseful tale for reluctant readers. (Paranormal mystery. 13-18)

Kirkus Reviews