Teen Spirit

by Francesca Lia Block

Overview

Francesca Lia Block, critically acclaimed author of Weetzie Bat, brings this eerie and redemptive ghost story to life with her signature, poetic prose. It's perfect for fans of supernatural stories with a touch of romance like the Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl.

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062008091
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/04/2014
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	HL770L (what's this?)
Age Range:	14 - 17 Years

About the Author

Francesca Lia Block, winner of the prestigious Margaret A. Edwards Award, is the author of many acclaimed and bestselling books, including Weetzie Bat; the book collections Dangerous Angels: The Weetzie Bat Books and Roses and Bones: Myths, Tales, and Secrets; the illustrated novella House of Dolls; the vampire romance novel Pretty Dead; and the gothic werewolf novel The Frenzy. Her work is published around the world.

Editorial Reviews

★ 11/25/2013
Poetry and pop culture, life and death—these are just two of the polarities that pulse through Block’s elegantly crafted novel. When Julie’s beloved grandmother Miriam dies, Julie’s life turns upside down. After she and her mother move from their cozy Hollywood cottage to a bleak apartment in Beverly Hills, Julie starts her senior year at a new high school. There she meets sweetly eccentric Clark, who is also mourning a loss. Their easy friendship grows complicated once Julie gets to know Grant, Clark’s beguiling, bad-boy twin. As Julie and Clark navigate their grief and forge a path through quotidian high-school life, Block (Love in the Time of Global Warming) makes a refreshing case for the virtues of the nice guy. Julie and Clark are fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and between the ghost-centric plot and Julie’s strained relationship with her mother, Block’s novel could pass for an episode of the show. While the spooky goings-on, eerie romance, and magical-hipster Los Angeles setting have broad appeal, the story has even richer treasures in store for readers who dig deeper. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laurie Liss, Sterling Lord Literistic. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

PRAISE FOR TEEN SPIRIT: “Poetry and pop culture, life and death—these are just two of the polarities that pulse through Block’s elegantly crafted novel. While the spooky goings-on, eerie romance, and magical-hipster Los Angeles setting have broad appeal, the story has even richer treasures in store for readers who dig deeper.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Told in Block’s signature, flowing prose, Teen Spirit is a layered story that’s more about grief than it is about ghosts. A beautiful story from a legendary young adult author.” — School Library Journal

“Block’s sensual language and strong evocation of place embroider this tale of unresolved grief with an overlay of subtle and delicate creepiness.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

PRAISE FOR PINK SMOG: “Pink Smog sparkles and obscures; it’s a glorious mirage, like the city it pays homage to.” — Maggie Stiefvater, #1 New York Times bestselling author, for the New York Times Book Review

“An intoxicating mix of mystery, fantasy, and romance told in her signature poetic style.” — Booklist (starred review)

“Newcomers and longtime fans alike will find much to savor” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“A fresh gem.” — Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

PRAISE FOR THE FRENZY: “A passionate, dreamy, brief paranormal, with a breath-of-fresh-air monstrous heroine and enjoyably surreal set dressing.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Block puts her own spin on werewolves in this romantic thriller.” — The Horn Book

PRAISE FOR PRETTY DEAD: “An opulent, surreal world of strange beauty, sudden horror, and lush romance.” — Cassandra Clare, New York Times bestselling author of the Mortal Instruments series

“A true original…[Block] has created something psychologically complex, erotically charged, and unusually poignant.” — Booklist (starred review)

“I love the lush, melancholy world of this novel, and its heroine, with her century of secrets.” — Claudia Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Evernight

“A startlingly original work that drives a stake deep into the heart of typical vampire stories.” — School Library Journal

“Sizzles and satisfies.” — Publishers Weekly

“Will be gobbled like candy by teen readers.” — The Horn Book

“With her characteristic flair and seductive prose, Block makes this tangled story of betrayal and love a standout. Sensuous and heartbreaking, sure to both satisfy and challenge fans of the supernatural romance.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

From the Publisher

An intoxicating mix of mystery, fantasy, and romance told in her signature poetic style.

Booklist (starred review)

Block puts her own spin on werewolves in this romantic thriller.

The Horn Book

PRAISE FOR PINK SMOG: “Pink Smog sparkles and obscures; it’s a glorious mirage, like the city it pays homage to.

Maggie Stiefvater

A fresh gem.

Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) (starred review)

Block’s sensual language and strong evocation of place embroider this tale of unresolved grief with an overlay of subtle and delicate creepiness.

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

PRAISE FOR PRETTY DEAD: “An opulent, surreal world of strange beauty, sudden horror, and lush romance.

Cassandra Clare

I love the lush, melancholy world of this novel, and its heroine, with her century of secrets.

Claudia Gray

Block’s sensual language and strong evocation of place embroider this tale of unresolved grief with an overlay of subtle and delicate creepiness.

Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

2014-01-08
One haunted girl chooses between twin brothers—who inhabit the same body. Julie's best friend is her beloved grandmother, Miriam. But when she dies, everything falls apart. Julie's mom falls into a depression and loses her job and their home. Friendless and lonely, Julie must start her senior year in a new school while living in a terrible Beverly Hills apartment. Everything looks up when she meets Clark, a happy eccentric. Clark, with his wacky hats and his healthy suppers, sustains Julie even as her mother shows the clearest signs of mental breakdown: dressing attractively and dating. Still, what about the devilishly attractive boy who looks just like Clark and kisses like a dream? Could he truly be Clark's dead twin, Grant? She all too accurately compares her dilemma to preteens at a Twilight premiere; some of her thoughts "were on team Grant and some were on team Clark." Julie's quest to solve her boy troubles is tied inextricably to her grief over her grandmother; she must use her latent psychic powers to resolve both. Her quest takes her over a New-Age map of Los Angeles, where a multicultural mishmash of every ethnicity with a spirituality to appropriate teaches her that "maybe a shaman is just someone who understands that life is filled with loss and pain." Try Rosemary Clement-Moore's Spirit and Dust (2013) instead for a more substantial psychic teen. (Paranormal romance. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews