Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

First line:
"My shadow stretched out in front of me, making my small build and slight frame seem almost tall--willowy even."


Great way to start out by a new author!

Like:
Main characters
Cherie
Haunted pool house
School curse
Romance
Ghost story
No cliff hanger!


Disliked:
How long main characters stayed in ghost form, doing ghost stuff (not that they had a choice)
Bad ghost in human body character
Editing
Only the first book!



Rating: PG 13
V: evil ghost
L: No
S: kissing


4 STARS


25% test (p. 76):
"...like she was made of gelatin, rubbery almost, rippling under my touch.
"Cherie," I called, my voice soft and melodious, heavenly almost. I hesitated for a moment, waiting to see if she'd join me, but she didn't. I wasn't sure what to do. Am I brave enough to go further without her?
After a brief moment, I knew me answer. I was.
I turned toward the window, leaned against the pane, and found it solid. Would the same go for the fire-escape? I imagined my spirit spilling through the metal grate like water through a sieve. I tested it first, sitting on the ledge and pressing down with one foot. It felt secure, so I stepped outside and climbed down to the sidewalk below.
the air itself was a complex tapestry of my surroundings and I could smell each thread. Fresh-cut roses, avocados, oranges, and from far away, blooming lilies. It was amazing, and I breathed in deeply, savoring it all.
When I reached the grass, I spun around in a circle with my arms stretched wide. Each star in the sky twinkled brightly as if warmly greeting my liberated spirit. A slight breeze brought in a new bouquet of smell as it gently caressed me.
The night felt like a blank canvas awaiting the first stroke, and I was the artist, picking the color from a newer-infinite palate, able to go anywhere, see anyone, do anything. My personal tastes seemed to drift toward a pair of dreamy brown eyes, and my feet were soon heading toward Brent's room.
Since he cold astral project, too, I thought spying on him might be fair, and I sprinted toward the boys' dorm only slowing when I neared the fire escape. The entire journey had taken seconds, but I didn't feel winded or tired. My plan had one hitch: I didn't have any idea what..."