Radiance

Gr 5—8—In the first book (Square Fish, 2010) in a new series by Alyson Noël, the author of "The Immortals" series, 12-year-old Riley has died and crossed the bridge to join her parents and her dog, Buttercup, in the Here and Now—the Afterlife. In her new environment, Riley can manifest whatever she wants by just imagining it, such as living in her old house in her old neighborhood. It's a comfortable existence until she is called before the Council and her life on Earth is reviewed. She is assigned the job of soul-catcher to encourage and guide souls still attached to Earth across the bridge to the Afterlife. Bodhi, a boy Riley describes as a nerdy type, is assigned to be her guide. Together with Buttercup, the trio goes back to the Earth plane to perform her first task: convince a 10-year-old boy known as the Radiant One to cross the bridge to the Here and Now—a task other soul-catchers have failed. They undertake this assignment, followed by another equally dramatic and terrifying one. Narrator Kathleen McInerney does a good job of depicting a wonderfully spunky, funny, curious, sarcastic girl who thinks she knows it all. In a few instances, especially during periods of introspection, Riley sounds a little older than 12. This exciting story includes a great mix of likeable characters, witty dialogue, humor, a developing boy-girl friendship, scary ghosts, danger, and a most satisfying conclusion.—Mary Oluonye, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH