Most people grow up hearing stories, and Natalie Cleary is no different. Except that hers came from a mysterious woman she calls Grandmother, who has appeared in her bedroom since she was small. Adopted, half Native American Natalie is off to Brown soon, and it's been years since she saw Grandmother. But one night at the beginning of summer, Grandmother appears and tells her cryptically, "You have three months to save him." Soon Natalie finds herself entangled with Beau, a boy who, despite the smallness of her town, she's never seen before, a boy who sees the world differently, just like Natalie. This is a lovely, if complicated, debut; Henry tries to do a lot here, and much of it succeeds. Natalie's relationships with her family and friends ring truer than her romance, and despite a dubious ending, the inclusion of Native American legends and history lend unexpected depth. A well-written piece of magic realism about the price we pay for daring to love, and the price we pay if we don't.

Gr 9 Up-Natalie is a teenager on the cusp of growing up in this romantic/sci-fi story of love in a small town. Her adoptive parents believe that preparing to leave for college may be to blame for the recurrence of "visitations" they thought therapy had put an end to. However, when Natalie meets Beau, an attractive boy she's never seen before, she must rush to uncover the truth behind the visitations and her new ability to slide between two realities in order to save him. While the romance and sci-fi aspects will feel reminiscent of many other teen novels, an original plot and likable characters will win over readers. The author weaves in elements of Native American folktales that give the novel impressive depth for a debut effort. Complicated family relationships and complex coming-of-age emotions will offer young adults much to relate to. VERDICT A first purchase for YA collections looking for a nuanced romance. Sunnie Scarpa, Wallingford Public Library, CT

Natalie has come to expect nightly visits from her ghostly grandmother, who regales her with mythical stories. The summer before she leaves for college, this constant in her life is suddenly removed when Grandmother offers a cryptic prophecy and disappears. Tasked with saving someone's life in the next three months, Natalie tries to balance friends and family, all while things become more mysterious. When an enigmatic boy named Beau begins appearing just at the same time the people, places, and things around her begin disappearing, Natalie seeks the help of a psychiatrist to find answers. As her feelings for Beau deepen, these answers seem very slow in coming until Natalie must face the reality that she might be required to give up everything for love.Debut author Henry has crafted a novel with an ethereal and magical tone that will sweep readers with a strong affinity for thoughtful paranormal romance into an enchanting story. Filled with lovely figurative language and sweeping emotion, the prose is intense in a way that perfectly feeds into the experiences of the characters. However, complex theories of time travel and alternative realities get quite jumbled as they work to support the plot. Additionally, the myths and legends that make up a large part of the text feel disconnected. In the end, even with the lack of resolutions for several emotional issues, interested readers will overlook flaws because of the romantically bittersweet ending.Rachel Wadham.