It's been three years since Olivia Foster's younger brother drowned in the family's swimming pool, an accident for which she feels responsible. She has lived in a veritable vacuum ever since. Now Olivia's 16, and her life changes when Kara Halles, along with her mother and grandmother, moves into the house across the street. Reckless, fearless Kara convinces Olivia to venture out and even join in Kara's pen-pal correspondences with "lifer" convicts. Fantasy and realism meld in the heat of the Houston summer as the teens wade deeper into drugs, alcohol, and lightly macabre activities; meanwhile, Olivia and her parents finally begin to emerge from their sorrow-induced hibernations. As hope begins to infiltrate their grief, things take a bizarre turn when the Halles women disappear as mysteriously as they had appeared. Debut author Morgyn began writing Resurrection Girls before her own daughter died, but spent the year following incorporating an understanding of the deep sorrow wrought by a child's death. It is a raw, captivating exploration of grief, friendship, and the reclamation of life.

Gr 9 Up-Sixteen-year-old Olivia Foster and her family have not moved on since her little brother Robby's death three years ago. Her mother numbs herself with pills, her dad is mysteriously absent, and Olivia lives in a fog believing her brother's death was her fault. Then the Hallas women move across the street. Sybil, the grandmother who is blind but sees everything; Rhea, the vibrant and full of life mother; and Kara, the daughter who lives exclusively in the moment. When Olivia and Kara become friends, Olivia begins to emerge from the world of death she lives in and re-enter the world of the living. As Kara introduces Olivia to her obsession of writing to inmates on death row, they become the Resurrection Girls: pen pals to murderers and serial killers. Magical realism and heartbreak collide in this tale of grief and rebirth. Olivia goes through the stages of grief as she works toward re-entering the world that is moving on without her. Kara helps Olivia work through her grief as well as re-introduce her to her childhood friend and current crush, Prescott. Different types of love are shown throughout the story as Olivia begins to experience feelings beyond friendship for Kara while still harboring her crush on Prescott. The Hallas family is mysterious and magical and readers are left to interpret exactly what their family secrets may be. While told through Olivia's perspective, all the characters are well written and fully fleshed out. VERDICT A thoughtful novel about overcoming grief perfect for readers who enjoy emotional stories. Ashley Leffel, Griffin Middle School, Frisco, TX