The best-case scenario for adolescent organ-transplant patients is a smooth transition back to teen life. Official hospital charts chronicle the medical condition of heart-recipient Stella Cross but don't come close to telling the whole story. Returning to her Seattle prep school and friends is a delicate process r life as a swimmer will never resurface t Stella tries to settle into her new normal. It's rocky going, though, as she suffers hallucinations, nightmares, intense pain (at precisely 5:08 p.m. daily), and suffers literal aches for a new kid in class, Levi Zinn, whose very presence seems to trigger hypersensitivity in Stella. With the help from Henry, a longtime friend turning boyfriend, Stella investigates Levi's story, and the plot thickens. Ultimately, great lengths are required to exorcise the grisly connection between Stella and Levi. Baker's narrative vividly engages readers in the deeper world of transplants, the full experience of receiving a part of another being, and, through Stella, exposes heightened sensibilities far beyond the vital physical transition.

Gr 9 Up-"I was fifteen when my heart betrayed me," begins Stella Cross. Diagnosed with acute cardiomyopathy, she's sure that her days are numbered. Then miraculously, two years later, she receives a heart transplant from an anonymous donor. However, not long after her life-saving surgery, Stella begins experiencing strange side effects, which include terrifying hallucinations as well as excruciating pain at the exact same time every day. When a mysterious boy named Levi arrives at her prep school in Seattle, Stella finds herself inexplicably and intensely drawn to him. They quickly become inseparable, which causes a rift between Stella and her family, her best friend, and her "maybe more than a friend" Henry. Strangely, being with Levi literally alleviates her physical pain. Initially, this makes her think that he's The One, but eventually she begins to wonder if there's something more otherworldly at work. Baker effectively uses the damp Seattle weather to create a tense, sinister atmosphere. Stella isn't portrayed as a damsel in distress, which helps make her a more likable and relatable character. Although she often relies on her friends and has a few missteps along the way, Stella takes control of her situation and is determined to fix it. While the mystery behind Levi's identity isn't completely surprising or original, it should still satisfy most readers. VERDICT A tense supernatural thriller with a plethora of teen appeal. Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library &; Historical Society, OH

Stella has been waiting two years for a heart transplant. She spent the better part of those years thinking she would die before getting the opportunity to live. When a heart miraculously becomes available, Stella is determined to make up for lost time, but her life becomes a series of bizarre events. Stella constantly feels like she is being watched. She keeps having horrific hallucinations of death and vicious attacks on those around her. Her heart aches and every day at the same time, Stella feels like her heart is being ripped from her body. Levi Zin, the new boy in school, has chosen Stella as his girlfriend, but is he the soulmate Stella thinks he is, or is Henry, her friend and former potential boyfriend, right about Levi hiding something? As Stella gets increasingly confused by her own crazy behavior, she turns to Henry to help her unravel the mystery of Levi. When they uncover that a Levi Zin died recently, Stella must find out who her Levi really is.Baker strives to write an eerie thriller with a touch of mystery. While this ghost story explores the theory that spirits can take physical form, Stella's medical condition does not ring true at times. Readers may question why Stella can drink alcohol, and that she collapses after running on Halloween, but at the end of the novel, Stella's running does not cause her heart to give out. Stella's character is self-absorbed and readers will see the story from her point of view; knowing this allows for some of the plot flaws to be forgiven. Give to fans of ghost stories and conspiracy theories with a touch of romance.Laura Panter.