Description:

Cooper Blake has everything going for him—until he wakes from a car accident with his football career in ruins and a mysterious, attractive girl by his side. Cooper doesn’t know how Samantha got there or why he can see her; all he knows is that she’s a ghost, and the shadows that surround her seem intent on destroying her.

No one from Cooper’s old life would understand what he can barely grasp himself. . . . But Delilah, the captain of the cheerleading squad, has secrets of her own, like her ability to see beyond the physical world, and her tangled history with Brent, a loner from a neighboring school who can hear strangers’ most intimate thoughts. Delilah and Brent know that Cooper is in more trouble than he realizes, and that Samantha may not be as innocent as she has led Cooper to believe. But the only way to figure out where Samantha came from will put them all in more danger than they ever dreamed possible.

From the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 7 Up—Cooper Blake's life is in ruins. A summer car accident shattered his body and ruined his football career. He can't—or won't—talk to anyone about the pain, the nightmares, or his inability to sleep, and he is feeling disconnected from his family and friends. And then there is Samantha, the attractive, sassy girl who has stayed by his side since the accident. She has been his confidant and cheerleader, urging him to fight through the pain of physical therapy. There is only one small problem—Cooper is the only one who can see her. Samantha has no memories before he woke up in the hospital. She just knows that she wants a physical body. Cooper also sees dark shadows that seem to feed on the living. Samantha's desire for a body sends him to the occult section of the public library and a chance encounter with Brent. Brent takes Cooper to a sorcerer who may be able to help him deal with the shadows and discover Samantha's true nature. Cooper also runs into Delilah, the captain of his school's cheerleading squad and a budding sorceress in her own right. Together they seek answers to Cooper's visions and Samantha's origins, and in the process expose themselves to dangerous forces beyond their understanding. Atwater-Rhodes has crafted another chilling tale with enough plot twists to keep readers guessing. Some may find the ending a little too neat, but most readers will burn through this slim novel in one or two sittings.—Anthony C. Doyle, Livingston High School, CA
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From Booklist

After waking from a damaging car accident, Cooper finds himself haunted by a mysterious girl he can only assume is a ghost. Samantha doesn’t remember what happened, and Cooper doesn’t know why she is with him, but both are pursued by malevolent shadows that others cannot see. Estranged from his football friends because of his injuries and this new strangeness, Cooper relies on two acquaintances—Delilah, a witch; and Brent, a telepath—to help him figure out where Samantha came from. Helping Samantha, however, may be more dangerous than any of them realizes. Cooper’s appeal as the clueless, traumatized do-gooder and the mystery regarding Samantha’s origin keep the pages turning. There’s an unexpected twist to Samantha’s true nature and the reason for her link with Cooper, but the explanation is rushed and the resolution not particularly convincing. Fans of Atwater-Rhodes’ paranormal teens will enjoy this tale of elemental powers and body swapping, but others may wish for more follow-through. Grades 6-10. --Krista Hutley