Crossed Out By Kim Baccelli

Paperback: 212 pages
Publisher: Lachesis Publishing (May 17, 2010)

Summary: Following the light can't be that hard, right? So why don't the dead just do it and leave Stephanie Stewart alone? However nothing is ever as simple as it should be, as Stephanie learns when her hidden 'gift' becomes more than a nuisance, quickly turning into a liability. If she can't learn to trust someone with her secret, the world as she knows it will go to hell. Literally. But if she doesn't choose wisely, she might just end up learning firsthand how hard it is to follow that light. Because she's next on the list to be crossed out.

My review: Everyone has a special gift, ability or hobby. For Stephanie Stewart, her 'gift' is being able to see dead people. And if that’s not enough, she has to help them 'cross over,' which she finds out isn’t so easy. Stephanie is like Melinda from The Ghost Whisperer TV show, except younger. To help them cross over she makes and decorates wooden crosses, which she puts at the location where the person died. When everything is normal in her life, a gorgeous new guy named Mark arrives at her school. She finds herself drawn to him, even though Dylan (her living guy buddy) and Allison (a deceased girl she had helped find the light who has returned to tell her something), both warn her he’s dangerous. Mark likes Stephanie too, and she just can’t resist him even if she is afraid of him. Then the book took a twisty turn, with an ending I never expected . . . .

I enjoyed the concept of this book, having to help a spirit find the light in 48 hours. Stephanie actually gets to see pieces of heaven during these 'crossing over' moments which was cool and nicely written. I also enjoyed Stephanie’s character in this book, I felt like Kim Baccelli did a good job at creating Stephanie’s personality, and I thought she sounded like a real teenager. The only thing I disliked was how at the end there were things that should have been addressed and I wonder if Stephanie's story will continue to answer these points. 

Overall I thought Crossed Out was a great read for fans of the supernatural, especially ghost stories; it's also a wonderful mystery that really makes you think about who you can really love and trust. Hoping for a sequel.

Favorite excerpt: (From page 204)
     "Great. But I didn't care. Dylan took my hand and smiled. A warm feeling came over me. No matter what happened when we got back, I knew if I had Dylan by my side, it'd be okay."

Cover comment: I like the cover. It's a picture of Stephanie looking deep in thought.

Rating: ++++

Book source: Traveling ARC tours