Arise by Tara Hudson - ADVISABLE

Hudson, Tara  Arise, 416 pgs.  HarperTeen, 2012. $17.99  Content: Language: PG-13 (18 swears; 16 Gods); Mature Content: PG-13; Violence: PG-13.  

In this second book in the Hereafter series, Amelia and her boyfriend Joshua are going to New Orleans for Christmas.  Amelia is a ghost that not many people can see, but her boyfriend Joshua can see her because he almost died before she saved him, so it is shocking when they get to New Orleans and Joshua’s cousins can hear Amelia talk and one of them, Alex, can see her.  Amelia has been troubled with nightmares about demons who want to come and take her away, and she worries that the demons will use Joshua to get what they want, so she decides that she needs to leave him.  Another ghost, named Gabby, that lives in New Orleans, befriends Amelia and does a voodoo ritual that allows Amelia to be able to touch physical things, but with this ritual she isn’t able to touch other people, making it so Amelia can no longer touch Joshua.  As the demons get closer, Amelia crosses paths with Alex, and has to find the strength within her to save those she cares about. 

 I think this series is creative and I like the characters.  I feel like the author does a good job explaining the parameters of the ghost world which makes it easy to read.  This book can be creepy and dark, but the main characters goodness outweighs the darkness in the book.  I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.    

MS, HS-ADVISABLE.  Reviewer, C. Peterson.