23 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Courtesy of Teens Read Too, January 3, 2008
This review is from: I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Paperback)
He's here, in this room, right now. Jackson. Ava knows he's dead, and that it's impossible, but that doesn't stop her from being able to smell his unique, sandalwood aftershave. Or seeing his image in her mirror, hearing his words in her head,and finding him in her dreams. Her boyfriend is a ghost, and it's Ava's fault he's dead to begin with.
So now what?
Ride the waves of Ava's emotions, sometimes rippling, sometimes crashing, in this haunting book. Written in verse for maximum impact, the book grips readers and keeps them turning page after page, waiting for a release that never comes. I know, because I'm still waiting to be released from the clutch of feelings invoked by Ava's tale.
That's why I'm nominating this one for the Gold Star Award for Excellence in the TeensReadToo Hall of Fame. This award is reserved for books that we'll read again and again. A definite for me in this case.
Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
For Anyone Who Has Ever Lost Love, January 16, 2010
This review is from: I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Paperback)
THREE QUICK POINTS:
* Point 1: It's really written in verse. OK, I read that it was a verse novel, but I really didn't know what to expect and true enough, the entire novel, all 200+ pages of it, is one long continuous verse.
* Point 2: So he's a poltergeist? Sort of. Let me be upfront here and say I expected a creepier haunting (I found it filed under "Spine-Chilling Horror" at Amazon) and it was anything but.
* Point 3: Short story in book form. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but once I finished the book, I realized it could easily be translated into a short story.
SHORT SYNOPSIS:
The story is told in verse from the perspective of fifteen year old Ava who's mourning the death of her boyfriend Jackson. The story begins at his funeral and as we follow the thread, we learn how he and Ava met, about their relationship, and ultimately his death.
During this grieving period, Jackson comes back to Ava as a ghost. Ava is afraid to tell her parents and friends about Jackson because they would call her crazy, so she decides to keep him all to herself. Of course, dating a ghost is tricky; a lesson that Ava learns the hard way and she's forced to make a decision that could change her life forever.
MY THOUGHTS:
The book was not what I expected. I expected something creepier, but nothing in it made me want to flick on the lights or sleep with one eye open. That doesn't mean I didn't end up liking it. In fact, the opposite and it haunted me a bit after I finished reading.
It was an easy read, bringing you through all the stages of Ava's grief in quick bursts; sometimes too quick. I would have liked to know more about Jackson and the details surrounding his death. Not to say that glimpses aren't given, but sometimes I found myself wondering if he was abusive in life (eventually, that was cleared up and, as far as I can tell, he wasn't).
Toward the end, a character named Lyric was introduced. While I understand why he was introduced (from an analytical standpoint), something about its development stuck out like a throbbing red thumb.
When Ava first met him, I was looking forward to seeing how the relationship would develop, but it was too rushed and the problem it presented was resolved far too easily. I don't want to say much more than that for fear of giving up too big a spoiler.
That section should have been stretched out, possibly through another interlude that transitions their relationship. And even though I yearned to know more about the characters, I didn't feel as though I didn't know enough.
What I believe is so beautiful about this book is the message of healing it imparts with the resolution of Ava and Jackson. Again, I'll hold my tongue, but suffice to say that anyone who has ever lost love (whether through a break up or death) could relate and, I hope, gain something from this book.
I'd also like to add that I can definitely see myself re-reading this book in the future. It's sensitively written with an ethereal quality.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I Heart You, You Haunt Me, January 9, 2008
This review is from: I Heart You, You Haunt Me (Paperback)
Fifteen-year-old Ava knows it's her fault that her boyfriend Jackson is dead, and that makes his death all the more difficult to bear. But then one day she's home and the room goes cold and she knows that Jackson's there with her. But can she have a ghost as a boyfriend or must she move on with her life?
I don't think I've ever read a verse novel before this one, so I'm not sure how this one compares to other verse novels. As it is, I have somewhat mixed feelings. It was very emotional, and I think that's because of the verse. I don't think this book would have been as good in prose. That being said, the story seems sort of incomplete, like there could have been more. In a way, I'm not completely satisfied because I feel like the book's missing something, and I'm not sure if all verse novels are like that or just this one. But I did love this book regardless and can't give it anything less than five stars.
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