Lily Dale: Connecting [Paperback]

Wendy Corsi Staub (Author)

Book Description

Series: Lily Dale | Publication Date: September 15, 2009

Now that Calla has accepted her ability to communicate with the Other Side, she’s desperate to connect with the one spirit whose energy she can’t seem to feel anywhere: her late mother. As ominous supernatural signs imply that the devastating loss might not have been an accident, Calla sets out to uncover the truth, convinced that a shadowy stranger may hold the key. But she gets more than she bargained for when she stumbles across a shocking secret about her mom’s past—one that will change Calla’s own future forever. 

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 8–10—This installment in the series continues the story of high school senior Calla Delaney. Her mother's death was thought to be an accident, but Calla's visions tell her otherwise, and she is determined to discover her mother's killer. Living in Lily Dale (a real spiritualist community in upstate New York) with her grandmother, the teen is beginning to feel more comfortable with her own gift for seeing spirits, but she misses her father (on sabbatical in California) and her old, "normal" life in Florida. Romance, friendship, and psychic powers mix as Calla tries to choose between two boys in her new town-one who is the most popular and one who tries to keep her safe. Both, of course, are extraordinarily handsome. While those who have read Awakening (2007) and Believing (2008, both Walker) will have a better immediate understanding of Calla's situation and surroundings, Connecting stands fairly well on its own. The characters are interesting, the search for Calla's mother's murderer is gripping, and the dollop of romance adds just the right spark. The book never pretends to be great literature, but it certainly fits the bill for some tingly escape reading. For those who are hooked, the ending promises that there will be more.—Sharon Grover, Hedberg Public Library, Janesville, WI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

WENDY CORSI STAUB is a best selling writer of adult fiction, regularly appearing on the USA Today and New York Times best seller list. This is the third book in her paranormal suspense series for teens, set in the town of Lily Dale, near where she grew up in upstate New York. Wendy has had her own personal experiences with psychics in the town. Wendy lives with her family in Katonah, New York.

www.wendycorsistaub.com

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 12 and up
  
• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Walker Childrens; Reprint edition (September 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080278786X
• ISBN-13: 978-0802787866
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,023,535 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm an award winning, New York Times bestselling suspense novelist of more than 70 novels. All of my adult thrillers and in print backlist are available on Amazon and many are e-books as well. Check out my author website at www.WendyCorsiStaub.com, my reader community site at www.WendyCorsiStaubCommunity.com, and my author page at www.facebook.com/pages/Wendy-Corsi-Staub/43054289209. I'm also a bestselling novelist with the chick lit and romantic comedy I write under the pseudonym "Wendy Markham."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Connecting, December 30, 2008

By 

KJD "KJD" (Henderson, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lily Dale: Connecting (Hardcover)

Wendy Corsi Staub is my favorite author, and this book definitely reminds me of why! The Lily Dale series is captivating and will keep you on the edge of your seat from front cover to back! I know this is marketed as a Young Adult series, however I must admit that I am 32 and love this series. Book 4 of the series, "Discovering" is expected to come out in 2009 and I can't wait! I highly recommend reading this book, as well as all books by Wendy Corsi Staub-- she is the only author who can reel me into the storyline so that I cannot put down the book until it's been read in its entireity.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fans of Wendy Corsi Staub's suspenseful series are in for plenty of surprises here, December 16, 2008

By 

Teenreads.com (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lily Dale: Connecting (Hardcover)

After going through another terrifying ordeal, one would understand if Calla Delaney would want to leave Lily Dale once and for all. However, she has a new life there and decides she must stay and continue to try to find out the truth behind her mother's secret past. When Calla begins having visions of her mother's demise, her worst fear is confirmed: Stephanie Delaney's tragic death was by no means an accident. But who is responsible and why? Calla thinks the answers may lie in Florida, specifically on her mother's laptop. However, getting to the Sunshine State may prove difficult for the young medium.

Telling the truth to her grandmother, Odelia, and father Jeffrey --- who is going through a lot of changes on his own --- is out of the question. And when Calla tries to explain her "theory" about the "dreams" to her Floridian best friend Lisa, she is met with skepticism and concern.

Meanwhile, Blue Slayton, the charismatic soccer star who Calla is still (supposedly) dating, has asked her to the Homecoming Dance, although she is hesitant about going with him. Her friendship with (and feelings for) Jacy Bly is growing, despite her friend Evangeline's not-so-subtle crush on him. To make boy troubles more complicated, her ex-boyfriend Kevin continues to want to try to build a new relationship with her.

Calla's psychic abilities are growing stronger, even to Odelia's surprise, and she finds herself being able to connect more with the living and spirited. One such connection is made when the young medium helps provide closure to an elderly widower. However, Calla still has much to learn. When she starts receiving numerous (and ominous) signs that may be connected to her mother, she realizes that the only person she can turn to for help is Jacy.

Soon, Calla formulates a plan to help her find answers concerning her mother's life and death, and perhaps even locate her mother's old boyfriend, Darrin Yates. But she may have regrets when Jacy has an ominous vision of his own, surprising revelations are uncovered, and a shocking family secret is revealed that could have an impact on her past and future.

Connections are made, while others are weakened, as Calla Delaney tries to balance her old life with the one she currently has. Fans of Wendy Corsi Staub's suspenseful series are in for plenty of surprises here --- and there are more stories to discover in LILY DALE: DISCOVERING, which will be in stores in the spring of 2009.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Sawtelle

3.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyable quick read, October 7, 2011

By 

leslielovestoread - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lily Dale: Connecting (Paperback)

Although this book is written for teenage girls, if you enjoy a story with supernatural twists and a little romance and coming of age, this is worth a read. I have been to Lily Dale which is why the book caught my attention, and it very well represents the look and feel of this real place. I have read all of the books in the series, looking forward to more.