Time for a Book Review!

Oh, there are so many books to choose from that I've read.  I think this time around, I will discuss the book, Liv, Forever by Amy Talkington.

Liv, Forever

Liv, Forever is a ghostly tale with betrayals, secret societies, love, mystery, and a need to find answers.  When Olivia (Liv) is accepted into a prestigious boarding school on scholarship for her artwork, she feels like her life is finally turning around for the better.  She even meets a friend or two and receives special attention from one of the most popular boys on campus...a boy with a secret.

Liv's friend Gabe tries to warn Liv to stay away from smoldering hot Malcolm and the secret group he is a part of, but before Liv can heed his warnings and make her personal stamp on campus, she is viciously murdered.

As a ghost, Liv sees other girls that have all been murdered in a grisly manner throughout the years...every 5 years to be exact.  They all have a similar story as to how they died...and it all surrounds the secret club on campus that Malcolm was a part of.  Did Malcolm kill Liv? Even though he tells her he loves her? Or a ghost? Or someone else in his club?

Liv, Forever is not generally the type of book I read, but I heard great reviews before the book was even published, so I figured I should give it a chance.  I was not disappointed.  Rather than your run of the mill ghost story, Liv, Forever makes use of historical schools that really existed and transforms them into a conspiracy that runs deeper than Liv ever really realizes.  

The love story is a little over the top for me -- I find it hard to believe that teenagers can fall in love in a matter of weeks, well, "true love" like they think they are.  But without that aspect, Malcolm would not be as determined to find out what happened to Liv, so I can respect the necessity of the love story.

I find the connection with Gabe more engaging and crucial to the story.  Gabe is able to see the other ghosts, but is so scared to approach them, a lot does not get done until the very end.  While the friendship between Gabe and Liv is strong and adorable, you would think that Gabe would try to talk to the ghosts earlier in the story to find out what happened in order to learn what happened to his friend, and avoid himself being arrested for Liv's murder.

In general, while there are some discrepancies and thin moments in the plot, the story overall is solid.  I'm a big fan of conspiracies, and historical societies not being everything they appear to be.  I would definitely suggest picking this book up at the library!