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Finished Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell for the New Author Challenge.

The problem with reading a lot of YA novels--which is what I've been doing lately, like you haven't noticed--is that you eventually find ones that are...well, more enjoyable if you're actually the intended audience.

This was fun, but I wish there had been a lot more to it.

It's about Iris, a 14-year-old tomboy from Louisiana.  She and her best friend Collette practice witchcraft (creating intricate spells that don't work) and a ton of other things involving imagination.  Except now Collette is more interested in boys and much less interested in just spending time with Iris. 

So of course now is the summer when Iris finds a ghost, who may or may not be the only interesting thing to ever happen in their hometown.

Elijah Landry is a local boy who disappeared one summer, leaving only a few drops of blood on his pillow.  Some think he ran away, some think he was murdered and his mom thinks God just took him up to heaven--literally.

So Iris has to solve the mystery and convince Collette to help.

I would've loved this when I was little, so I'm sure the intented audience would, too.

Shadowed Summer

Saundra Mitchell