Be Not Afraid

February 23, 2015
Galante (The Sweetness of Salt) crafts a chilling atmosphere in this slowly simmering horror story. Seventeen-year-old Marin developed a peculiar condition after her mother’s suicide: the ability to see the physical manifestations of people’s pain in the form of colorful orbs. Overwhelmed by the “pain shapes” constantly in her line of vision, Marin wears dark sunglasses to her Catholic high school. She stays under the radar until one day when another student, Cassie, erupts into an enraged, seizurelike fit during Mass and directs her aggression squarely at Marin. As it becomes plain that Cassie’s affliction isn’t epilepsy but something more sinister, Cassie’s brother, Dominic, senses that Marin is somehow involved. Marin’s narrative is calculated in its revealing of information, and readers may begin to doubt her reliability. Like many works of horror, Galante’s story is at its best when at play in the shadows; the conclusion may strike some horror fans as a bit conventional. Yet the author thoughtfully addresses questions of good, evil, spirituality, and suffering, while the story’s paranormal elements offer moments of legitimate terror. Ages 12–up.

January 15, 2015
A girl finds herself unwillingly connected to her classmate's spiritual possession.After Marin's mother's suicide-a source of survivor's guilt-Marin started seeing people's pain, manifesting as colorful lights and shapes revealing information about the nature of the malady. To avoid being overwhelmed, she's purposefully aloof, wearing sunglasses indoors and always looking down. At a Mass at her Catholic school, a popular classmate shrieks at the holy host and has a classic Exorcist-style seizure before stopping directly in front of Marin with a message. Marin knows it has to do with the time Cassie invited her over, months ago, trapping Marin into helping with a ritual she desperately wants to forget. Not letting her forget is Cassie's hot older brother, who has noticed his sister's decline and wants to know its cause so he can help her. Despite her dislike for Cassie and her terror over the afternoon they shared, Marin's feelings for Dominic-and compassion for Cassie's suffering as he describes it-pulls her into their family's supernatural horror. The classic possession is well-executed and decorated with some top-notch horror elements; readers who don't love this sort of suspense will find refuge in the romantic and realistic familial (Marin's new family dynamic and the siblings' family drama) subplots. The quick pacing may cause occasional confusion but provides ample reason to keep reading to the end, which is sweeter than conventional for the genre. A quick, freaky read. (Horror. 13 & up)

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January 1, 2015

Gr 7-10-Ever since her mother's suicide a year ago, Marin has had a unique ability: she can see the pain of others as brightly colored shapes. This can be overwhelming in crowds, so Marin spends most of her days at her Catholic high school wearing darkly shaded sunglasses and keeping a low profile. The spotlight is focused on her, however, when during mass a classmate has what appears to be a seizure and then lasers in on Marin, whispering, "You...It's You." Marin can see a black shape inside the girl like no pain she has ever seen before. As the story unfolds, it becomes apparent that the two girls have dabbled in the occult, and they later call on the local priest to perform an amateur exorcism. The Catholic imagery is strong, but not overwhelming. Fantastic cover art will draw in readers and the inclusion of a tame romantic interest in the classmate's older brother will hold their attention. Recommended for fans of the author and Katherine Howe's Conversion (Putnam) and Danielle Vega's The Merciless (Penguin, both 2014).-Leah Krippner, Harlem High School, Machesney Park, IL

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2015
Grades 7-10 Pain is everywhere since Marin's mother's death, so much that she can see it on others, manifested in shapes of bright, headache-inducing colors. Stuck among thoughts that she could have prevented her mother's suicide, an uneasy distrust of her father and grandmother, and the spooky events at her Catholic school that kick off the novel, Marin isn't sure how to continue coping with her life. Central to her difficulties is popular girl Cassie, who tormented Marin at the beginning of the school year and has ignored her ever since, and her closest friend, Lucy, who takes care of Marin and tries to bond with her. The mystery of what really happened between Cassie and Marin at the beginning of the year is central here, with each chapter gradually revealing the malevolent truth of early events. There's a significant religious theme, but Galante avoids a heavy-handed or preachy tone. Readers familiar with Galante's previous books might be surprised by her latest, but she will likely draw in new fans with this dark tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2015
Cassie becomes possessed while attempting to summon the spirit of her dead grandmother. Marin, who was there for the ritual--and who can see others' pain, including the pain the demon causes Cassie--is guilt-tripped into helping plan an exorcism by Cassie's cute brother, Dominic. Marin's ability sets up an intriguing premise, but, disappointingly, she moves passively through much of the story.

(Copyright 2015 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)