Alive

Stella Cross's heart is poisoned. After years on the transplant waiting list, she's running out of hope that she'll ever see her eighteenth birthday. Then, miraculously, Stella receives the transplant she needs to survive. Determined to embrace everything she came so close to losing, Stella throws herself into her new life. But her recovery is marred with strange side effects: Nightmares. Hallucinations. A recurring pain that flares every day at the exact same moment. Then Stella meets Levi Zin, the new boy on everyone's radar at her Seattle prep school. Stella has never felt more drawn to anyone in her life, and soon she and Levi can barely stand to be apart. Stella is convinced that Levi is her soul mate. Why else would she literally ache for him when they are apart? After all, the heart never lies . . . does it?

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—"I was fifteen when my heart betrayed me," begins Stella Cross. Diagnosed with acute cardiomyopathy, she's sure that her days are numbered. Then miraculously, two years later, she receives a heart transplant from an anonymous donor. However, not long after her life-saving surgery, Stella begins experiencing strange side effects, which include terrifying hallucinations as well as excruciating pain at the exact same time every day. When a mysterious boy named Levi arrives at her prep school in Seattle, Stella finds herself inexplicably and intensely drawn to him. They quickly become inseparable, which causes a rift between Stella and her family, her best friend, and her "maybe more than a friend" Henry. Strangely, being with Levi literally alleviates her physical pain. Initially, this makes her think that he's The One, but eventually she begins to wonder if there's something more otherworldly at work. Baker effectively uses the damp Seattle weather to create a tense, sinister atmosphere. Stella isn't portrayed as a damsel in distress, which helps make her a more likable and relatable character. Although she often relies on her friends and has a few missteps along the way, Stella takes control of her situation and is determined to fix it. While the mystery behind Levi's identity isn't completely surprising or original, it should still satisfy most readers. VERDICT A tense supernatural thriller with a plethora of teen appeal.—Kimberly Castle-Alberts, Hudson Library & Historical Society, OH

About the Author

Chandler Baker grew up in Florida, went to college at the University of Pennsylvania, and studied law at the University of Texas. She now lives in Austin with her husband, though her heart remains at the beach. She strongly believes that writing quality improves vastly if done while staring out at a large body of water and daydreaming. Chandler is the author of the young adult thriller Alive, as well as the High School Horror series. You can visit her online at www.chandlerbaker.com.

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