Bliss

Title: Bliss

Author: Lauren Myracle

Pages: 480

Pub: 2008; Amulet

Genre: Young Adult; Paranormal

Etc:

The Short of It

Sometimes school pariahs should be avoided.

The Long of It

Because her parents have taken refuge in Canada due to political reasons, Bliss moves in with her wealthy grandma and goes to a private prestigious school.  Life is definitely different from the commune she spent most of her life living on, so Bliss is shocked when she hears about segregation still going on and the influence of the KKK.  Bliss gets accepted pretty readily with a new group at school but risks it all when she befriends the school’s loser, Sandy. Sandy is not like the other girls in the school.  She’s smart and cares about what is going on in the community.  Bliss and Sandy spend hours talking about the Manson murders, and the mysterious death of a girl decades earlier at school.  Unsuspectingly, Bliss doesn’t realize that Sandy might have been the school pariah for a reason.

The Thoughts about It

Holy ba’joly folks.  Bliss was TOTALLY suspenseful and surprising and I DEVOURED it all in one sitting because I just COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT WAS COMING NEXT.  And really, how did I miss the bloody name on the cover?  There are ghosts and there are ghostly stories and dead people and half dead people.  Oh and people who CONTACT THE DEAD.

Plus, Myracle includes historical events in the characters’ daily lives perfectly.  “Oh yeah, that Manson family, crazy shizat huh?  I wonder if he’ll get convicted…” and “Oh my family’s not involved in the KKK but you know, so-and-so’s is…”  That kinda tuff. 

And also, let me just tell you that I’m over the top impressed with Myracle as a writer.  Man does she just cover it all or what?  First, my students ADORE her TTYL series.  I’ve never read them, but my kids will vouch.  Then she writes realistic fiction, horror, what’s next?  I don’t think I’ve actually gushed about a writer since my initial love affair with John Green and David Leviathan.