The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington is a great ghost story.  As predictable as the story was (don’t worry it takes a minute or two to figure out the clue that leads to the actual killer) this ghost story was much better than other stories I have read in YA.  Set in Massachusetts, which is a creepy state to begin with, Jade has just moved to a nice suburban town with her family.  This has been her dream ever since she was little and now as a high school senior she gets to revel in the enjoyment of a new scene, but something isn’t right.

At first her little brother Colby tells Jade about this girl that is in their home.  He describes her as glimmery and cannot speak, though she tries.  As Colby is 5 yrs. old, Jade tries to reason that he has an over active imagination, but as she starts school she hears about the girl who once lived in her new home, Kayla, who died the summer before after falling down the stairs.  Not only does Jade find this out, but the guy she has the hot’s for is none other than Donovan, Kayla’s ex-boyfriend and also suspect in her unnatural death. 

Kayla decides to threaten Colby’s life in order to make Jade find the person who killed her, once and for all.  Now Jade must navigate through high school hierarchy, and what she discovers is that there are plenty of people who would have wanted the beautiful, smart, vindictive social queen to die.  Who can she trust and is Donovan really innocent?

What I liked about this book is that not only is Harrington’s main character and love interest likable but she included diary entries from Kayla’s life.  Also a great point, Kayla does not use names in her entries but has referred to everyone as a number.  Once you realize who is number what and meet other characters as Kayla describes them, you figure out who killed her and then you second guess yourself.

3 stars out of 5, could have been better but still creepy and worth the read!