When They Fade
Jeyn Roberts
Library Binding
(Knopf Books for Young Readers, Jan. 1, 2035)
In the tradition of The Lovely Bones comes a haunting tale of two girlsâone dead, one alive. TATUM is the only person at school who knew the truth about the affair her best friend, Claudette, has been having with Mr. Paracini, their married teacher. And at the time, confiding in an adult seemed like the right thing to do. But now, everyone in town has turned against Tatum, painting her as a liar and a rat. As the bullying from her classmates escalates, it seems that nowhere is safe for her anymore. MOLLY, a hitchhiker, was brutally murdered in the early 1970s, but there is no afterlife for her. Instead, she has found herself marooned with a crowd of other people who have also died tragically. Molly is able to fade back to earth for a few fleeting moments, and when she fades, she finds herself hitchhiking once again, and telling the unsuspecting drivers who stop for her things about their future that only she can see. One foggy night, Tatum sneaks out for a drive. The teenage hitchhiker she picks up doesnât talk much, until she suddenly turns to Tatum and says: âYouâre going to die. It will hurt and youâll be alone. And no one will help you.â And then she disappears. As the two girlsâ stories converge, Tatum and Molly will discover that they must first figure out how to help the other in order to save themselves.