[ARC Reivew] - Picture the Dead

Title: Picture the Dead
Author: Adele Griffin
Illustrator: Lisa Brown
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: May 1, 2010

I received this book for review from Sourcebooks.

Summary: Jenny Lovell's life is the very picture of love and loss. First she is orphaned and forced to live at the mercy of her stingy, indifferent relatives. Then her fiance falls on the battlefield, leaving her heartbroken and alone. Jennie struggles to pick up the pieces of her shattered life, but is haunted by a mysterious figure that refuses to let her bury the past.

When Jennie forms an unlikely alliance with a spirit photographer, she begins to uncover secrets about the man she thought she loved. With her sanity on edge and her life in the balance, can Jennie expose the chilling truth before someone--or something--stops her?

Thoughts: Set during the American Civil War, Jennie Lovell is orphaned and living with her Aunt and Uncle -- who are anything but kind. She has lost her brother and now her fiance on the battlefields. With both the men gone Jennie feels lost. When she becomes friends with a spirit photographer she learns secrets that are almost too hard to bare.

An interesting story about war, spirits and death. I've always found stories of the civil war captivating, especially hauntings or ghost stories. I found Jenny's journey very enjoyable. The book has a definite Gothic feel, rich with historical detail that will keep the reader captivated. Among the death and the grief there is a bit of a romance, but when the mystery is play out the relationship takes a surprising turn I wasn't expecting. Picture the Dead is a dark, mysterious, a deliciously creepy read.

Score: 4 Stars

Author Website: http://www.picturethedead.com/

Sourcebooks Teen Fire is have a pretty cool giveaway - stop by and check it out here.

Also make sure to check out the Virtual Book Launch:
On May 6th at 7:30pm PST (10:30pm ET) two-time National Book award finalist Adele Griffin and co-writer Lisa Brown (best selling author/illustrator) will be hosting a virtual book launch for their new book, Picture the Dead at the Booksmith in San Francisco. Lemony Snickett spokesperson (Daniel Handler) will be reading a statement of introduction to this horrid story! Both the authors and Mr. Snickett himself will be in costume. SEE IT LIVE AT: http://www.redroom.com/picture-the-dead-book-webcast or post questions for the authors on TeenFire.Sourcebooks.com.