The Secret Life of Sparrow Delaney.

Harper, Suzanne (author).

As the seventh daughter of a psychic, great things are expected of Sparrow, but she wants none of it, going so far as to begin her freshman year at a new high school, a bus ride away from Lily Dale, a real-life New York town centered on spiritualism. Nor has she mentioned to her family that she has been talking to spirit guides and seeing ghosts since she was five. But her life plan to eschew the psychic limelight begins to unravel when Luke, a teenage ghost, appears to insist she help him resolve issues that are keeping him from reaching the other side. It won’t take readers too long to realize that the sullen (but handsome!) boy she’s paired on a project with is Luke’s brother, who vehemently denies ghosts and fervently believes his brother is alive. Harper gets everything right here. The intriguing premise is developed into a well-plotted story featuring a range of compelling characters, only some of whom are flesh and blood. A wistful subplot about Sparrow’s missing father stays hauntingly unresolved.