Swoon

Swoon, by Nina Malkin.

I don't know what to classify this story as - certainly not a "ghost story," but it's more than just a possession story too - but it was entertaining. Dice (short for Candice) has just moved to Connecticut from New York City to live in Swoon, the same town that her cousin, Pen (Penelope), and her family live. Dice's parents still live in the city, since both of their jobs are there, but they commute home to live with her on weekends. Pen has a near-fatal fall from a tree, and she "must have died for a second," because Sin (Sinclair), a soul from the past, comes to reside in her body. He's not there ALL the time, mind you, but when Pen's normally blue eyes turn black, it is him who is occupying her. Sin realizes that she must exorcise Sin from Pen's body, but there's a problem: she's in love with him.

Interesting premise, and unlike anything I've ever read before. Here's some lines from the novel that I liked:

(a descriptive phrase-->) "In reality, I curled away like a croissant ..."
"Not to get all Pinocchio about it, but could Sinclair Youngblood Powers be turning into a real boy?"

The narrator is at times sarcastic (see above) and definitely too trusting of people - she lets Sin give her the recipe for his OWN exorcism, which actually makes him into a "real boy" - flesh and blood - though admittedly does get him out of Pen's body.

4 stars out of 5.