I think I committed one of the cardinal sins of book selection: I bought this book for its beautiful cover. Srsly. Look at it with all its stunning brights. I first saw it online and had to stop and stare. And then again on a table at B&N, nestled amongst all the other paranormal-type YAs with their dark angsty covers, and I just had to touch it. (I’m kind of a grabby person when it comes to books and shoes and cashmere sweaters, so consider yourself warned if we ever meet and you happen to be schlepping a shopping bag from Borders or DSW or Macy’s.)
I promise you I did do a quick read of the inside cover though, to make sure my want-now was going to be an entertaining read, and it was love at first blurb:
Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He’s strong and silent…and dead. All over the country, a strange phenomenon is happening. Some teenagers who die aren’t staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same-they stutter, and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed “living impaired” or “differently biotic,” they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn’t want them. Fitting in is hard enough when you don’t have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you’re not, it’s close to impossible. The kids at Oakvale High don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear-for good. With her pale skin and Goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has just realized his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her, but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?
