Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publishing Date: October 24, 2023
Synopsis:
Growing up in the dark tourism capital of the United States, sixteen-year-old Olive should be comfortable with death. But ever since an allergic reaction almost sent her to the wrong side of the grass, she’s been terrified that there is no afterlife. And after the death of her surrogate grandmother, Olive has kept everyone at arm’s length because if there’s Nothing after we die, relationships and love can only end in sorrow.
When she summons a spirit to answer her questions about death, Olive meets Jay, a hitchhiking ghost trapped in the woods behind the poorhouse where he died. Olive agrees to help Jay find his unmarked grave in exchange for answers about the other side and what comes next.
Meanwhile, someone―or something―is targeting Olive’s classmates, and the longer Jay lingers, the more serious the attacks become. Blaming herself for having brought Jay back, Olive teams up with maybe-nemesis, maybe-crush Marisol, ex-best friend Davis, and new girl Vanessa to free Jay’s spirit before he’s trapped as a malevolent shade and the attacks turn deadly. But in doing so, Olive must face her fear of death and risk losing another person she loves to the Nothing.
Content Warning: death, grief
Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/71941809
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Here-Lies-Olive-Kate-Anderson/dp/1635830915/
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/here-lies-olive-kate-anderson/1142869144
IndieBound: https://bookshop.org/p/books/here-lies-olive-kate-anderson/19546460
REVIEW
Here Lies Olive is a dark and haunted coming of age story about spirits, death, afterlife, friendship, and first loves. The story weaves many important lessons about living and making the most of the time and people we have. I was surprised that this story was as dark as it was at times even though it seemed aimed at a more juvenile audience. The vibes were similar to the Cassidy Blake series by Victoria Schwab, which is one of my favorites, in that it was spooky and filled with history and ghost lore as we followed our gang of people (including a ghost) while still having that lighter feeling with blossoming sapphic love and rekindled friendships. I really enjoyed the setting and how the author chose to include Navajo culture and history as well as shedding light on the injustices done to Indigenous people, as well as in early asylums and health facilities in that region, but the story really only grazed the surface on those issues. I can’t personally speak to those specific representations though. Some of the supernatural aspects felt a little far fetched with the answers randomly and suddenly being "known" by one of the characters with little to no explanation which definitely added to the younger feeling. This was a unique way to tackle the heavy topics while making it accessible. I enjoyed the quick and easy writing and think readers on the younger side of the YA genre with enjoy this the most.
ANNOTATIONS
About the Author:
Kate Anderson lives in Utah with her husband and four children. When she’s not writing, she’s embroidering her favorite book covers, exploring the mountains, or planning road trips to places that are off the beaten path–the weirder, the better. Here Lies Olive is her first book.Author Links: Website: https://kateanderwrites.wixsite.com/kate-anderson Twitter: https://twitter.com/kateanderwrites Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kateanderwrites/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22475690
Tour Schedule:
https://tbrandbeyondtours.com/2023/09/20/tour-schedule-here-lies-olive-by-kate-anderson/
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