Book Review: Angelina's Secret, Lisa Rogers

As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend, wasn't real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn't imaginary after all.

Now Angelina has to accept she's either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can't help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong.

When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn't, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home. Goodreads.

Angelina’s Secret is a quick and fun read. I love the concept of a ghost story where the ghosts aren’t (all) scary. Instead they are quirky, fun, and mischievous.

            I found Angelina to be a very relatable character. It is refreshing to have a main character that isn’t from a massively dysfunctional family. She has a good relationship with her parents, (even though they don’t always see eye to eye) and a great relationship with her brother. She is funny and smart, and when she finally accepts her ‘gift,’ she’ll do anything to help her friends.

            However, she’s in a tie for my favorite character. I loved Josie, the resident ghost in Angelina’s house. Her dated language and attempts to be “cool” made me laugh out loud. And, although she has some serious issues, I have a soft spot for Kobi. She gets second place on my list.

            The plot of the book is fast-paced, and the reader is left guessing right up until the last chapter, which is brilliant, by the way. Although Angelina’s Secret isn’t a romance novel by any stretch of the imagination, there are multiple mini “love dramas” that we’ve all come to know and love in any high-school setting.

            You don’t really need to read the prequel to this book, “Angelina’s Friend,” to understand the story, but it does add a level of understanding, especially for Angelina’s mom. And since it is a free download from Spencer Hill Press, you might as well.

            Over-all, this was a well-crafted and entertaining book with a unique plotline. I highly recommend it and hope to see more Angelina books in the future.

Rating 5/5 stars

YA notes: none.