Candance "Candy" Pickens is fascinated with the folk lore of her small Louisianan town which includes a yearly birthday ritual at a family member's grave site. Legend has it that when one is born, another one dies. The litany read at the site includes family members that have passed on, including Annemarie, the only one who isn't buried with the rest of them. Add to that most in the town see the dead. Even though her town is filled with ghosts, she seems to be the only one who doesn't see them. That is until a new family moves into town with their own secrets. More swamp ghosts appear and now Candy sees them too. One piece of lore stays with her and somehow she needs to get over her earlier dismissal of the paranormal in order to come to terms with her part of it all.

What worked: Loved the quirky voice of this paranormal tale where Parker breathes life into a small Louisianan town that is filled with swamp ghosts, a magical tree, and local lore on the 'Shining'. Candy's life consists of her two BFFs, Abigail and Sterling and her extended cousins who look out for each other. There's also a couple other guys in her school that show their attraction to her in different ways. The dialogue, with it's Southern slang, is punchy and adds to the charm.

The lore and paranormal stories are woven throughout and it takes a few incidents like the new family that moves into town, for Candy to makes sense of a nonsensical rhyme.

Another huge plus is this story doesn't dwell on a romantic angle--yes, there are a few hints of it--but it's mostly a coming of age story where Candy needs to come to terms with her own part of the supernatural occurrences.

Fast-paced Gothic paranormal tale that mesmerizes readers with its atmospheric spooky charm complete with swamp ghosts and a magical tree. A must read for fans of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES.