I Heart You, You Haunt Me

There is nothing poetic about this book. The characters are completely one note. The plot is not groundbreaking or unpredictable. It's honestly insulting I don't like being cruel when I write reviews. I always give advice and try and find compliments where I can. But my biggest problem with this book is you will never convince me the author cared about it. It has no soul.

I've seen so many reviews of this around that I'm not going to bother summarizing it because it would take me forever. Basically, it's the story of a girl who's boyfriend dies but doesn't leave her. That said, I am in LOVE with this book. It's written in verse so I was hesitant to pick it up because I've never read a whole book in verse before. But I'd seen so many good review of it and the plot of it seemed so great, that I had to buy it. The minute it came in the mail, I started reading it. I was hooked from the first page and stayed up much later than I should have to finish it. When I was reading this, I felt as if it was I who had just lost the boyfriend and it was the face of my boyfriend in the mirror. Ava's emotions were easy to relate to and I could feel the pain she was going through, along with her confusion. The fact that it was written in verse was not a set back but more of an asset to the story as it kept the story from being bogged down by details and descriptions that would have slowed Ava's story down. I Heart You, You Haunt Me is an amazing book that I would recommend to anyone, especially if they aren't a huge fan of reading. If you haven't picked this book up yet, be sure to pick it up next time you see it!

A MUST read. The pains of love lost and found again resinate through Lisa Schroeders' poise of a true voice. Passion, guilt and depth of understanding what true love means. Once you begin, it really is hard to stop. Captivating, heart wrenching, just a damn good story. I recommend this to all who simply read.

Lisa Schroeder is such a meanie! She made me cry! ;) Seriously though, --I Heart You, You Haunt Me gets 5 BIG hearts from me--I just couldn't put it down! I read it in one sitting, and through tears for most of the last half. Ava's dead boyfriend Jackson haunts her days, appearing in visions in the mirror, a breath of chilly air, a song on her CD player. Ava wants and dreads his presence all at the same time. Is she going crazy? Or is Jackson really trying to send her a message that she needs to hear? A beautiful novel in verse about love, loss, grief, guilt, and recovery.

Fifteen-year-old Ava knows it's her fault that her boyfriend Jackson is dead, and that makes his death all the more difficult to bear. But then one day she's home and the room goes cold and she knows that Jackson's there with her. But can she have a ghost as a boyfriend or must she move on with her life? I don't think I've ever read a verse novel before this one, so I'm not sure how this one compares to other verse novels. As it is, I have somewhat mixed feelings. It was very emotional, and I think that's because of the verse. I don't think this book would have been as good in prose. That being said, the story seems sort of incomplete, like there could have been more. In a way, I'm not completely satisfied because I feel like the book's missing something, and I'm not sure if all verse novels are like that or just this one. But I did love this book regardless and can't give it anything less than five stars.

He's here, in this room, right now. Jackson. Ava knows he's dead, and that it's impossible, but that doesn't stop her from being able to smell his unique, sandalwood aftershave. Or seeing his image in her mirror, hearing his words in her head,and finding him in her dreams. Her boyfriend is a ghost, and it's Ava's fault he's dead to begin with. So now what? Ride the waves of Ava's emotions, sometimes rippling, sometimes crashing, in this haunting book. Written in verse for maximum impact, the book grips readers and keeps them turning page after page, waiting for a release that never comes. I know, because I'm still waiting to be released from the clutch of feelings invoked by Ava's tale. That's why I'm nominating this one for the Gold Star Award for Excellence in the TeensReadToo Hall of Fame. This award is reserved for books that we'll read again and again. A definite for me in this case. Reviewed by: Julie M. Prince