Life after theft by Aprilynne Pike

HarperCollins, 2013. ISBN 9780007515561.
(Age: 14+) Recommended as an easy to read, light story. Ghosts. Theft. Romance. How would you feel if you came face to face with a ghost? That's the dilemma that faces, Jeff, who is confronted by Kimberlee Schaffer, who dropped dead the previous year. She has come back to haunt him because she needs his help with her unfinished business. In real life Kimberlee may have been gorgeous and popular, but she was a kleptomaniac and she wants Jeff to help her return all the things that she stole.
I enjoyed this story that was told from the point of view of Jeff, who was a positive male voice. He doesn't want to be haunted by Kimberlee so he agrees to help her, especially when she tells him that the things that she stole had real value for the people concerned. Faced with the huge hoard of stolen goods that Kimberlee has secreted in a cave on her parent's property, Jeff has to come up with some innovative ways of getting stuff back to its original owners and this propels the plot forward in often amusing ways.
The character development is great and we see Kimberlee grow from a selfish teen, albeit a ghost, to a girl who can see other points of view. Jeff is believable as the boy who helps her out and his growing romance with Sera, who is the girl Kimberlee has really hurt, adds some tension to the plot.
This is a fun read that will appeal to girls in particular and will have the added bonus of some dark moments as the reader ponders why Kimberlee has stolen so much and whether she will be able to understand her actions enough to stop haunting Jeff.
Pat Pledger