Ask Me
Gr 9 Up—In a small town in the center of Florida, Aria Morse, 17, is an outcast—mostly by choice. Her gift is both blessing and curse: she must answer any question she hears with absolute honesty. However, the oracle within her usually spouts cryptic messages that reveal answers only after the foreshadowed events take place, such as her Grandad's comical scheme to win the lotto. To avoid a constant stream of muttering, Aria roams the halls of Lake Mariah High School with her MP3 player blasting, wearing the home-sewn clothes Gran made for her. Aria's isolation ends when the only girl to show her any kindness, Jade Price, goes missing. Aria's reputation for being a weirdo, coupled with her low socioeconomic status, should automatically make her suspicious when Will Raffles—popular and gorgeous and Jade's ex-boyfriend—begins to show her attention after Jade's body is discovered. But she willingly accepts his plea of innocence and inadvertently shares her secret. Readers will be biting their nails as Aria puts her trust in him, hoping against hope that he is not the killer. Part romance, mystery, and horror, Pauley's novel has enough suspense and dynamic characters to sustain interest, even for reluctant readers.—Jamie-Lee Schombs, Loyola School, New York City