Publishers Weekly
07/06/2015
What do you get when a cynical high school junior meets a super-cute new student who believes in everything she doesn’t? An almost romance, it turns out, as Jillian Cade—whose business card says paranormal investigator, but who always adds the “fake” under her breath—meets Sky Ramsey, a fan of Jillian’s absentee father, a paranormal expert. When ever-skeptical Jillian looks into a missing-person case that she thinks is about infidelity and Sky believes is a classic case of a succubus creating a new love slave, the trail leads her into a hidden world of prophecy, superpowers, succubi, ancient traditions, and information about her family that upends everything she knows about the world and herself. Debut author Klein’s writing and characters have attitude to spare, but there’s a lot going on—serious danger, new familial and romantic relationships, and life-changing revelations—not all of which is given time to resonate. Klein seems to be paving the way for a sequel, but it comes at the cost of rushing through this story’s events and emotions. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lisa Gallagher, DeFiore and Company. (Sept.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Jillian Cade: (Fake) Paranormal Investigator
“If Nancy Drew’s snarkier cousin moved to Sunnydale, you’d have someone like Jillian Cade. A delightfully fun and fast debut.”
—Kiersten White, New York Times bestselling author of Paranormalcy
“Jillian Cade is the real thing. Jen Klein's fearless, irreverent heroine takes her place in the canon alongside Buffy and Veronica Mars . . . an irresistible, smart, and heartfelt debut with a paranormal twist that kept me guessing until the action-packed end.”
—Danielle Paige, New York Times bestselling author of Dorothy Must Die
"Klein builds her underworld with both logic and farce, paralleling Jillian's own skepticism and quick wit."
—Kirkus Reviews
"A detective story with a heavy romance bent . . . Klein’s story is quick and funny despite its darker subject matter."
—School Library Journal
"Klein’s first novel for young adults is funny and suspenseful, and many readers will relate to protagonist Jillian Cade’s cynicism (not surprising given her family situation and lack of popularity with her peers). Part mystery, part romance, with real paranormal action, this book will appeal to fans of mystery, fantasy, and romance."
—VOYA
“To say this is a mash-up of Veronica Mars and The X-Files doesn’t quite do Jillian justice. She’s her own strong, scathingly witty, big-hearted phenomenon, and her story will keep you up late, turning pages.”
—Nina Berry, author of The Notorious Pagan Jones
School Library Journal
09/01/2015
Gr 9 Up—Jillian Cade's mother is dead, and her father has disappeared on an unending research trip. To make ends meet, the teen is cashing in on her dad's reputation as a scholar of the supernatural and has taken over his paranormal investigation business with the help of her sweet younger cousin. She is guarding a lot of secrets behind her prickly demeanor, the least of which is that she doesn't actually believe in the paranormal. Jillian is forced to let her guard down when she takes on a case that might actually make her some money, meets an attractive boy who is almost too willing to help her, and finds her own obituary taped to her locker. Most of the novel reads like a detective story with a heavy romance bent; the meat of the paranormal plotline is stacked at the very end. The central mystery is solved, but unanswered questions about Jillian's family and her role in the increased paranormal activity around Los Angeles ensure a sequel. Klein's story is quick and funny despite its darker subject matter, and while there will be no huge surprises for readers, there will be no huge disappointments, either. VERDICT A fun diversion for fans of the paranormal and romance.—Beth McIntyre, Madison Public Library, WI
Kirkus Reviews
2015-06-23
With well-earned cynicism, high school junior Jillian is trying to carry on Umbra Investigations, her absent father's business and area of "expertise": he's a paranormal researcher, or, in Jillian's words, a trafficker "in bullshit." She doesn't believe a scrap of it, but she needs to pay the bills—particularly the electricity, as they have cut her power off. Though the book opens with a hokey and cynical interaction with a client, the stakes rise quickly with the arrival of gorgeous and flirty Sky Ramsey, who horns his way into her investigation into a missing person, possibly abducted by a succubus. Adventures, sometimes violent, and romance ensue. Jillian's angry at her dad's abandonment of her (to gather paranormal artifacts from around the world) after the death of her mother, and she hates the babble that has surrounded her most of her life. This combination of feisty and hurt provides Jillian with a somewhat stock appeal. The increasingly weird case tests her assumptions about more than the paranormal, taking readers straight into a world of unexplained phenomena and leading Jillian to understand both her history and herself a little bit better. Some revelations are telegraphed, while others sneak in. Klein builds her underworld with both logic and farce, paralleling Jillian's own skepticism and quick wit.Not a meal but an entertainingly tasty snack on the light side of the genre. (Paranormal romance. 12-15)
