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Book Summary and Reviews of Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson

Here Lies Olive by Kate Anderson

Here Lies Olive

by Kate Anderson

  • Critics' Consensus (2):
  • Published:
  • Oct 2023, 296 pages
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About this book

Book Summary

A thrilling ghost story from debut author Kate Anderson

Growing up in the dark tourism capital of the United States, sixteen-year-old Olive should be comfortable with death. But ever since an allergic reaction almost sent her to the wrong side of the grass, she's been terrified that there is no afterlife. And after the death of her surrogate grandmother, Olive has kept everyone at arm's length because if there's Nothing after we die, relationships and love can only end in sorrow.

When she summons a spirit to answer her questions about death, Olive meets Jay, a hitchhiking ghost trapped in the woods behind the poorhouse where he died. Olive agrees to help Jay find his unmarked grave in exchange for answers about the other side and what comes next.

Meanwhile, someone—or something—is targeting Olive's classmates, and the longer Jay lingers, the more serious the attacks become. Blaming herself for having brought Jay back, Olive teams up with maybe-nemesis, maybe-crush Maren, ex-best friend Davis, and new girl Vanessa to free Jay's spirit before he's trapped as a malevolent shade and the attacks turn deadly. But in doing so, Olive must face her fear of death and risk losing another person she loves to the Nothing.

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Reviews

Media Reviews

"Anderson presents a fresh, multilayered exploration of grief and trauma set against an engaging supernatural mystery that evokes urban legends and ghost stories in this atmospheric debut." ―Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"A creative and surprising mixture of upbeat and macabre make for an engaging read." ―Kirkus Reviews

This information about Here Lies Olive was first featured in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.

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Author Information

Kate Anderson

Kate Anderson lives in Utah with her husband and four children. When she's not writing, she's embroidering her favorite book covers, exploring the mountains, or planning road trips to places that are off the beaten path–the weirder, the better. Here Lies Olive is her first book. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @kateanderwrites.

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