Sometimes you hear a book name and it catches your attention. When I was flipping through a book listing for Disney Hyperion, I saw Holding Smoke. It’s listed as a young adult mystery / thriller, which of course, when I saw that I knew I had to dive deeper. After I read the blurb, I immediately ordered a copy.
Have you heard of Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano?
School Library Connection calls it “Part ghost story, part redemption story, part mystery, and very engaging.” I call it HURRY UP AMAZON I NEED THIS NOW.
HOLDING SMOKE by Elle Cosimano
John “Smoke” Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn’t the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke’s new home and the only one he believes he deserves.
But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they’re asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn’t care that the “threads” that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.
Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink’s help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he’s willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.
The whole idea and concept of being able to leave your body with dire consequences is so fascinating to me. Add in a murder plot and I am absolutely ready for it. Have you read this book? Have you read anything else by the author? Let me know in the comments below.
Have a wonderful week!
Sincerely,
