You Can Never Go Home Again and Save The Last Dance For Me are two separate Young Adult books but cannot really be read alone. Well you can try but I really wouldn’t recommend it. Because the story of each of the two books is so much more like one story I am reviewing them together.

Angel Lister has just moved house with her younger brother and her mother who has recently separated. From the rich lifestyle she is used to 16 year old Angel now finds that her family is scrimping and saving and she is living in a rundown cottage which is a far cry from her previous home.

What Angel does not realise though is that her new home is not only the residence of her own family but also Billy J Spatano (BJ) a ghost with an attitude. Think James Dean!

Angel cannot see BJ at first although the ghostly teen makes every effort to make his presence felt, mainly to force the Listers out of their new home.

But gradually Angel starts to see BJ. The theory being that only certain people can see ghosts and lonely people are more likely to be able to see spirits. Without her old friends and unable to make any new ones Angel is as lonely as she can be and that is when she starts to see BJ.

The first book in this two part series focuses mainly on the present day and is an amusing take on how a teenager reacts to having a ghostly biker rebel residing in the attic she wants to make her bedroom. Witty and sentimental Angel forms her own rebellion by fleeing back to her old home and finally comes to see that BJ is not entirely as bad as he seems.

The second book in the series continues the story and Angel and BJ are still at odds with each other. However Angel’s new friend Suze is sure that BJ is misunderstood and together they set about uncovering just exactly what happened to BJ because Suze does not believe the story that he was killed after committing a robbery. But it appears that only BJ knows the truth and he is keeping quiet.

So Suze and Angel take a tip from Nancy Drew and begin their investigation to uncover the truth.

Well plotted, amusing and at times sentimental this may be a young adult book but it is one of those that can hold the attention of older readers too. I first read it myself as a teen but it is a definite keeper and a must for any reader who likes the James Dean type heroes.

Great fun.

Incidentally the book cover of You Can Never Go Home Again above is the US version, the second book's cover Save the Last Dance for Me is the UK version.  The UK version of book one may be added if I can track down a copy (I think my sister has one).

RATING : 
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