Caroline B. Hopenwasser (Children's Literature)
Eleven years ago, 16-year-old Dylan’s small mountain town was traumatized by the murder of five-year-old Clarence. His killer, never found, turned into a frightening mythic figure in the minds of the town children who began to call him “The Drifter.” The entire experience was truly terrifying for Dylan whose newly awakened psychic abilities allowed her to see how Clarence died. For the next eleven years Dylan hides her psychic visions from her friends, while helping the police locate other dead children, all the while becoming increasingly frustrated that her powers will not let her locate the children before they die. Then The Drifter returns along with a new classmate who is not what she appears to be. Are the two connected, and can Dylan solve the mystery before another victim falls prey to The Drifter? This compelling story has a delicious mixture of tension and fear woven together with a tale of friendship and coming of age. The author creates compelling characters that remain with the reader long after the book is done. 2007, Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $16.99. Ages 14 to 18.

Kirkus (Kirkus Reviews, October 1, 2007 (Vol. 75, No. 19))
Dylan Driscoll's gift of seeing dead children and experiencing sensory perceptions of how they died is really more of a curse. When she was five, she had her first sickening vision of a classmate, Clarence, whose body was found in the woods three days after an unexcused absence from school. Now 16, Dylan is a part-time psychic detective for her mountain town's police department, and they're more in need of her help than ever. They believe that the man who killed Clarence, nicknamed The Drifter, is back and that he's responsible for the death of another child. At the same time, there's a new girl in town, Cate, who seems much too interested in memorializing Clarence. As she grows closer to Cate, Dylan pulls away from her best friend, Pilar. In the background there's a political fight over the name of the town, complete with sign graffiti and snarky political bumper stickers, and Dylan learns of a family secret that explains her visions. Though the premise will entice fans of supernatural tales and murder mysteries the plot twists are predictable and thinly veiled. Too many storylines occurring at once spoil the tension, and too many characters get little or no development. 2007, McElderry, 256p, $16.99. Category: Fiction. Ages 13 up. © 2007 Kirkus Reviews/VNU eMedia, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cara Chancellor (KLIATT Review, September 2007 (Vol. 41, No. 5))
Eleven years ago the first snow brought “The Drifter,” the unknown assailant who captured and killed Dylan’s classmate Clarence on his way to school. Although no one knows it but Dylan, Dylan’s mom and the Pine Mountain sheriff’s office, that day has another special significance: it was the first time Dylan had a vision. Her vision was of Clarence lying dead in the snow. Since the day her mother first carried her sobbing to the sheriff’s office, Dylan has had dozens of visions. Each time, a wave of nausea brings her a child’s last moments. Each time, she tells Deputy Pasquera what she has seen. Each time, they are too late to save the child. Dylan has kept this secret even from her best friends Pilar, MayBe and Thea, but in a moment of weakness she ends up telling Cate, the new girl in school. As Cate learns more about Dylan’s ability and Clarence’s death--the anniversary of which is quickly approaching--her behavior becomes increasingly bizarre. Dylan is forced to juggle both her indignant friends and the girl who could reveal her secret, even as a new slew of murders has everyone wondering if The Drifter has finally returned. When Pilar’s little sister is kidnapped, Dylan realizes she will have to stop being afraid of her visions in order to save her…and also that she’s not the only one keeping secrets. Sight is as much a story about teenage friendships as it is a psychic crime drama. Vrettos’s skill is such that readers will be pulled entirely into Dylan’s psychic visions and the high-strung, pretend normality with which the town functions when The Drifter returns. While the somewhat graphic nature of the death scenes may make this book unsuitable for sensitive readers, today’s CSI-absorbed culture will find this to be an incredibly good read with just the right sprinkling of the paranormal. Category: Hardcover Fiction. KLIATT Codes: SA--Recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2007, Simon & Schuster, 254p., $16.99. Ages 15 to adult.

Allison Rheinhardt (Kutztown Book Review, Spring 2008)
Sixteen year old Dylan Driscoll sees dead people! She has nightmares of children who die, and then she helps detectives find the bodies. It all began when she was five. She had a nightmare about a child’s murder. The next day a student, Clarence, was missing. Clarence’s murderer was coined the Drifter, and is believed to be back in town. This is Dylan’s chance to find the Drifter and bring him to justice. Tap into your sixth sense with this book. It’s definitely one that will give you chills. The main character, Dylan, insists on singing a catchy song about the town murderer. This book will keep you guessing who done it. Category: Fiction. 2007, Simon & Schuster, $16.99. Ages 12 to 16.

Karen Coats (The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, October 2007 (Vol. 61, No. 2))
The murder of a boy in kindergarten has cemented the relationships of the victim’s classmates over the years; now juniors in high school, they still share their memories of the day he didn’t arrive at school and their lingering fear that his murderer, who was never caught, may someday return. One girl, Dylan, knows more than she’s telling; she has the ability to see dead children, including her own friend from kindergarten, to experience their final moments, and to help the police locate their small, violated bodies. When a new girl, Cate, comes to town, Dylan confides her grisly secret, happy to finally be able to share it with someone she thinks is safely an outsider. Unfortunately, her judgment doesn’t equal her psychic ability, as she misses the truth that is right in front of her. Vrettos has created a creepy scenario with a taut plot and a gripping climax, which in itself makes for a compelling read. More impressively, though, she has crafted a believable setting and characters that are so clearly committed to each other, so witty and likable with their insider jokes and deep friendships, that Cate’s desperation to be one of them and to share their memories is as palpable as it is strangely offputting. The fact that their secluded mountain community is being invaded by wealthy interlopers who seek to turn it into a Telluride-like retreat further enhances the teens’ sense of solidarity and emphasizes their conviction that they are under threat from outsiders. A tragic scenario ripped from the headlines forms a riveting surface to an underlying story of secrecy, exposure, and the strength of lasting friendship Review Code: R* -- Recommended. A book of special distinction. (c) Copyright 2006, The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois. 2007, McElderry, 272p.; Reviewed from galleys, $16.99. Grades 7-10.