Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

First, thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's Book Division for letting me read the egalley of this.  I saw the author's name, and knew it from reading the Aftertime series by her.  In the Aftertime books, the main character is a really tough, kind of bad girl.  So I wasn't sure how that would translate into a teen book.  But no need to fear, Sophie Littlefield is a good writer in my opinion, because she can write different types of characters, they don't all seem the same.  While Aftertime was a zombie story, this is a little bit different.  It's still got a paranormal edge, the main character Clare can sense things about people by touching clothing.  She's moved back to the town her mother grew up in, and that she lived for awhile when she was younger.  It's a little different now, there have been 2 murders, or a murder and a disappearance in the past two years.  Both on the same day of the year.  It's now coming up on the anniversary of that day, and the town is getting nervous and hoping that another tragedy doesn't occur.  Clare has gotten back to her friend, and it seems like nothing has changed in their friendship, other than her friend seems to be a little different.  Clare's big thing is taking old pieces of clothing, and giving them new life.  Cutting them apart, putting new trim, different parts together, etc.  One of the things she finds, a denim jacket from a consignment store, gives her a very, very strong vision, and she thinks it is a clue to the death or disappearance of the second kid, Amanda, a girl who Clare's best friend used to be friends with.
This talent Clare has is one that has been passed down from generation to generation.  In fact, the reason Clare's mom moved away in the first place was because of something Clare's grandmother saw.  Clare's mom has always tried to tell her to stop doing it, and told her it wasn't a good thing.  But it seems this jacket wants Clare to solve the mystery of Amanda's disappearance.  In the mix is the town bad boy.  But is he really a bad boy?  Or does he just not conform to the small town way?  Clare feels an attraction to him, but tries to fight it.
This was a good story.  I enjoyed finding out what happened, although I began to suspect something like the actual answer.
I hope there will be a sequel, although this was a totally good stand alone novel if that is all it will be.  I will be looking up other books by this author now that I know the wide range she can write.

Blackwood by Gwenda Bond

First I have to thank both Netgalley and Angry Robot publisher for allowing me to read this e-galley in June.  I was intrigued right from the description because the story is based on the mystery of Roanoke.  Something that has always fascinated me.  There have been many theories over time, of course first is that they all died, but then where were the remains, or any people left to tell what happened?  The Native Americans there should be able to tell something, but nothing was ever learned.  Then the word Croatoan carved into a tree there.  This is a topic that has been explored on many of my favorite tv shows, including the X-Files, and Supernatural.  And this book has a new, unique take on the whole thing.
The main character is Miranda, and she is the town "freak".  All her life her family has been treated as if they are the causes of anything bad that goes wrong.  She is a Blackwood, the only possible survivor of the original colony was an ancestor of hers.  Or so she learns later from the crazy scientist on the island that she calls Dr. Roswell, after the tv series, and his crazy theories about what happened.  She works on the town's big summer play about the whole disappearance and what is known about that original colony.  At the beginning of the story we are with Miranda watching the play's performance, and all of a sudden she sees a giant ghost ship flying above the area, and she thinks it will crash into the stage!  But no one else notices it, and she disrupts the play, embarrassing herself.  When she goes home that night, she thinks it is following her, in fact all the dogs begin to act funny as well.  That night, her father goes out, but never comes back home.  And he's not the only one, 114 people have disappeared.  The exact number of the original settlers that disappeared.
Our 2nd main character is Phillips, a boy Miranda's age who was sent away for causing trouble, and even accused Miranda of what her family had always been blamed for, and he did it in a humiliating way.  Yet, he has his own issues.  He can hear the voices of the dead.  And he sees this story, and has this feeling he must get back to help Miranda.  Even though by going away he has stopped the voices in his head.  When he was on the island, before he got sent away, Dr. Roswell had been his therapist, so he looks to him for help, using what Miranda has seen to try to help.  Not too long after, the missing return, except Miranda's father who has been murdered.  Miranda and Phillips must figure out what is going on, the returned people seem different.  Miranda is soon accused of helping to kill her father.  They must fight an evil force to get back their family, and friends, and save the island and themselves.
I have to say the theory behind this story is a new one, and a very interesting idea!  I liked it a lot.  The whole story got very intricate and detailed, there was a bit of confusion for me, but it wasn't enough to keep the story from making sense, and me enjoying it.  I'll let you read and see if it is confusing for you at all.  A great stand alone story for teens for a change.