The Leaf Reader

May 1, 2017
In high school junior Marnie Wells’s small town, the disappearance and presumed death of star athlete Andrea Quinley is sad but old news. Andrea’s onetime best friend, Matt Cotrell, remains haunted by her disappearance, and he turns to Marnie, hoping that her rumored ability to read tea leaves might provide new insight or that she’ll be a sympathetic shoulder. (Marnie is all too familiar with concerned glances and alienation after her brother’s overdose.) The tea leaves that Marnie reads foretell something sinister, and eerie anonymous emails begin arriving as the two unravel the intricate threads linking Andrea and their peers in increasingly unexpected and potentially dangerous ways. Mystery writer Arsenault makes a solid foray into YA, though the story moves more slowly than some readers might expect. Marnie is a well-developed protagonist whose concern with how others perceive her family is immensely relatable, but the book’s secondary characters are less memorable. The incorporation of tea-leaf reading, including the ceremony and symbolism of the art, adds a distinctive element to a mystery that’s well worth a read. Ages 14–up. Agent: Laura Langlie, Laura Langlie Agency.

Starred review from April 1, 2017
A teenager's sixth sense opens up a world of intrigue.In her first novel for teens, thriller-writer Arsenault (The Evening Spider, 2016, etc.) here delves into the psychic realm, choosing as her protagonist Marnie Wells, a high school junior drawn to the ancient art of tea-leaf reading. Marnie's interest in tasseomancy initially stemmed from a desire to distance herself from her absent parents and the troubles of her elder brother, out of rehab after an overdose; from the embarrassing hoarding tendencies of her guardian grandmother, who teaches at their high school; and from a family home that literally "screams trashy from the outside." Narrator Marnie admits: "If I couldn't be perfect or athletic or Yale-bound, I could at least be weird." When her eccentric tea-leaf prophecies actually begin to come true, Marnie soon finds herself being consulted by members of the "in" crowd, including Matt, the star basketball player desperate for clues explaining the messages he's received from someone claiming to be his best friend, who vanished the year before. As Marnie grapples with the disturbing reality of her clairvoyance, her visions bring her and Matt closer to even more frightening and unimaginable truths. Arsenault paints a vivid picture of the haves and have-nots of this seemingly all-white small town. Arsenault's page-ripping whodunit not only will send readers running for their tea kettles, but packs the thrill of self-discovery and acceptance amid base adversity: a rich, rewarding teen debut. (Thriller. 14-18)

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June 1, 2017

Gr 9 Up-Marnie Wells has always been on the outside of life in Colesbury. She and her older brother Noah live with their grandmother G. Clara, the home ec teacher at the local high school. Marnie takes up tea leaf reading after she finds a book on the subject in G. Clara's library. It's mostly harmless fun until A-lister Matt Cotrell asks for a reading. His best friend (and possible girlfriend) Andrea Quinley is missing and presumed dead. Now Marnie's readings seem eerily real and dangerous. When a body is discovered at a place Marnie's reading foresaw, the suspense mounts. Can Marnie open herself to the possibility that her readings are not merely fun and games but a glimpse into the past? Arsenault's deliberate pacing sets the tone for a big reveal in the final chapters. Marnie and Matt aren't unique in their characterizations-shy, quiet outsider who finds herself beside the popular boy-but they are well drawn. This is a solid teen mystery with a slow build and hints of the supernatural. Readers will be left guessing until the very last page. VERDICT For fans of mysteries with a tinge of the paranormal. A strong purchase for most YA collections.-Elaine Baran Black, Georgia Public Library Service, Atlanta

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

May 1, 2017
Grades 9-12 Tea-leaf reading was just supposed to be a silly hobby. It was something Marnie got into on a whim when she found an old book, and her main client is boy-crazy Cecilia, who just wants to know about her romantic prospectstotally harmless. But then Cecilia's friend Matt asks for a reading. Matt's best friend, Andrea, has been missing for months and is presumed dead, but Matt hasn't given up. Even weirder, he's been getting e-mails from someone claiming to be Andrea. Marnie knows better than to get involved, but she finds herself drawn to Matt, even as her readings start to become suddenly, eerily accurate. Despite her attraction to him, there's something off about Matt, and as Marnie gets more entrenched in his search, she starts to realize the mystery surrounds her own family as well. More eerie than frightening, this is an atmospheric tale laced with hints of magic. Thoughtful, careful Marnie and her hobby-turned-calling will endear themselves to readers looking for a slowly unfolding mystery.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2018
Outsider Marnie reads tea leaves ("a kind of fortune-telling") to feel more socially included. She doesn't take her readings seriously, but her peers find them compelling--especially once a popular girl goes missing. Following her own insights as clues, Marnie begins to understand Andrea's disappearance, uncovers related crimes, and starts believing in her mystical abilities. A compelling contemporary mystery-thriller with a subtle supernatural bent.

(Copyright 2018 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)