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In the town of St. Hilaire, most make their living by talking to the dead. In the summer, the town gates open to tourists seeking answers while all activity is controlled by The Guild, a sinister ruling body that sees everything.
Dec Hampton has lived there his entire life, but ever since his parents died, he's been done with it. He knows he has to leave before anyone has a chance to stop him.
His best friend Russ won't be surprised when Dec leaves—but he will be heartbroken. Russ is a good medium, maybe even a great one. He's made sacrifices for his gift and will do whatever he can to gain entry to The Guild, even embracing dark forces and contacting the most elusive ghost in town.
But when the train of Annie Krylova, the piano prodigy whose music has been Dec's main source of solace, breaks down outside of town, it sets off an unexpected chain of events. And in St. Hilaire, there are no such things as coincidences.
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Creators
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Publisher
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Release date
August 4, 2020 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781705005545
- File size: 310686 KB
- Duration: 10:47:15
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- Lexile® Measure: 720
- Text Difficulty: 3
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Reviews
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June 29, 2020
In the small town of St. Hilaire, N.Y., everyone is judged on the strength of their ability to speak with and summon the spirits of the dead. Pianist Daniel “Dec” Hampton just wants to escape his deceased parents’ legacy and leave as soon as possible, while his best friend Russ Griffin yearns for the prestige of joining the town’s Guild Youth Corps as a student leader. The teens’ plans are disrupted when 17-year-old piano prodigy Anastasia “Annie” Krylova is temporarily stranded in St. Hilaire en route to the funeral of her mentor, Dmitry Petrov. Bonding over their love of music, Dec and Annie attempt to fulfill Dmitry’s lifelong quest—finding the missing portions of the Unfinished Prelude, a mysterious piece of music that seems tied to St. Hilaire and Dec’s family. But as they and Russ speak with the dead, they stumble across the town’s darker secrets. Combined with the story’s many elements, a meandering plot saps the mystery’s sense of urgency, but Dunbar invokes small-town intrigue and plentiful atmosphere with this haunting, romantic tale. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lauren MacLeod, Strothman Agency.
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