Watch Over Me (Supernatural)
Name: Ashleigh C.
Book Title: Watch Over Me
Author: Nina LaCour
Genre: Supernatural
Number of Pages: 261
Rating: 4/5
Ghosts, Grief, and Guidance.
Character List:
- Mila - Mila is an 18-year-old girl who accepts a teaching job at a refuge for orphans, after aging out of the foster care system. She is very introverted, and always believes the worst in people due to past trauma. Mila thinks that everyone hates her, and that she has no purpose in the world.
- Lee - Lee is a nine-year-old boy who is one of the orphans at the refuge. He is Mila’s one and only student. Lee is very timid and scared of the ghost that is constantly following him around and making “mean faces at him.”
- Billy - Billy is one of the older orphans at the refuge. It is said that he is supposed to be in high school. He takes great care of the younger children and cares deeply for all of them. Billy is very mature, compassionate, and easy to be around. Billy is in an intimate relationship with Liz.
- Liz - Liz is another one of the older orphans. She is one of the first people to befriend Mila when she first arrives. Liz is someone who gives good advice, and is an all around likeable character. She is extremely close to Billy, and it is mentioned that they have feelings for each other.
- Terry - Terry is one of the owners of the refuge, along with his wife Julia. Terry also owns a farmers market, which the older children work at on Sundays. It is obvious that he is deeply passionate about helping the orphans find comfort, and safety in the refuge.
Review:
After aging out of the foster care system, Mila takes up a job teaching little children at a farm in California. Most of the children have really tragic backstories of how they ended up orphans. At the farm, there is a community of ghosts that appear only at night. All of the people at the farm have the ability to see these ghosts, and are able to coexist with them. However, for Mila, the ghost seems to subconsciously remind her of all the trauma that she has faced throughout her life that she repressed in her memory. The chapters switch back and forth between her life at the refuge, and flashbacks of her family. She remembers the first time she ever saw a ghost in her neighborhood, her mother's emotionally manipulative boyfriend Blake, the changing of her mother's behavior over the years, and the secret that has haunted her for so many years. Mila notices that a certain ghost has taken a liking to her, a certain dancing ghost who likes to play the piano. In fact, many people at the refuge have one ghost that follows them around. The main themes of this book are rehabilitation, grieving, friendship, and trauma.
This book is more aimed towards older teens. There is vulgar language, and brief mentions of explicit content that is more suitable towards older teens. There is a very in depth view on trauma, and how it can affect a person. If you like supernatural books, and/or characters with complex backstories, then I highly recommend you read this book. It definitely taught me a lot about overcoming trauma, and facing your fears.
