Gail Gallant - Absolution

Quick-paced and satisfyingly creepy, Gail Gallants first young adult novel, Apparition, delivers up a tightly plotted mystery within a page-turning ghost story. Just scary enough to entertain, its macabre love story will delight those who like their romance spiced with a hint of the afterlife.

www.nationalreadingcampaign.ca

This YA paranormal mystery/romance is a page-turner all the way.

www.thechildrensbookreview.com

Gallants novel is a tightly plotted, entertaining read. With a sequel already in the works, readers have much more to look forward to from this promising author.

Quill and Quire

This was a real page-turner; full of mystery, suspense, drama, and romance. The plot is well developed, the characters are likeable and relate-able, and the writing style flows nicely. Any fan of the supernatural should take a chance on this engaging little book.

www.edwardsbookclub.com

Apparition by Gail Gallant was one of those books that is hard to put down [with] spine-tingling creepiness, mystery and plenty of romantic tension to keep me turning pages. Im looking forward to continuing Amelias journey in Absolution.

www.simpleloveofreading.blogspot.com

Apparition mixed mystery with a touch of romance, setting up Amelia as a strong female character/paranormal sleuth and placing her in a position where she had to choose between loyalty to the dead and love for the living.

Canadian Childrens Book News

Compellingly eerie and well-told, Apparition will draw readers in as they try to sort out the mystery of the haunted barn, its ghosts, and how they are all connected. The mystery of the old barn and its ghosts carries the story along and will keep readers guessing Recommended.

CM Magazine

I was hooked on this story almost instantly, and found myself reluctant to put it down. Gallant weaves together an intense and thrilling mystery, with a dash of first romance and the joys of self-discovery in a compellingly readable way.

Raves & Faves, The Mabels Fables Blog for Big Readers

Apparition

Copyright 2014 Gail Gallant

All rights reserved. The use of any part of this publication, reproduced, transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, or stored in a retrieval system without the prior written consent of the publisheror in the case of photocopying or other reprographic copying, license from the Canadian Copyright Licensing Agencyis an infringement of the copyright law.

Doubleday Canada and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House of Canada Limited

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Gallant, Gail, author
Absolution / Gail Gallant.

Sequel to: Apparition.

ISBN 978-0-385-67964-0
eBook ISBN 978-0-385-67965-7

I. Title.

PS8613.A459376A62 2014 jC813.6 C2014-903127-0
C2014-903128-9

Cover images: (boy) Jeff Cleveland/dreamstime.com;
(girl) Martin Novak/dreamstime.com; (sky) vvoevale/dreamstime.com;
(deer) Tom Reichner/Shutterstock

Published in Canada by Doubleday Canada,
a division of Random House of Canada Limited
a Penguin Random House company

www.randomhouse.ca

v3.1

In loving memory of my dear father,
Lawrence Joseph Gallant

S eeing isnt always believing. Ive known that forever. Because for as long as I can remember, Ive sometimes seen ghosts. And ghosts, well, they arent real, are they?

At least thats what I thought. Then my mother died when I was thirteen and I started seeing her ghost all the time, gardening in the backyard. My grandmother, Joyce, who has custody of me and my two brothers, didnt think much of that at all. Instead, she thought I was crazy. Probably still does.

I dont know if I would even have survived it if it werent for one person, Matthew. His friendship saved my life. I was secretly in love with him.

What happened next still seems unreal: Matthews gruesome death in the old Telford barn, my brother Jacks creepy fall that broke his back, and a stranger named Morris Dyson with a secret obsession with ghosts, and a sneaking suspicion that the barn was haunted. He said I was just the person to help him prove it.

I discovered that Matthew was still in the barn, Matthews ghost that is. There were actually about a half dozen ghosts hanging out in there, and one of them was pretty much evil, taking possession of teenage boys and making them kill themselves in horrible ways. The barn held their ghosts like prisoners.

In the end, the barn burnt to the ground and all of the ghosts were free to leave, to cross over to wherever ghosts go. But not before a sweet old lady gave her life to end the tragic deaths, and not before my younger brother Ethan got possessed and nearly died himself. Not to mention the close call for Kip Dyson and me. (Kip is Morris Dysons son. Hes a whole other story.)

I was heartbroken when Matthew left the burning barn with the other ghosts to cross over to the afterworld, thinking he was now gone forever. But the very last thing I saw that night, through the smoke and dying embers? Well, like I said, seeing isnt always believing.

(For the whole story of Amelias previous adventure, read Apparition.)

I walk up the driveway of the abandoned Telford farm, my legs feeling wobbly like rubber. Beyond the farmhouse, theres a heap of black remains where the barn used to be. Like the worlds largest barbecue pit, in a field of snow. The fire was five days ago, and the ruins are still circled by yellow police tape. I guess they dont want anyone messing around in them. Poor Mrs. Ross died in the fire, after all. Its awful how many people have died in that barn over the years, including Matthew. Hes been dead for almost four months, but hes still hanging around here. Even after everything that happened. This is the first time since the fire that Ive been able to sneak back.

So where is he? Not near the tree where I last saw him standing. Not near the barn ruins. I look around and my eyes start to sting, from the smoky stench thats still in the air. Where is he? Maybe hes not here after all.

Matthew?

Maybe after we left that night, he decided to take off after the other ghosts. Maybe he caught up with them. They were heading west, over the far field, as if they were on a pilgrimage. All the dead souls from the barn, including Mrs. Ross, heading for some world beyond this one.

I rub my eyes and try harder to focus, squinting over whats left of the barn. I dont want to get too close to the charcoal beams and ash. The smell of smoke, an awful stink, is taking my breath away. Its hard to make out much in the wreckage. There are bits sticking out that look like metal, old farm equipment mixed in with the charred barnboards that came crashing down.

Matthew? Silence. Nothing.

I feel dizzy. I need to sit down. Walking over to the empty farmhouse, I see a small porch at the side door. I flop down on the lowest step, pull my knees up and rest my eye sockets on them, and wrap my arms around my head to block out the sunlight. I feel cold and empty and exhausted.