Ashes on the Waves

 102. In the relatively crowded world of paranormal YA, Mary Lindsey's Ashes on the Waves stands out in a good way. Based loosely on Poe's "Annabel Lee," this novel is told from the POV of the male hero, Liam MacGregor, who's always been considered an outcast on his island, off the coast of Maine. Because the island is quite remote, it lacks a lot of modern amenities, which gives the whole story a more old-fashioned feel, though it is contemporary. All his life, Liam has remembered the kindness of Anna Leighton, daughter of a wealthy family who owns a summer home on the island. When Anna shows up on the island to hide out after receiving negative press in the tabloids, Liam falls for her again--only this time as an adult.

But of course, true love never does run smooth, and in their case, things are complicated by a bet between the island's Otherworlders, testing the couple's love. While I liked both Liam and Anna, I think my favorite part of the story was the Poe angle (Lindsey includes quotes from Poe at the beginning of each chapter), closely followed by the rich Celtic mythology. Lovely, chilling, spooky. The only thing I didn't particularly love was the ending, but if you've read the poem Annabel Lee, it won't come as too big of a shock.