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I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...
..sort of.
Ava can't see him or touch him,
unless she's dreaming.
She can't hear his voice,
except for the faint whispers in her mind.
Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson.
The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with.
He's back from the dead,
as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...
..sort of.
Ava can't see him or touch him,
unless she's dreaming.
She can't hear his voice,
except for the faint whispers in her mind.
Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.
Jackson.
The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with.
He's back from the dead,
as proof that love truly knows no bounds.
227 pages, Paperback
First published January 8, 2008
261 people are currently reading
15937 people want to read
About the author
Lisa Schroeder
39 books2,100 followersLisa Schroeder is the author of more than twenty books for kids and teens. Her latest novel is A NIGHT TO DIE FOR, a YA murder mystery. She lives in Oregon where she works full-time and writes when she can.
twitter: www.twitter.com/lisa_schroeder
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,858 reviews
May 19, 2009
A cute title.
Good premise.
I am
intrigued.
But it's written
in verse
for no reason
whatsoever.
It's like reading
the poetry journal
of a 15-year-old
who can't
write
poetry
and who wouldn't know
a decent metaphor
if it bit her
on the ass.
So bad.
Soooo
bad.
Good premise.
I am
intrigued.
But it's written
in verse
for no reason
whatsoever.
It's like reading
the poetry journal
of a 15-year-old
who can't
write
poetry
and who wouldn't know
a decent metaphor
if it bit her
on the ass.
So bad.
Soooo
bad.
August 22, 2012
August 22, 2012
Again, it was SAD, but it was a lovely story about how a teenage girl might deal with the grief of losing someone she loved. :)
March 3, 2009
4.5 stars. It was REALLY good. I'm glad I bought it!
It was a lovely (SAD) story about a girl, Ava, whose boyfriend, Jackson, has died, and how she deals with her grief and guilt over his death. Plus, the entire book is written in verse, which I loved. It was just a really nice, sweet story that ended on a positive, hopeful note.
I asked my husband what he thought of the name Ava (for a child), and he says he doesn't hate it, so that's exciting! I'm adding that one to the list for the theoretical child we're thinking about possibly having... :)
UPDATE (April 3, 2010): I'm pregnant, we're having a girl, and we're TOTALLY naming her Ava Elizabeth! ;) Thanks Lisa Schroeder! :)
Again, it was SAD, but it was a lovely story about how a teenage girl might deal with the grief of losing someone she loved. :)
March 3, 2009
4.5 stars. It was REALLY good. I'm glad I bought it!
It was a lovely (SAD) story about a girl, Ava, whose boyfriend, Jackson, has died, and how she deals with her grief and guilt over his death. Plus, the entire book is written in verse, which I loved. It was just a really nice, sweet story that ended on a positive, hopeful note.
I asked my husband what he thought of the name Ava (for a child), and he says he doesn't hate it, so that's exciting! I'm adding that one to the list for the theoretical child we're thinking about possibly having... :)
UPDATE (April 3, 2010): I'm pregnant, we're having a girl, and we're TOTALLY naming her Ava Elizabeth! ;) Thanks Lisa Schroeder! :)
February 1, 2012
"I feel something.
Something behind me.
Something familiar.
Hauntingly familiar.
I glance behind me,
but I don't see anything.
Or anyone.
And then,
when I look in the mirror again,
I see,
for a split second,
not just me,
but someone else.
Jackson."
can I just say that i adore the cover. it's more lovely in person. it has this soft, velvety feel to it that i just so love <3
i read this over a year ago but, I'm going to go off what i remember. Maybe I'll re-write this when i get back home and give it a reread.
let's get one thing straight.
i never thought i'd read a novel in verse. and if i'm to stretch this honesty thing. i'll admit that i had no idea it was in verse when i bought the book. but really, i don't regret it one bit because i loved it. what i really loved about the book and what really surprised me, was how much information this small book was able to give through so little.
now for the book itself.
ever since her boyfriend, jackson, died - ava has been completely closed off and at a loss.
you're conflicted throughout the book about jackson as ava goes through an array of emotions. because it's another thing trying to deal with grief, with a loss of someone you love, but when that person makes an appearance back into your life in the form of a ghost, how in the world do you gather the courage to let them go?
but soon enough, ava realises that if she gets too used to this, she'll remain in this limbo. not wanting to let go and but at the same time not being able to turn back to reality. because as much as she has loved jackson, him sticking around could take away watever little there is left in her.
not to mention. having your ex-boyfriend make an appearence back into your life doesn't exactly help things.
gorgeously written and so touching. i remember being blown away by i heart you, you haunt me. by how much it made me feel, despite the lack of words. it made me see that the amount of pages and the amount of words don't matter in the slightest if you have it in you, if you pour your heart out. i felt like the author really did that with this book.
i heart you, you haunt me was the deciding factor.
this may be my first verse book
BUT
it certainly isn't the last ;)
“Was it hard?” I ask.
“Letting go?”
“Not as hard as holding on to something that
wasn’t real.”
I gulp. “Can I ask how you did it?”
“I just decided, Ava.
That’s all.
I just decided.”
Something behind me.
Something familiar.
Hauntingly familiar.
I glance behind me,
but I don't see anything.
Or anyone.
And then,
when I look in the mirror again,
I see,
for a split second,
not just me,
but someone else.
Jackson."
can I just say that i adore the cover. it's more lovely in person. it has this soft, velvety feel to it that i just so love <3
i read this over a year ago but, I'm going to go off what i remember. Maybe I'll re-write this when i get back home and give it a reread.
let's get one thing straight.
i never thought i'd read a novel in verse. and if i'm to stretch this honesty thing. i'll admit that i had no idea it was in verse when i bought the book. but really, i don't regret it one bit because i loved it. what i really loved about the book and what really surprised me, was how much information this small book was able to give through so little.
now for the book itself.
ever since her boyfriend, jackson, died - ava has been completely closed off and at a loss.
you're conflicted throughout the book about jackson as ava goes through an array of emotions. because it's another thing trying to deal with grief, with a loss of someone you love, but when that person makes an appearance back into your life in the form of a ghost, how in the world do you gather the courage to let them go?
but soon enough, ava realises that if she gets too used to this, she'll remain in this limbo. not wanting to let go and but at the same time not being able to turn back to reality. because as much as she has loved jackson, him sticking around could take away watever little there is left in her.
not to mention. having your ex-boyfriend make an appearence back into your life doesn't exactly help things.
gorgeously written and so touching. i remember being blown away by i heart you, you haunt me. by how much it made me feel, despite the lack of words. it made me see that the amount of pages and the amount of words don't matter in the slightest if you have it in you, if you pour your heart out. i felt like the author really did that with this book.
i heart you, you haunt me was the deciding factor.
this may be my first verse book
BUT
it certainly isn't the last ;)
“Was it hard?” I ask.
“Letting go?”
“Not as hard as holding on to something that
wasn’t real.”
I gulp. “Can I ask how you did it?”
“I just decided, Ava.
That’s all.
I just decided.”
May 29, 2008
This is one of the best books that I have ever read. I absolutely love this book. I am the kind of person that enjoys reading about love & friendships. If you like those kind of books, then you should read this book in particular. This book is about a girl named Ava. She is 15 years old and her boyfriend has just died. She keeps blaming herself that she is the one that killed him when it really wasn't her fault. Eventhough her boyfriend is dead, he comes back. Well, sort of. He comes back spirutually (by being a ghost).Weird, i know. Throughout the book, Ava just can't stop thinking how much he misses him and how much he meant to her. She keeps on blaming herself over and over again, but she later finds out that things happen and when you get to a certain point in your life, you know it's time to move on. What i learned from this book is that no matter what happens, life keeps on going. You shouldn't also always blame yourself. It's the past and you should just move on. I rate this book a big, fat 10 because this book really moved me and its an easy read. Anyone who puts thier mind into it could read this book. You should read this book, you wont regret it!
October 4, 2010
Call me naive, but I have always thought that writers choose verse over prose for their works to create something aesthetically pleasing, meaningful, evocative, highly emotional - all that with a bare minimum of words.
Apparently, these days novels in verse are written to appeal to reluctant readers who have no patience to read books with descriptions, character development and rich story lines. Or rhymes.
They
have
to be
entertained
by regular
sentences
which are
arranged
in fancy
ways.
Well, I am not a reluctant reader and can, in fact, read a full-length book. In terms of lyricism and emotionality I Heart You, You Haunt Me has very little to offer. I don't understand why this wasn't developed into a short story or a regular-size novel.
Apparently, these days novels in verse are written to appeal to reluctant readers who have no patience to read books with descriptions, character development and rich story lines. Or rhymes.
They
have
to be
entertained
by regular
sentences
which are
arranged
in fancy
ways.
Well, I am not a reluctant reader and can, in fact, read a full-length book. In terms of lyricism and emotionality I Heart You, You Haunt Me has very little to offer. I don't understand why this wasn't developed into a short story or a regular-size novel.
April 15, 2012
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder is a story filled with love, grief, and guilt. Once again, Lisa Schroeder broke my heart into pieces. But this book actually broke my heart with a bit of disappointment as well.
I was not going to review this book, but Lisa Schroeder deserves much better than a blank page with three stars. The issue is mine. It happens, much like in real life, we can’t like and connect with everyone or every character. Hell, the world would be a boring place if we did! :) I did not like the main character in this story—Ava. It’s that simple really. I felt like some of her actions and thoughts were selfish and snit fittish (It’s a word in my world.haha…) that sparked my emotions more with anger than sympathy for her.
BUT…I would still recommend this book to the moon and back! Ms. Schroeder’s words, magic, and emotions continue to dazzle my heart again and again with lines like this one:
“He smiles that beach boy smile of his,
and right then I discover
a person has the ability
to feel
a hundred different emotions
all at the same time.”
Please read this book, if you are a verse fan or a Lisa Schroeder fan for sure! Again this was all me! I sound like I’m breaking up with someone—it’s me, not you! :D
I was not going to review this book, but Lisa Schroeder deserves much better than a blank page with three stars. The issue is mine. It happens, much like in real life, we can’t like and connect with everyone or every character. Hell, the world would be a boring place if we did! :) I did not like the main character in this story—Ava. It’s that simple really. I felt like some of her actions and thoughts were selfish and snit fittish (It’s a word in my world.haha…) that sparked my emotions more with anger than sympathy for her.
BUT…I would still recommend this book to the moon and back! Ms. Schroeder’s words, magic, and emotions continue to dazzle my heart again and again with lines like this one:
“He smiles that beach boy smile of his,
and right then I discover
a person has the ability
to feel
a hundred different emotions
all at the same time.”
Please read this book, if you are a verse fan or a Lisa Schroeder fan for sure! Again this was all me! I sound like I’m breaking up with someone—it’s me, not you! :D
October 26, 2008
I finally got my hands on a copy of this book! I’ve heard so many good things about it, I couldn’t wait to read it for myself. I was a little worried about how it would work out telling a story in verse, but I loved it! Even without using a lot of words you were still able to feel the intense emotions Ave was having.
If you haven’t heard what this story is about yet, I’ll give you a brief overview. The story starts as Jackson’s funeral. Jackson was is Ava’s boyfriend. Throughout the story Ava is dealing with the loss, and she isn’t dealing with it well. Then she feels his presence and realizes he hasn’t left her at all. But when she is finally starting to move on with her life, she can’t help but feel guilty knowing that Jackson is still with her.
If you haven’t read this book yet, I recommend that you get a copy. It is a quick read, but the story is intense. I was hooked from the first line.
If you haven’t heard what this story is about yet, I’ll give you a brief overview. The story starts as Jackson’s funeral. Jackson was is Ava’s boyfriend. Throughout the story Ava is dealing with the loss, and she isn’t dealing with it well. Then she feels his presence and realizes he hasn’t left her at all. But when she is finally starting to move on with her life, she can’t help but feel guilty knowing that Jackson is still with her.
If you haven’t read this book yet, I recommend that you get a copy. It is a quick read, but the story is intense. I was hooked from the first line.
August 27, 2016
I just can't have words to describe this book. I've never thought verses can have such a power in expressing all this feelings with so little words.
The love in this book is one great love, the love in which the happiness of you beloved means everything it is more powerful than life or death.
Jackson and Ava loved each other so strongly, they were like two soul mates, happy when trey are together until one day all of this just ends. But Jackson returns, his love for Ava is so strong, he wants her to be happy again to feel joy to live her life,
And only when he is sure she is ready to try to start living again he let her go.
There wasn't a book until now, which to touch me this deeply. I didn't cry when i watched Titanic or The Notebook, when i read Forbidden I felt depressed when i thought about it, but i only make me to want to cry,not actually crying, even Stolen: A letter to my capture didn't touch me as deeply as this book. I don't cry for books or movie, but when i was reading this book since the first pages I couldn't stop crying until the end and even after it. And my eyes are still read while I'm writing this review.
The end of this book, I can't say is it a good end or is it a bad end, but it is touching and emotional. I just think why he died, why??? And I can't stop myself from crying as i write right now and as i think about this book. And I can't stop thinking how beautiful is written how touching and wonderful. I've never thought of love like this. I'm rereading the end over and over, this verses are so beautiful He loved her so much that he came back to her he loved her so much that he took her guilt, he let her go. The love so true, so good, so pure, so real, so strong. And i know that i probably started to read the same things, sorry about that.
I'll just say this is the most touching book I've ever read, i haven't wanted to cry so much over a book, never before .
Just read it and you won't sorry, it's from these great book everyone should read.!!!
And it is one of my all time favorites.
March 31, 2012
Do you believe in ghosts?
What if the person you love the most dies?
Of course you’d feel devastated, distraught and depressed.
But what if he comes back?
Would you be happy that he kept his promise to be with you forever, even as a ghost?
Ava’s boyfriend Jackson died because of a dare and she blames herself for it.
Driven by guilt she shuts everyone out of her life.
She thought she lost him forever.
But then Jackson came back.
When she looked at the mirror, the saw a glimpse of Jackson behind her and she knew, Jackson hadn’t left her at all.
Honestly, I thought this book was so cool.
The story was told in poems.
Instead of chapters you get short poems about everything that has happened between Ava and Jackson and the life Ava had after Jackson died.
One good thing about this book was that all the characters had this share on the spotlight.
It was not all about Ava and Jackson but you get a glimpse of their friends too.
I absolutely L.O.V.E Ava!
Why?
Because she was a good girlfriend and a good friend.
She grieved because she lost her boyfriend which was normal.
She was sad but still she doesn’t want her parents and her parents to worry much about her so she shows them a strong face.
She knew she had the chance to be with someone else but she had to give it up because she loves her friend and as a respect to Jackson too.
I liked her because she was not all whiny and stuff like that.
I like it because she was true to herself.
I also loved Jackson.
At first I thought he had become some sort of a poltergeist but I was so wrong.
Turns out he had some unfinished business too.
Not going to tell you what it is though, you have to find that out for yourselves.
Ava’s friends were cool.
They were supportive and so were her parents.
She had the right amount of support to get her going.
She also had the right amount of rejection from Jackson’s mom, since I think that she too blame Ava for Jackson’s death.
Anyways, I thought this book was cool, fresh and fun.
Written in short poems made it a more entertaining read.
It was very simple but heartfelt.
Despite the book’s shortness, the right amount of emotions was there to keep the readers begging for more.
I love it. Love it. Love it.
5!
What if the person you love the most dies?
Of course you’d feel devastated, distraught and depressed.
But what if he comes back?
Would you be happy that he kept his promise to be with you forever, even as a ghost?
Ava’s boyfriend Jackson died because of a dare and she blames herself for it.
Driven by guilt she shuts everyone out of her life.
She thought she lost him forever.
But then Jackson came back.
When she looked at the mirror, the saw a glimpse of Jackson behind her and she knew, Jackson hadn’t left her at all.
Honestly, I thought this book was so cool.
The story was told in poems.
Instead of chapters you get short poems about everything that has happened between Ava and Jackson and the life Ava had after Jackson died.
One good thing about this book was that all the characters had this share on the spotlight.
It was not all about Ava and Jackson but you get a glimpse of their friends too.
I absolutely L.O.V.E Ava!
Why?
Because she was a good girlfriend and a good friend.
She grieved because she lost her boyfriend which was normal.
She was sad but still she doesn’t want her parents and her parents to worry much about her so she shows them a strong face.
She knew she had the chance to be with someone else but she had to give it up because she loves her friend and as a respect to Jackson too.
I liked her because she was not all whiny and stuff like that.
I like it because she was true to herself.
I also loved Jackson.
At first I thought he had become some sort of a poltergeist but I was so wrong.
Turns out he had some unfinished business too.
Not going to tell you what it is though, you have to find that out for yourselves.
Ava’s friends were cool.
They were supportive and so were her parents.
She had the right amount of support to get her going.
She also had the right amount of rejection from Jackson’s mom, since I think that she too blame Ava for Jackson’s death.
Anyways, I thought this book was cool, fresh and fun.
Written in short poems made it a more entertaining read.
It was very simple but heartfelt.
Despite the book’s shortness, the right amount of emotions was there to keep the readers begging for more.
I love it. Love it. Love it.
5!
April 6, 2015
This just seems like a fifteen-year-old girl's journal. It's not special. It has nothing new.
I honestly thought her idea about writing a book, which is usually in prose, using verses was amazing! I thought it was going to be tricky to write a whole story like that. But really, it seemed like she wrote that in a day.
It's just phrases clipped at some point and joined together in what I think are supposed to be stanzas. What's the amazing idea in that?
There is simple writing, but this is just too much. You can write in a clear, unflourished way and still be brilliant, like William Goldman. But this book was just a long, tiring list of events. And the story was just uninspiring enough, so it didn't make up for the writing.
A book shouldn't be that. It should be beautiful literature. It should convey a story with good, solid writing. This was disappointing.
Oh yes, and the only amazing literature treasure in this book that remotely resembles poetry, having it rime and everything, is this:
"Scat,
kitty cat,
scat.
I don’t need you
sitting around here
like that."
Awesome.
I honestly thought her idea about writing a book, which is usually in prose, using verses was amazing! I thought it was going to be tricky to write a whole story like that. But really, it seemed like she wrote that in a day.
It's just phrases clipped at some point and joined together in what I think are supposed to be stanzas. What's the amazing idea in that?
There is simple writing, but this is just too much. You can write in a clear, unflourished way and still be brilliant, like William Goldman. But this book was just a long, tiring list of events. And the story was just uninspiring enough, so it didn't make up for the writing.
A book shouldn't be that. It should be beautiful literature. It should convey a story with good, solid writing. This was disappointing.
Oh yes, and the only amazing literature treasure in this book that remotely resembles poetry, having it rime and everything, is this:
"Scat,
kitty cat,
scat.
I don’t need you
sitting around here
like that."
Awesome.
August 1, 2008
This book was ok, it was a fast read & story line not that incredible. A one time read.
October 1, 2016
I think that this book is a good . It can make you cry , there are so much sad things that happened in the story. I really recommend this to my friends who likes Romance/anything about love.
November 27, 2017
I wanted to cry. How can you read this book and not want to cry? I wanted to go back in time and save Jackson for Ava. You could feel her grief, her pain, and her sorrow. I HIGHLY recommend to anyone who wants to feel heavy emotion through a book. It was so heartbreaking but breathtaking. I finished in an hour and that's because I couldn't put it down, I needed to know what happens next, and I found out. I loved this, and now I want to cry.
June 6, 2010
It took me about forty-five minutes to read this book. That's the fastest I've ever read anything.
This novel follows a teenager named Ava, a girl mourning the death of her boyfriend, Jackson. About thirty pages in, we find out that Jackson can (somehow) communicate with Ava, by opening/closing cupboards, turning on the CD player, lighting candles, writing on bouncy balls (?), etc. But, of course, he can't materialize himself to where Ava can see him.
And that's basically what goes on throughout the duration of this novel. I still liked it, but I think it went way too quickly for me to become attached to any of the characters and/or what they were going through. At least with Ellen Hopkins' novels (which are also written in verse, like this one) we have 600+ pages to get attached to the characters and plot, not 226 barely-filled pages.
Nevertheless, I ultimately recommend it and am starting Chasing Brooklyn tomorrow.
This novel follows a teenager named Ava, a girl mourning the death of her boyfriend, Jackson. About thirty pages in, we find out that Jackson can (somehow) communicate with Ava, by opening/closing cupboards, turning on the CD player, lighting candles, writing on bouncy balls (?), etc. But, of course, he can't materialize himself to where Ava can see him.
And that's basically what goes on throughout the duration of this novel. I still liked it, but I think it went way too quickly for me to become attached to any of the characters and/or what they were going through. At least with Ellen Hopkins' novels (which are also written in verse, like this one) we have 600+ pages to get attached to the characters and plot, not 226 barely-filled pages.
Nevertheless, I ultimately recommend it and am starting Chasing Brooklyn tomorrow.
June 27, 2015
THAT'S IT??! THAT'S EFFIN' IT????!!!!
What a crappy book.
So I just wasted my time & effort reading this.
Okay. Still, it was a toleratably sweet story, but there was nothing really special. Also, it wasn't sentimental as I thought it would be. Plus, near the end, it feels like something REALLY BIG will happen, but nothing did. It's just the climax, then end. Just like that. No falling action, what so ever.
It was scathingly dry and it didn't really grab my attention. 1 star rating because mostly it just made me furious and it didn't evoke any strong emotions one way or the other in me. I'm not recommending this to anyone because we'll all know everyone would feel weird out by the fugly romance, plus you'll just want to bitch-slap Ava a lot. Bow.
This is just a one big chunk of joke.
What a crappy book.
So I just wasted my time & effort reading this.
Okay. Still, it was a toleratably sweet story, but there was nothing really special. Also, it wasn't sentimental as I thought it would be. Plus, near the end, it feels like something REALLY BIG will happen, but nothing did. It's just the climax, then end. Just like that. No falling action, what so ever.
It was scathingly dry and it didn't really grab my attention. 1 star rating because mostly it just made me furious and it didn't evoke any strong emotions one way or the other in me. I'm not recommending this to anyone because we'll all know everyone would feel weird out by the fugly romance, plus you'll just want to bitch-slap Ava a lot. Bow.
This is just a one big chunk of joke.
July 27, 2022
I don't think i have ever read anything like this.
First of all I loved how it was written. I loved the fact that it had this poetry-feeling to it. In fact it didn't take me more than an hour to finish.
The story is so hauntingly beautiful and yes I did sob.
I also loved how easy it was to connect with the characters. For a story with so few words it really made an impact.🌺
First of all I loved how it was written. I loved the fact that it had this poetry-feeling to it. In fact it didn't take me more than an hour to finish.
The story is so hauntingly beautiful and yes I did sob.
I also loved how easy it was to connect with the characters. For a story with so few words it really made an impact.🌺
May 5, 2017
i'm a sucker for these books written in verse because they're so quick and to the point but still so rich and they stick with you. another AMAZING book by lisa, i'm becoming addicted.
January 7, 2022
Major disappointment!
April 15, 2010
meh...
will revisit
[later:]
still meh.
Review to come.
Review:
When Ava loses her boyfriend Jackson in a horrible accident, she feels like her world is going to end. She blames herself for his death, she shuts herself off from her friends and her life, and spends her time wishing she had Jackson back. And then, suddenly she does. Whenever she's alone, Jackson comes to her. He haunts her, speaking to her in her mind, touching her with cold ghostly caresses. Ava is so happy to have him back, but she knows it can't last; she has to make a decision: remain alone, with Jackson, or face the world again.
Lisa Schroeder writes in verse, so when I got my hands on this, I was kind of excited for that aspect. When done well (see Sharon Creech's Love That Dog or Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust) it can be very effective. The verse aspect builds an interesting story, layers some magic into the words. Unfortunately for this story, that wasn't the case. Rather than being an asset to the story, Schroeder's verse was distracting and forced. Though there were a few instances of the verse being what it should have been (a unique way of showcasing what Ava was feeling), most of the time it read like diary entries that were arranged funny. This is laziness and/or overconfidence, in my opinion. You can't just chop up lines or arrange them funny and call it verse. There has to be a real attention to language and words, to the way things sound and flow together. They should be read aloud and tweaked minutely again and again until they are precisely what they should be. Poetry should add something overall, its own unnameable something. It isn't just there because the form is non-traditional, you have to create it. I didn't feel Schroeder did an adequate job of creating it. Also, the titles for each "poem" just added to the feeling of it feeling really forced, and broke up the flow a bit for me.
Also, I found Ava to be a little crazy. I mean, I know she is really young, and as such won't always handle things the way she should, but when she starts to feel held back by Jackson's presence, when she is ready to move on with her life, she comes off really whiny and immature. I did like Jackson's role in this, and that she mistook his reason for haunting her, and I liked the healing process aspect, and even the mystery that Ava dances around in her poetic diary entries. But in the end, those things weren't enough for me, and I picked this book up twice and put it back down again before I got through it -- and it's something easily read in an hour or so. With a little more attention to the "poetic" aspect, or if that was discarded and it was treated as a diary instead, it could have worked a bit, and I would have liked it more, but as it was, I don't think I'll be reading more from Schroeder for awhile. But if you're interested in it still, grab it from the library -- it's not like it will take up a ton of your time, after all.
will revisit
[later:]
still meh.
Review to come.
Review:
When Ava loses her boyfriend Jackson in a horrible accident, she feels like her world is going to end. She blames herself for his death, she shuts herself off from her friends and her life, and spends her time wishing she had Jackson back. And then, suddenly she does. Whenever she's alone, Jackson comes to her. He haunts her, speaking to her in her mind, touching her with cold ghostly caresses. Ava is so happy to have him back, but she knows it can't last; she has to make a decision: remain alone, with Jackson, or face the world again.
Lisa Schroeder writes in verse, so when I got my hands on this, I was kind of excited for that aspect. When done well (see Sharon Creech's Love That Dog or Karen Hesse's Out of the Dust) it can be very effective. The verse aspect builds an interesting story, layers some magic into the words. Unfortunately for this story, that wasn't the case. Rather than being an asset to the story, Schroeder's verse was distracting and forced. Though there were a few instances of the verse being what it should have been (a unique way of showcasing what Ava was feeling), most of the time it read like diary entries that were arranged funny. This is laziness and/or overconfidence, in my opinion. You can't just chop up lines or arrange them funny and call it verse. There has to be a real attention to language and words, to the way things sound and flow together. They should be read aloud and tweaked minutely again and again until they are precisely what they should be. Poetry should add something overall, its own unnameable something. It isn't just there because the form is non-traditional, you have to create it. I didn't feel Schroeder did an adequate job of creating it. Also, the titles for each "poem" just added to the feeling of it feeling really forced, and broke up the flow a bit for me.
Also, I found Ava to be a little crazy. I mean, I know she is really young, and as such won't always handle things the way she should, but when she starts to feel held back by Jackson's presence, when she is ready to move on with her life, she comes off really whiny and immature. I did like Jackson's role in this, and that she mistook his reason for haunting her, and I liked the healing process aspect, and even the mystery that Ava dances around in her poetic diary entries. But in the end, those things weren't enough for me, and I picked this book up twice and put it back down again before I got through it -- and it's something easily read in an hour or so. With a little more attention to the "poetic" aspect, or if that was discarded and it was treated as a diary instead, it could have worked a bit, and I would have liked it more, but as it was, I don't think I'll be reading more from Schroeder for awhile. But if you're interested in it still, grab it from the library -- it's not like it will take up a ton of your time, after all.
August 27, 2009
A "verse novel", meaning that the author took some bad unoriginal prose and arranged it in choppy verse format to make it look like poetry. I am usually generous with my stars since I try to read YA stuff with teen interests in mind as well as my own, and this would indeed be a half-decent "quick pick" for teen girls, but personally I thought it was pretty awful. It does read quick, though...I read this during my lunch break with time leftover to eat a sandwich, which is good because I wouldn't have devoted any more of my time to this.
Ava is a 15-year-old girl who has just lost her high school boyfriend Jackson to an unfortunate fatal accident for which she feels partially responsible, meaning that she is melodramatic and self-absorbed and grieving heavily over what was surely the "love of her life". She begins to see little signs of him haunting her at home, like glimpses in the mirror, music suddenly playing, candles igniting, etc. However, Jackson's haunting seems trivial and is not the driving force of the novel...It's really more about Ava's stages of mourning as the people around her try to comfort her, and the so-called "haunting" really seems more like a psychological manifestation of her grief as she tries to hold on to Jackson but then eventually says goodbye. I know she's supposed to be 15 and all, but this was just corny and emotionally unconvincing.
Ava is a 15-year-old girl who has just lost her high school boyfriend Jackson to an unfortunate fatal accident for which she feels partially responsible, meaning that she is melodramatic and self-absorbed and grieving heavily over what was surely the "love of her life". She begins to see little signs of him haunting her at home, like glimpses in the mirror, music suddenly playing, candles igniting, etc. However, Jackson's haunting seems trivial and is not the driving force of the novel...It's really more about Ava's stages of mourning as the people around her try to comfort her, and the so-called "haunting" really seems more like a psychological manifestation of her grief as she tries to hold on to Jackson but then eventually says goodbye. I know she's supposed to be 15 and all, but this was just corny and emotionally unconvincing.
October 20, 2010
I've always wondered if I would like a novel in verse or if the poetry would be distracting to the story. I still don't know the answer to that. While Schroeder wrote this novel in verse, it doesn't read that way. There is no rhythm to the lines (I'm not talking about rhyming but iambic pentameter or something to make it read like poetry). It just reads like sentences cut in the middle and about halfway through I got tired of pausing so many times in a sentence when there is no reason for the pauses. I guess I take my poetry more seriously than that: the Romantics, Emily Dickinson, Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti. Prose that is not only lyrical but deep and symbolic.
Having said that, this novel is very modern and very young adult. I could picture a real teenage girl thinking and feeling these things. It's sweet--if you think haunting dead boyfriends are sweet. Emo sweet. And that's where the poetic feel comes in, not in the lines, but in the sense of love that transcends life. Even though I wanted more out of the story, more development from Ava and her struggle between her life and her guilt, I still felt for her and connected to her story. So maybe the poetry was the right medium after all. I just could have used more from the delivery.
Having said that, this novel is very modern and very young adult. I could picture a real teenage girl thinking and feeling these things. It's sweet--if you think haunting dead boyfriends are sweet. Emo sweet. And that's where the poetic feel comes in, not in the lines, but in the sense of love that transcends life. Even though I wanted more out of the story, more development from Ava and her struggle between her life and her guilt, I still felt for her and connected to her story. So maybe the poetry was the right medium after all. I just could have used more from the delivery.
November 8, 2010
While i wasn't expecting to be blown away by this book, i definately wasn't very swayed. I knew picking it up that it would maybe kill an hour or two and that's really all it did. There were some cute moments but mostly i was confused, bored, or quite frankly, annoyed. i was never a fan of the main character and even jackson got irratating by the fact that he is SO FREAKING PERSISTANT. This is another book that treats teen years like the be-all and end-all, that their budding love excuses him not moving on and haunting her. I also found them to be a bit stupid, and while his death is a tragedy, i thought it was a little too cliche. She DARES him to jump off a cliff. Wow. Stupidity on both parts really. Please. All they needed was some common sense. It was a decent read, light and not too boring, even if the song choices are forced and are sort of like watching the writer jump up and down and shriek "see, i know what teenagers listen to! You know this song, don't you? Evanescense? Yeah? I'm cool! Right?"
Seventh grade me would have loved this book, but now i'm just annoyed by the idiocy and altogether pathetic death jackson gives off and the emo, woe-is-me vibe. angsty-cutesy-emo with reckless stupidity chaser.
Seventh grade me would have loved this book, but now i'm just annoyed by the idiocy and altogether pathetic death jackson gives off and the emo, woe-is-me vibe. angsty-cutesy-emo with reckless stupidity chaser.
August 23, 2011
Jedinečný styl psaní Lisy mě několikrát během čtení rozplakal. Hlavní hrdinkou je Ava a její zesnulý přítel Jackson, který se - jak je vidno už z coveru knihy - objevuje po boku své přítelkyně jako duch. Zprvu je Ava šťastná, že ji její Jackson neopustil ani po smrti, ale jak dlouho se tohle dá snášet? Jak dlouho se dá snášet vídat a dotýkat se svého přítele jen ve snech, jak dlouho se dá vydržet poslouchat jeho hlas jen ve své mysli? Jak dlouho tohle ŽIVÝ člověk dokáže snášet, když sám postupem času zjistí, že znovu musí začít žít? Ava má najednou pocit, že toho, koho tak milovala, je pro její skutečný život spíše přítěží. Ale co má udělat, aby i Jackson pochopil, že patří jinam? Nebo to Jackson ví? Velmi doporučuji přečíst si tohle dílo. Je to velmi rychlá četba, ale tak skvěle sepsaná, plná myšlenek o životě, o duši, o tom, jak vlastně člověk smýšlí, když ho potká tragédie. Já si rozhodně koupím i další knihy z dílny této talentované autorky. Měli byste také :)
June 1, 2018
4.5 stars
This would have to be the best poetry book I've ever read. Since it was free-verse it flowed along like a romance novel. Yet this one had elements in it that made it so much more. It reminded me of a resent book that I read The Guardian, except the boyfriend died because of something that she did. But the reason why I tied the two together was the fact that both wanted their former lovers to be happy and continue living like they did before. In this book the boyfriend makes sure of that by coming back as a ghost, hence the title I Heart You, You Haunt Me. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes romance and even ones who just like free-verse poetry
This would have to be the best poetry book I've ever read. Since it was free-verse it flowed along like a romance novel. Yet this one had elements in it that made it so much more. It reminded me of a resent book that I read The Guardian, except the boyfriend died because of something that she did. But the reason why I tied the two together was the fact that both wanted their former lovers to be happy and continue living like they did before. In this book the boyfriend makes sure of that by coming back as a ghost, hence the title I Heart You, You Haunt Me. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes romance and even ones who just like free-verse poetry
December 12, 2017
I absolutely love this book. Honestly, this is the best poetry book that I have ever read. I give this book five stars because it is truly amazing.
June 30, 2011
I started this book a couple of hours ago, and while i was reading it i looked up (on my pdf copy) and i was surprised to see the number of pages i've reached.. is it that easy to read? well it was for me ^^
i enjoyed every bit of it, the grief , the sadness , the guilt,love... all that emotions mixed together , made a beautiful book ,worth reading , i mean it really wouldn't take much of anyone's time. it is a small glimpse of a little girls life who had lost her boyfriend the one she believed was her true love, well i remember that phase of my life specially 15 you do believe you're totally in love , but lately i found out that love is different, more complicated maybe , but definitely more magical and real. so i really understand her and her feelings , it is a terrible thing to lose someone you've loved so dearly, you keep holding on to anything , not wanting to let go. And the writer is right about the decision to forget , first you have to really want to forget and then you only have to decide to do so.
Well death is tragic , it is the most terrifying way to say good-bye to someone , but it has to happen someday sooner or later and we have to accept it and about the haunting part i don't believe she was really haunted it is her subconscious mind trying to send messages to her or whatever :p. she used to love books , and books do give you a wild imagination so maybe she just imagined the whole thing , but i'm glad she moved on .
I was emotionally touched by this book i dropped a couple of tears while reading it , i kind of imagined myself in that position which makes the book amazingly believable.
Three stars and a half because i no longer enjoy so much YA books ^^ .
i enjoyed every bit of it, the grief , the sadness , the guilt,love... all that emotions mixed together , made a beautiful book ,worth reading , i mean it really wouldn't take much of anyone's time. it is a small glimpse of a little girls life who had lost her boyfriend the one she believed was her true love, well i remember that phase of my life specially 15 you do believe you're totally in love , but lately i found out that love is different, more complicated maybe , but definitely more magical and real. so i really understand her and her feelings , it is a terrible thing to lose someone you've loved so dearly, you keep holding on to anything , not wanting to let go. And the writer is right about the decision to forget , first you have to really want to forget and then you only have to decide to do so.
Well death is tragic , it is the most terrifying way to say good-bye to someone , but it has to happen someday sooner or later and we have to accept it and about the haunting part i don't believe she was really haunted it is her subconscious mind trying to send messages to her or whatever :p. she used to love books , and books do give you a wild imagination so maybe she just imagined the whole thing , but i'm glad she moved on .
I was emotionally touched by this book i dropped a couple of tears while reading it , i kind of imagined myself in that position which makes the book amazingly believable.
Three stars and a half because i no longer enjoy so much YA books ^^ .
February 4, 2008
Ava loves Jackson and Jackson loves Ava. Her life has improved greatly since she met him and they started dating. So when Jackson dies unexpectedly at a school party she is devastated. Even the simplest things like getting out of bed and eating seem beyond her abilities. Her feeling of guilt over his death weigh heavily on her and prevent her from beginning the healing process.
During one of her darkest moments she feels a brush of coldness against her skin. Hope fills her up as she thinks it could possibly be Jackson. Thinking there is a chance that he hasn't completely left her makes her happy, but it also causes her concern because she thinks she might be going crazy. Soon after the first encounter though, she receives proof that Jackson is, indeed, still with her.
After some time with Jackson around, Ava begins to think about everything that happened and how she completely lost the sense of herself while she was with him. When asked what makes Ava special, her reply is, "Being Jackson's girlfriend." She experiences the love of her friends and family which allows her to gain perspective and be able to start the process of healing, even if that means giving up the thing she loves the most.
Lisa Schroeder has written a thoughtful story about love and loss, but with an interesting supernatural twist. Its free verse style makes this such a fast-paced story. You will not be able to stop yourself from turning the page to see what happens next and with it being a book of poems you won't have an excuse not to keep reading until you finish.
During one of her darkest moments she feels a brush of coldness against her skin. Hope fills her up as she thinks it could possibly be Jackson. Thinking there is a chance that he hasn't completely left her makes her happy, but it also causes her concern because she thinks she might be going crazy. Soon after the first encounter though, she receives proof that Jackson is, indeed, still with her.
After some time with Jackson around, Ava begins to think about everything that happened and how she completely lost the sense of herself while she was with him. When asked what makes Ava special, her reply is, "Being Jackson's girlfriend." She experiences the love of her friends and family which allows her to gain perspective and be able to start the process of healing, even if that means giving up the thing she loves the most.
Lisa Schroeder has written a thoughtful story about love and loss, but with an interesting supernatural twist. Its free verse style makes this such a fast-paced story. You will not be able to stop yourself from turning the page to see what happens next and with it being a book of poems you won't have an excuse not to keep reading until you finish.
May 31, 2011
I loved the idea of this book. Boy meets girl, Girl looses boy, Boy comes back and then things get all "Sixth Sense" like... meaning... it gets mondo cold.
Ava is in love with a ghost! Well, he wasn't a ghost when they first met. They were human teenagers that scarfed down McDoubles and french fries (i thought that maybe Jackson died of a heart attack. They don't ever tell you until the very end... and its nothing as exotic as say Death by Big Mac attack)
So, boos and hoos my boyfriend is dead. Oh what a world what a world. Ava goes to the funeral with her mother (and omg! The mom wasn't a ditz!! I expected her to be like totally irresponsible and maybe do a strip tease at the coffin or something but she wasn't it. Kudos author lady!! You wrote a believable mom that doesn't make us all look bad -- cuz when I see bad moms in YA books I figure my generation must suck at child rearing.)
Ava gets home and blah blah blah.... I'm thinking Bella in New Moon... the room must have started spinning or something dramatic like that.... and then.... it got all Bruce Willis cold and da da da...... Her boyfriend was back!!
Now, it wasn't exactly like "The Sixth Sense" cuz Ava couldn't really really see him. She could catch glimpses in the toaster and stuff (Wonder Bread Boyfriend!) but not like you know... touch him and stuff.
Its a really cute book. I totally recommend it if you are looking for something light to read.
Ava is in love with a ghost! Well, he wasn't a ghost when they first met. They were human teenagers that scarfed down McDoubles and french fries (i thought that maybe Jackson died of a heart attack. They don't ever tell you until the very end... and its nothing as exotic as say Death by Big Mac attack)
So, boos and hoos my boyfriend is dead. Oh what a world what a world. Ava goes to the funeral with her mother (and omg! The mom wasn't a ditz!! I expected her to be like totally irresponsible and maybe do a strip tease at the coffin or something but she wasn't it. Kudos author lady!! You wrote a believable mom that doesn't make us all look bad -- cuz when I see bad moms in YA books I figure my generation must suck at child rearing.)
Ava gets home and blah blah blah.... I'm thinking Bella in New Moon... the room must have started spinning or something dramatic like that.... and then.... it got all Bruce Willis cold and da da da...... Her boyfriend was back!!
Now, it wasn't exactly like "The Sixth Sense" cuz Ava couldn't really really see him. She could catch glimpses in the toaster and stuff (Wonder Bread Boyfriend!) but not like you know... touch him and stuff.
Its a really cute book. I totally recommend it if you are looking for something light to read.
April 23, 2009
This was a horrible novel, written in verse about Ava Bender and her boyfriend Jackson. Apparently, when going out to a secluded teen hotspot, Ava dared Jackson to jump into a pool from a ledge and he ended up hitting his head on a rock and drowning. The ghost of Jackson begins to haunt Ava by turning on the CD player at random times, showing up in the mirror, haunting her dreams and sometimes slamming cupboard doors. Ava cannot tell anybody about this and feels guilty and starts spending her time in her bathrobe at home. Eventually she begins to realize that Jackson wants her to give up her guilt and let him go. She does and is happy. The end.
The book is poorly written. Told in verse, the writer seems to have only decided to write prose sentences and chop them up to look like a poem. It didn’t seem like any thought was put in to actually creating poems, just chopped up text. The story was kind of bland with nothing new here, and Ava was really just typical and really didn’t stand out. Even her friends were basically caricatures and you really couldn’t tell one from the other. Though teens might read it because it is in verse and they can get away with a book report in about ten minutes, it sure was lousy. Put this one back on the shelf.
The book is poorly written. Told in verse, the writer seems to have only decided to write prose sentences and chop them up to look like a poem. It didn’t seem like any thought was put in to actually creating poems, just chopped up text. The story was kind of bland with nothing new here, and Ava was really just typical and really didn’t stand out. Even her friends were basically caricatures and you really couldn’t tell one from the other. Though teens might read it because it is in verse and they can get away with a book report in about ten minutes, it sure was lousy. Put this one back on the shelf.
March 13, 2010
I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder is a quick read written in verse that packs a powerful punch with just a few words. The story is about love, loss, grief and recovery. I never thought such a complete story could be developed with so little writing. The book contains all the right elements of a great read including a dramatic plot, vivid setting and well developed characters that carry you through the story seemingly quickly and dramatically.
The book is about a girl named Ava that loses her boyfriend Jackson in a tragic accident. She grieves his loss, and he comes back to haunt her during her emotional recovery. At first she welcomes his appearances and puts her life on hold to be with the ghost that is Jackson. As the story progresses, she realizes she needs to move on and live her life, but there is something Jackson wants from Ava before he is able to move on himself.
I read this book in one sitting, and it was time well spent. Haunting, yet captivating with a hint of creepy. I definitely feel comfortable recommending this book to those readers that like a good ghost story and can easily suspend their reality.
The book is about a girl named Ava that loses her boyfriend Jackson in a tragic accident. She grieves his loss, and he comes back to haunt her during her emotional recovery. At first she welcomes his appearances and puts her life on hold to be with the ghost that is Jackson. As the story progresses, she realizes she needs to move on and live her life, but there is something Jackson wants from Ava before he is able to move on himself.
I read this book in one sitting, and it was time well spent. Haunting, yet captivating with a hint of creepy. I definitely feel comfortable recommending this book to those readers that like a good ghost story and can easily suspend their reality.
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