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Strange events afflict nineteen-year-old Rita at the Avalon Motel when she moves out to get away from her mother. Residing in a “retro 50’s kind of room,” Rita is troubled by recurring dreams of a mysterious blond woman and a tall man with an El Camino. With her boyfriend, Keith, she discovers a hidden cave with bones underneath the motel. For some reason, they choose to keep this a secret, but Rita’s curiosity pushes her to investigate the motel’s history. She gets help from the aging motel owner Jerry Lewis, a psychic named Isabella, and best friend, Tara. Several tragedies beset Rita’s life, and we jump ahead a few years, where a recovering Rita aims to relieve herself from buried secrets. Her mother begins dating retired FBI agent, Richard, who Rita is suspicious of at first but then requests help from later. Ultimately, Rita sets out to finally lay to rest the ghosts that haunt her dreams.
At just sixty-eight pages, Swann’s slim novel is a fast read with some familiar tropes of a supernatural thriller. Although the writing appears to target young adults, the mature themes and situations are more suitable for older readers. While light on action and suspense with some minor characters and storylines developed fragmentarily, there is a good premise at the core of this tale. Swann easily inhabits the skin of the vulnerable and young grunge-music-listening protagonist trapped in a moody, small town. Like the ghost that haunts her, she’s a lost soul seeking escape. We root for Rita and eagerly read on to find out how she will overcome these calamities. Swann may be setting up the beginnings of a potential series. For now, though, one can enjoy this intriguing, quick read.