Angelina's Secret, by Lisa Rogers

Title: Angelina's Secret
Author: Lisa Rogers
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Release: February 1, 2012
Source: Publisher *
Purchase: (RJ Julia | Spencer Hill)

Most cheerleaders don't have this kind of spirit. As a child, Angelina spent years in counseling learning that Josie, her imaginary friend, wasn't real, but it turns out her childhood friend wasn't imaginary after all. Now Angelina has to accept she's either (A) crazy or (B) able to see ghosts. Wanting to believe in her sanity, she chooses (B) and welcomes Josie back into her life. But even Josie can't help her deal with Shelly, the spirit of a confused teenager, and things go very, very wrong. When Angelina finds herself in a psychiatric hospital, she faces a choice: she can spend the rest of her life pretending to be someone she isn't, or she can embrace who she is and take a chance that she may never get to go home.

Angelina’s Secret was a very surprising book. At first, I didn’t know what to expect. And then as I read a little bit, I was apprehensive. I didn’t know if I would like it. But after I got a little into the book, I couldn’t put it down! Yes, Angelina’s Secret was surprising, but it was a good surprise.

Angelina’s Secret is a ghost story first and foremost, but it is also much more than that. It’s about a girl’s mental state. Is Angelina crazy, or does she really see ghosts? It’s a battle she and her family are constantly fighting. I wish Angelina’s Secret would have been edgier, but ultimately it is a feel-good story that will warm the hearts of readers—after making those same hearts race.

Lisa Rogers has a clean writing style and I had no trouble following the story. It’s obvious that she has a passion for what she writes; it comes out clearly through her words. I would certainly be interested to read future books by Lisa Rogers.

Angelina was a character readers can certainly sympathize with, and I really cared about what happened to her. She goes through a lot, and I felt awful for her on many occasions. She is a little too much of a good girl, but that didn’t take away from my liking her. The rest of the characters have many different dimensions, and it was very fun to read about them.

If you’re looking for a feel-good, quick read that is more than it seems, Angelina’s Secret is waiting for you to pick it up! It depends on what you’re looking for, but I think readers will ultimately be pleased by Angelina’s Secret.

* I did copy edit work on Angelina's Secret, as I intern for Spencer Hill Press. However, this did not affect my review.