Discreet and well-timed horror. ( )

When she moves to a new house with her adopted family, Nora starts to hear noises that are caused by nothing visible and when a stranger presents her with a mysterious doll, she sets out on a quest and finds out that her family, biological and adopted, hides more than their fair share of secrets. It's absolutely a supernatural story, but the ghost element is very subtle (and thus strangely realistic) and the main theme has more to do with abandonment and the emotional challenges orphaned children must face than anything else. Although it is written for young adults, it's psychologically a fairly complex story - there are mysterious events to spawn reactions in the characters, but at the core, those characters' emotions and relationships - and the tensions created and explored - are what the book is actually about. ( )