Absent

Absent tells the story of Paige, a seventeen-year-old who dies in a fall and finds herself a ghost tethered to her high school. The narrative quickly turns into a mystery as Paige learns of rumors suggesting her death was a suicide, which she desperately wants to disprove. Discovering a unique ability to possess living students when they think of her, Paige uses this power to manipulate social dynamics and investigate the circumstances of her death. This young adult novel delves into themes of grief, identity, social pressure, and the pursuit of truth, set against a backdrop of high school life that includes references to drug use. It's a poignant and suspenseful read for mature teens.

When seventeen-year-old Paige dies in a freak fall from the roof during Physics class, her spirit is bound to the grounds of her high school. At least she has company: her fellow ghosts Evan and Brooke, who also died there. But when Paige hears the rumor that her death wasn't an accident—that she supposedly jumped on purpose—she can't bear it. Then Paige discovers something amazing. She can possess living people when they think of her, and she can make them do almost anything. Maybe, just maybe, she can get to the most popular girl in school and stop the rumors once and for all.