This debut ghostly romance, set at a sinister boarding school, is “spooky, sexy, strange, and shocking,” says Printz and National Book Award finalist E. Lockhart.
When Liv Bloom lands an art scholarship at Wickham Hall, she’s thrilled. The school’s traditions and rituals may be a little strange, but for the first time ever she has her own studio, supplies—everything she could want. Including Malcolm Astor, a legacy student with his own art obsession. Liv’s defenses melt, despite warnings from fellow scholarship kid Gabe Nichols not to get involved with Malcom.
But her bliss is doomed; weeks after arriving, Liv is viciously murdered. Gabe, the only one who can see her, is now her sole link to the world of the living. Together, Liv, Gabe, and Malcolm fight to expose the terrible truth that haunts the halls of Wickham.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
A paranormal murdery mystery & starcrossed romance
By Sara
Artist Liv Bloom never imagined she'd find a place at the exclusive Wickham Hall, but her promising talent earns her one of the few scholarship openings, complete with room and board, her very own stocked studio, a possibly crazy new friend, and the interest of charming legacy student, Malcolm Astor. Sure, Wickham Hall is a bit odd, with its secret societies, rumored hauntings, and snobby cliques, but its all worth it. Things couldn't possibly get better for Liv... but they could get a lot worse. When her new friend, Gabe, tells Liv that he can see the gruesome ghosts that haunt the school, she assumes he's crazy - until she ends up dead too. Liv doesn't know why Wickham Hall students are being murdered, but she's determined to find out. From beyond the grave, Liv enlists Gabe and Malcolm to help her solve the mystery before the murderer strikes again. A dark paranormal murder mystery and a tale of love that transcends death, LIV, FOREVER will bewitch readers.THIS BOOK. Oh my goodness. LIV, FOREVER is such a beautifully written, compulsively readable novel. Talkington wastes no time, immediately plunging the reader into the drama and sinister mystery of Wickham Hall. I was briefly worried that Liv and Malcolm would undergo the dreaded insta-love treatment, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that Talkington handled their whirlwind romance with skill. I found myself falling for Malcolm early in the novel, which made Liv falling for him almost inevitable. Their romance is almost sweet, but it has an edge and intensity that's really satisfying.Despite the fact that I have no artistic talent, I really love art, so was delighted to discover that, throughout the book, Liv often references specific works of art. Each piece of art fits like a puzzle piece into the story, adding unique depth and an unexpected, almost emotional weight. I was familiar with much of the art mentioned, but readers can find images of all the art referenced in the book on the author's website!
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Enjoyable YA romance/ghost story
By QueenKatieMae
The first few chapters of this debut YA novel introduces the reader to Liv Bloom: foster care system child, talented artist, new scholar to the elite Wickham Hall, and obnoxiously pretentious. As she takes in her new surroundings at Wickham Hall, everything reminds her of works by no less than two different artists. By page 5 she is comparing the New Hampshire license plate motto, Live Free Or Die, to Modigliani's pregnant suicidal muse.I wanted to toss the book. But, patience is a virtue and mine was rewarded in the end.Using the familiar new kid at elite high school format, Liv stands out because she is different (poor), rebellious (dresses differently), and instead of coming from the privileged, aristocratic family lines that populate Wickham, she is a scholarship student, a Scollie. Wickies are known for their money, their success, school traditions and their apparent teacher-approved hazing of the Scollies. Liv's first day is humiliating.Attending her first dinner at Wickham, Liv is mortified at how much she stands out from the other students. Sitting next to the sullen lonely guy in the corner, Liv meets Gabe, also a Scollie and now a partner in misery. But, it is the student body president, the rich and gorgeous Malcolm, who catches her eye and asks her to share the first dance with him.This is all pretty straightforward, boilerplate YA storytelling until the night Liv goes to meet the equally smitten Malcolm in the forest. Everything changes. The story becomes a mystery/ghost story with a teenage twist. Liv, while still dropping artists' names and their masterpieces with her every thought, becomes more appealing. Her separate relationships with Gabe and Malcolm evolves into a three-part alliance; each member, especially Gabe and Malcolm, must sacrifice their previously conceived notions concerning each other to make this relationship work. They need to find out who killed Liv.Without giving away some of the better parts of the story, I can say I loved how the three teens were forced to communicate with one another. How do you hold a conversation with someone you can't see? There are rules, similar to those at Wickham Hall that regulate ghost hood. And, Liv is not the only ghost.Some aspects of the story are silly, but the book itself is engaging and the teens are compelling. And, I learned more artist's names than I thought possible in a YA novel.Recommended.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful.A fun and moving ghost story
By DJLA531
Even though our main character Liv is murdered halfway in, LIV, FOREVER turns out to be quite a fun and moving novel.Liv is a new “scolly” (scholarship) student at the prestigious Wickham Hall, admitted due to her promising art portfolio. Though most of the students ignore her, Liv becomes friends with Gabe, a fellow “scolly” who claims that ghosts are talking to him (and the reader knows he’s right thanks to the passages where the ghosts – all female “scollys” – tell us how they died in gruesome ways).Liv also catches the eye of Malcolm, a legacy student who is a member of the creepy Wickham secret society. Though their relationship is an egregious case of instalove, I can forgive it because it’s delightfully swoony. For example, Malcolm leads Liv on a campus tour complete with a playlist to go along with the various locations, beginning with Bright Eyes’ “First Day of My Life”. Also, they use each other’s bodies as art canvases. So what if Malcolm is unrealistically perfect? This is a paranormal ghost story, guys.When Liv dies, Gabe has to convince Malcolm to help him solve the mystery of Liv’s murder, a murder they suspect is connected to his secret society and to all the other ghosts. Hijinks ensue.Author Talkington uses Liv’s artistic training to great effect to shape her voice. Metaphors including art references abound, and while those readers with less knowledge of art might find their inclusion pretentious, it really helped me to connect to Liv. For example, Liv describes Malcolm’s eyes as “Yves Klein blue” and that gave me an instant mental picture. Or this passage when Liv talks about her feelings for Malcolm:I was dying inside. Brain exploding like a Pollock. Heart melting like one of Dalí’s clocks.What an original way to describe an intense crush. I love it! And I loved this book. I might have even been misty-eyed by the end.
