Day’s YA: LUCY KLINE, NECROMANCER

LUCY KLINE, NECROMANCER by Tom O’Donnell
9781250353122
9/22/2026
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Imagine hearing a “tap, tap, tap” on your window in the middle of the night. You approach, heart racing, only to find your dead twin sister pleading for help while a shadowy figure closes in, chanting in Latin. I don’t know about you, but I would be freaking out!

Ghosts are officially haunting Lucy Kline. Two years ago, her twin sister, Louisa, disappeared and was declared dead. Now, a local girl who happens to be their doppelgänger has also vanished. To make matters worse, the man who originally confessed to Louisa’s murder has rescinded his statement, claiming he was tricked by a man he can’t remember. Though the man’s face is a blank in his memory, the smell of death still haunts him.

Lucy, not so lovingly dubbed the local “kid detective,” is on the case. With the police failing to find her sister’s killer, her parents lost in grief, and her grades already down the drain, she has nothing left to lose by taking matters into her own hands. As the hauntings grow more violent, Lucy must master Latin and the dark art of necromancy to survive. She can’t do it alone, though. Her ragtag team includes her eighteen-year-old neighbor Howie, the “adult supervision” (and the wheels) necessary for a prison visit, Peter, an eighty-year-old retired professor of medieval studies, and Chuck—Louisa’s former boyfriend and the prime suspect in both disappearances.

I loved getting absorbed in this story! As a Nancy Drew fan, I appreciated the nods to classic tropes, but it was the dark, paranormal twist that truly hooked me. Rather than just focusing on the ‘raising the dead’ aspect of necromancy, the plot dives into the history and religious lore of the craft. Yet, for all its darkness, the book is packed with high school humor and a sense of heart that reminds me of Max from Stranger Things. This book has that perfect blend of teenage sarcasm and raw bravery when facing the paranormal.

From unexpected friendships, to the rich mystery and clues dropped along the way, there is much to love—and plenty to be creeped out by—in these pages. Your adrenaline will be pumping, but take my advice: even with your newfound knowledge of necromancy, don’t go waking the dead!

Happy reading!
<3 Hallie

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