If We Never End

In her first speculative novel, Namey (With Love, Echo Park) delivers a rejuvenating romantic drama with a gasp-inducing twist. Left alone by her Cuba-born parents, who work aboard a luxury yacht, 18-year-old southern California native Sylvie Castellano resigns herself to spending the summer in the “mystical hotspot” of Sacred, Ore., with her beloved tía Vivian while managing post-concussion syndrome following a cheerleading fall. In Sacred, Sylvie snags a broken, bargain-priced designer watch in an antique shop, believing that its resale value will finance her post-high school dream of moving away from home. But when the watch suddenly begins ticking again and summons 19-year-old Penn Gerrity, a ghost with amnesia, Sylvie postpones her entrepreneurial plans to help Penn solve the mystery of his identity, despite the risk that this added stress poses for her PCS. As reluctant friendship becomes mutual pining, though, Sylvie finds herself longing for a future—albeit an impossible one—with Penn. A delightfully ornery, scene-stealing cat balances the earnest revelations and tension that Sylvie navigates en route to self-discovery and love. While unresolved plot threads may frustrate some readers, slow-burn romance is steeped in a tantalizing mystery that gratifies and enchants. Ages 14–up. Agent: Natascha Morris, Tobias Literary. (Mar.)