I Was a Teenage Death God

A teen born with a lethal power struggles to live a fulfilling life in debut author Beasi’s action-packed romantic dramedy. Nonbinary 17-year-old Charlie Ford knows more about death than most teens: they can siphon away seconds of a person’s lifespan with a single touch. To keep the people around them safe, including their fraternal twin Sam and transgender best friend Ravi, Charlie keeps their distance and avoids social gatherings. Only Lou, a snarky teen ghost who feeds on the stolen time, knows their secret. When interference from Lou derails Ravi’s attempt to confess his romantic feelings for Charlie, subsequently revealing Lou’s existence, Sam and Ravi refuse to allow Charlie to shut them out. The pair instead join Charlie on a mission to uncover the origins of their deadly gift and stop Lou’s haunting for good. The trio’s search leads them on a road trip from Massachusetts to New York, along which they uncover hidden family legacies and encounter eerie twins with similar powers. Titillating romantic tension between Charlie and Ravi further complicates the group’s perilous journey. Charlie’s first-person narration highlights the protagonist’s emotionally vulnerable and intense persona, while motifs of seeking—and accepting—support freely given imbue this supernatural adventure with tenderness. Charlie and Sam are white; Ravi has brown skin. Ages 14–up. Agent: Lee O’Brien, Looking Glass Literary. (Mar.)