The Pretenders

Harris, Charlaine. The Pretenders. Book 1 of the Cemetery Girl Trilogy. 2014. 128p. ISBN 9780425256664.

Calexa doesn't remember who she is. That's not even her name, but rather the name of someone dead she borrowed as a temporary identity until she can discover who she really is. When she woke up battered and bloodied, finding herself in a cemetery, her first thought was that she was dead. Whomever had hurt her clearly wanted her dead, given the amount of blood and her injuries, yet Calexa managed to survive, making the cemetery her home and adopting names from the dead that lay beneath the ground. Calexa found refuge in an old crypt, and she set to avoid human contact like the plague, not knowing who out there would know her and would want to finish the job they had started.

Calexa also noticed something unusual. She can see the spirits of those who have passed on, so as she observes many burials, she learns more about this power. The cemetery grounds keeper knows she's here, and he leaves food out for her to steal. Calexa has also made a friend in an elderly woman who lives near the cemetery, and who provides her with food and some of life's necessities.

 One night, a group of teenagers trespasses in the cemetery and, after vandalizing a grave, they sacrifice one of their own, a girl unwilling to be killed to bring back her dead brother. Her departing spirit invades Calexa, who was watching the scene, and demands justice. Calexa now faces a difficult choice. Bring those responsible for the girl's murder to the police would reveal that she exists, but doing so would jeopardize her safety. Can Calexa devise a plan to reveal the dead girl and her assassins while remaining hidden?