Hiroshima Dreams

By Kelly Easton

“Hiroshima Dreams” begins in the spring of 1996, when Lin is 5 years old. Her grandmother, whom she calls Obaasan, is moving from Japan to live with Lin’s family.

Obaasan and Lin share a special gift of second sight. Obaasan becomes Lin’s constant companion and mentor and teaches her how to use the ability through meditation on riddle-like stories.

As Lin grows up, her second sight allows her to help the police save a missing boy, warn her sister about a boy who means her harm and see glimpses of Obaasan’s past and experiences at the bombing of Hiroshima.

Easton does a wonderful job writing this book. It is gentle and touching as it kindly and truthfully reveals Lin’s path to adulthood and Obaasan’s experiences at the end of World War II.

While Lin and Obaasan’s abilities are important to the plot of the story, this book is more about Lin growing up and her relationship with her grandmother than about her gift. Lin begins the book as a painfully shy child and through her relationship with Obaasan gains the confidence to make friends and come out of her shell.

This is a good read for teens and adults looking for a heartwarming story filled with glimpses of Japanese culture and intergenerational relationships.

The Road of the Dead

By Kevin Brooks

Set in Britain, “The Road of the Dead” is the story of Reuben (Rube) and his brother Cole on a journey to solve the mystery of their sister’s murder.

Rube doesn’t necessarily have second sight, but he has the ability to cast out and experience the feelings and innermost thoughts of those who are close to him. When his sister Rachel is murdered, he is right there with her — seeing what she sees and feeling what she feels — even though his body is miles away.

The police have leads that they are pursuing, but Cole isn’t satisfied with their efforts, so he decides to investigate for himself. Rube, though not invited, goes with Cole at their mother’s request. Together, Rube and Cole travel to a small town full of secrets, fear and violence.

To solve the mystery of Rachel’s murder, they must fight for every piece of the puzzle and endure brutal treatment by almost everyone they encounter.

The creepy factor of “The Road of the Dead” and Brooks’ simple writing is pretty high. The story is told from Rube’s perspective, which allows readers access to the true feelings and motivations of the other characters.