Wistful YA~ HAUNTED by Susan Oloier

Wistful YA is my reoccurring spotlight, giving young adult literature center stage.
Today, I have a contemporary story by the ever talented and sweet Susan Oloier. 

HAUNTED by Susan Oloier Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon | Genre: Contemporary Release Date: December 17, 2013 Format: eBook
Favorite Line/Passage: (Haliey's POV, thinking about Eli.) There's a play of energy between us in the spaces of the silence. A magnetic pull--chemistry even--in the moment. I feel powerless to control the feelings that surge and spew because of a simple look. For some unexplained reason, I'm lost and clambering in the irresistibility of his stare despite the fact I know it's wrong, that things can and never will be anything between us. There's so much guilt as I comb over the nuances of his face--things I didn't notice before like the freckles on his nose or the birthmark along his cheekbone. It's wrong. A huge semaphore to stop, so I nip it.
I'd like to thank the author for supplying me with an eARC of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. 
Description: Seventeen-year-old Hailey Steele killed her boyfriend in a car wreck, which fills her with guilt and self-loathing. So when Eli Carter enters her life, Hailey persistently denies her attraction and developing feelings for him. It’s wrong to like someone else when your boyfriend is dead. It’s easier to cope in other ways, like changing schools and using alcohol.
Meanwhile, Jeremy McClure—not realizing he’s dead—waits in the cemetery for his girlfriend to arrive. He’s certain they agreed to meet. Why else would he be here? The last time Jeremy saw Hailey, they were cruising home on a dark and rain-slicked road after an underage party. What he doesn’t expect is an encounter with someone else.

Eli Carter has a jaded past. His junior year was full of skeletons, and his closet thrown wide open for the entire high school to see. But he manned up, and still got burned. With new girl Hailey, Eli has the chance for a fresh start, someone who knows nothing about his past. That is, if she’ll ever give him the time of day.

Told in alternating points of view, Haunted is the story of three teens whose lives cross after one fateful night, proving that one night changes everything.

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY +1

My Splats: a journey through pain, confusion, regret, and ultimately healing of three damaged souls battling personal demons in search of closure and peace.

There was hesitation teasing amid the opening pages, a vibe that hinted something was off. My curiosity grew immediately, so I continued reading. As I did, I discovered the story was written from three separate point-of-views, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was done well both structurally and to move the story along.

I was able to meet each main character more intimately. It gave the emotional challenges of young death, survivor's guilt, abortion, and betrayal a personal face for me to see as I read. 

Take Eli. His selfless attitude about his mentally challenged twelve-year-old brother was utterly refreshing. Despite the skeletons in his closet that he was dealing with, he made time for his brother and his mother. Then there was Jeremy. Seeing his world from his eyes drew me closer to him. And yes, conjured a few tears.

But the tears really flowed for Hailey. Her shock and struggle of 'new' self acceptance was heartbreaking. I could see why she didn't feel worthy of forgiveness or why she didn't want to move forward. Jeremy's acceptance that he could never be with her again was just as tear-jerking, yet beautiful all the same.

The writing flowed with an emotional edge that did the story justice. An elegance to the prose that added just the right amount of emotional elevation at the right time. By story's end, I truly felt like I knew each character. I love that.

I truly hope you check out this book. I began reading it one day. A few days later, I picked it up again at bedtime, thinking I'd read a few chapters and then go to sleep. Nope. I read the last 3/4 of the book before I finally passed out at 3:30AM. It was one of those stories I just had to finish that night. Or in this case, morning. 

What's the last contemporary tear-jerker you've read?