The main character in this book is Carmen Zappacosta...or is it MERCY? She's not sure at first, as she only has remnants of her memory. The only things Mercy knows for sure are that this is NOT her body and it's not the first time she's inhabited another a body that wasn't hers. That and Luc. She dreams about Luc and he feeds her bits of information but seems unable (or unwilling?) to really help Mercy. As Mercy struggles to figure out Carmen's life, she is drawn into the mystery of the lost girl whose room she is staying in while Carmen, a choir singer, visits another town for two weeks for a special inter-school concert. Mercy is pretty dismissive of most of the teen drama going on in the school but she can't seem to dismiss Ryan, the missing girl's twin brother, who is certain his sister is still alive. She's not sure why, but Mercy wants to help Ryan and not just for the way she feels about him: their investigation into his sister's disappearance seems to provoke the Powers That Be, the very ones that know Mercy's true identity and are the only ones who can get her out of the scary situation she finds herself in. MERCY was a great (and fast!) read. The whole book covers only a week. I'm not sure I really felt chemistry between Ryan and Mercy, but the author's descriptions of feelings and visuals in this unusual situation of a borrowed body are fantastic. I especially liked her description of the being that visits Mercy towards the end as well as Mercy's reaction to the big mystery reveal. Awesome at it's best! I can't wait for the sequel! And just as a side note, I spoke several times with the author via GoodReads and she was instrumental in making sure I got a copy of Mercy as well as kind and gracious. Thank you, Ms. Lim.

Book Summary

Ages 12 and up

Mercy in an exile from heaven with shattered memories of who she used to be. She's doomed to "wake" repeatedly on earth in a new body, each time assuming a new life. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by her lost love, who pleads with her to find him.

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen-year-old reeling from the loss of his twin sister, Lauren, who was kidnapped two years ago. Only Mercy and Ryan believe his sister is still alive. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose: she can help. So she doesn't understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the mystery of Lauren's disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.

Will Mercy be able to harness her extraordinary power in time?