Manifest

By Artist Arthur

When fifteen–year–old Krystal Bentley moves to Lincoln, Connecticut, her mom's hometown, she assumes her biggest drama will be adjusting to the burbs after living in New York City.

But Lincoln is nothing like Krystal imagined. The weirdness begins when Ricky Watson starts confiding in her. He's cute, funny, a good listener—and everything she'd ever want—except that he was killed nearly a year ago. Krystal's ghost–whispering talents soon lead other "freaks" to her door—Sasha, a rich girl who can literally disappear, and Jake, who moves objects with his mind. All three share a distinctive birthmark in the shape of an M and, fittingly, call themselves the Mystyx. They set out to learn what really happened to Ricky, only to realize that they aren't the only ones with mysterious powers. But if Krystal succeeds in finding out the truth about Ricky's death, will she lose him for good?

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Australia
• Release date: Sep 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781488736537

Artist Arthur

Artist C. Arthur was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where she currently resides with her husband and three children. Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, sensual love scenes, racy characters and fresh dialogue; thus keeping the readers on their toes! Artist loves to hear from her readers and can be reached through her contact form or via email at [e-mail]

Book preview

one

"I can’t hear you. I can’t hear you," I repeat, talking to myself. Maybe if I keep saying it the voice will go away. I know people driving by me probably think I’m a lunatic.

My feet are moving so fast I barely feel them touch the ground. Cool air slaps my face like it’s trying to remind me that I’m outside. It’s almost spring according to the calendar, but it still feels like the dead of winter in Lincoln. Probably because we’re so close to the water.

Whatever. I’m cold and I think it’s beginning to rain. But I don’t care. I just want to get home, inside the house, to the safety of my room. It won’t follow me there.

I can’t believe it followed me here. I ignored it in New York. You’d think it would have the good sense to stay in the city where there’s a little excitement. Why follow me here to the ends of the earth where everyone acts like they’re sleepwalking most of the time?

As I cut through the bushes at the end of the driveway, my book bag sways back and forth, threatening to slide off my shoulder as I run. If it does, my Biology book will fall out and the hastily scribbled notes I took this morning on the project that’s due at the end of the month will probably hit the ground and blow away. That might not be such a bad thing.

I hunch my shoulders, pushing the book bag back into place. My feet crush the weeds in the flower bed that Janet will likely replant in a few weeks. And I keep running.

My cheeks puff in and out as I inhale huge gulps of air to keep my heart pumping. I’m not a runner. Actually, I hate exercise of any kind and it shows. I take the front steps two at a time because I want to hurry up and get to my room.

Help me.

Damn! There it goes again.

I press the palm of my hand over my ear while I dig in my front pocket for the house key. My fingers are shaking but I finally get the door unlocked, slam it shut behind me and take the stairs in the front hall like a steroid-pumped-up Olympic sprinter.

My room is at the far end of the hall, but I swear it feels like it’s twenty miles away as I dash toward the door. Once inside, I slam the door, drop my book bag and sink to the floor struggling to breathe.

Safe. All I can think is that I’m finally safe.

Help me.

His voice echoes around the room, louder than it was before. Louder than when I was on the school bus or when I was running into the house.

It’s been a long time. I thought this creepy stuff was over. I haven’t heard voices since I was twelve years old, and I’m not sure if I really heard them then.

Who am I kidding? I heard them before and now they’re back. But I cover my ears because I want the voice to stop so badly.

I’m rocking on the floor now, pulling my knees to my chest and wrapping my arms around them, holding myself tightly. My eyes are closed. I wish I could find a way to close my ears, too.

I did it before. I quieted the voices for a long, long time. But now they’re back. Why?

I can’t hear you. I can’t see you. You are not real.

But I can hear him, that’s the freakin’ problem.

Help me, Krystal.

I can’t hear you. I can’t see you. You are not—

Did he say my name?

Please, he begs.

For some reason the sound of his voice isn’t scaring me anymore. I loosen my grip around my legs and I stop rocking. My heart still feels like it’s going to jump out of my chest and land on the floor, but for some reason I’m not scared now.

I open my eyes, not that I mean to, it just happens I guess. I look toward the window seat where all the stupid stuffed animals Janet thought would cheer me up are arrayed like a pastel-colored army.

I don’t know what I’m looking for. Whatever it is, I hope I don’t find it.

But there he is—a black boy, kind of tall and skinny. He’s wearing jeans, the baggy kind like all the guys in school wear, and a white T-shirt three sizes too big, hanging to his knees like a nightgown. His boots look new, Timberlands with the laces only halfway up, the huge tongue sticking out from the sagging denim hem of his jeans. He’s wearing a watch on one wrist and a bracelet—I think it’s silver—on the other. His hair is kind of curly on top, cut low on the sides with some lines or a design or something.

I suppose he’s kind of cute.

But he’s kind of transparent.

two

Dinner sucks.

For one, Janet, my mother, can’t cook. How do you burn boiled eggs? Janet knows how and the smell is awful. But that was a few weeks ago.

Tonight’s culinary masterpiece is spaghetti. Again, shouldn’t be too hard. Drop some pasta in water, let it boil, open up a jar of sauce and you’re done.

Not!

What’s on the plate in front of me is some soupy mess that I’m really afraid to eat. So instead I pick the cucumbers out of my salad because I don’t like them. She knows I don’t like them but she keeps right on putting them in my salad.

So, how was school today? she asks like she’s a real mom or something.

Okay, well, maybe I’m being harsh. She did give birth to me and she does make sure there’s a roof over my head and food—well, two out of three ain’t bad.

Her one fault, for which I am resigned to be pissed at her for the next ten to twenty years of my life, is that she divorced my father and moved me from New York City to this Little House on the Prairie town in Connecticut.

Bottom line, I’m just not feeling my mother right now. But that’s not what’s really bothering me. I can’t stop thinking about the boy upstairs in my room.

I was just about to ask him who he was and why he was following me around when Janet called me for dinner. I could have stalled and made up some excuse, but that just would have delayed this joyous family meal.

School was fine, I say hurriedly, because she’s looking at me like she wants to ask even more questions.

Janet is still pretty, even though she’s old. I think anyone over thirty is old. Janet is thirty-five. She had me when she was twenty, before she could graduate from college. My father is ten years older than her. She has really long, wavy, black hair and her skin isn’t as dark as mine. She’s half Cherokee.

I’m only one-quarter Cherokee because I’m mixed with her and my father and he’s just black. My hair is pretty nice; it doesn’t get all nappy when I sweat like some of my cousins’ hair. It just looks bushy and puffy like one of those puppies that I can never remember the name of.

Anyway, I don’t want to sit here at the dinner table with all these dishes and Janet on one side and an empty chair where her new husband, Gerald, usually sits on the other side.

Gerald comes home late mostly every night because he works for some international company that does business in different time zones—that’s what Janet says. I think he’s probably at work screwing his secretary or something. Or maybe he just wants to be anyplace I’m not.

When he met Janet she didn’t tell him about me right away. I don’t know why. I overheard them one time talking about which parent it would be best for me to live with. Gerald didn’t act like he wanted it to be Janet. On that one thing, he and I both agree.

There’s a spring dance coming up. We could go buy you a pretty new dress, Janet says, trying to twirl the flat, sticky spaghetti onto her fork.

I don’t want a new dress, I say adamantly, because I don’t. I don’t like dresses.

Then we could just find you a nice outfit to wear.

I’m probably not going to go.

Why?

Because I don’t know any boys? Unless you count the one waiting for me upstairs. The one I’m hesitant to call a ghost.

Because if I actually admit that’s what he is, then I might as well pack my bags and head to the loony bin.

You’ve been here for months and the school year is almost over. You haven’t made any friends?

I shrug because I don’t really think it’s a big deal. I like being alone. That way I don’t have to explain the things about me that even I don’t understand.

I don’t need friends.

She sighs. Everybody needs somebody, Krystal.

You didn’t need Daddy, I snap. I immediately regret my tone of voice and I clamp my mouth shut. The fork that was stabbing at cucumbers falls from my hand, making a clanking sound on the plate.

What happened between your father and me had nothing to do with you, she says slowly, not looking at me.

Anytime she talks about my father, which isn’t often, she doesn’t look at me. Like she can’t even face what she’s done to me.

I’m just supposed to suffer because of it, I yell, standing and pushing my chair back from the table until it falls to the floor.

Janet reaches out until her hand touches my wrist. I don’t want you to suffer, honey. I want you to be happy and healthy. But you’re not eating, you’re not socializing. You’re not talking.

I snatch my arm away. Her words are true even if I don’t want to admit it. I don’t really have an appetite anymore and I don’t talk because I have nobody to talk to. But that’s not my fault. A year ago I had all that. I could eat half a large pepperoni pizza with extra cheese all by myself. I had friends from school, or at least people I socialized with—even if only on a limited basis. But I had them. Now I’m alone.

I don’t need anybody.

Janet stands and comes closer to me. Listen, Krystal. If you want to go and see someone, a psychiatrist or—

Oh, great! That is so whack. Send me to a shrink because you don’t want to listen to me.

I’m stalking across the room now, not wanting her to touch me or say anything to me, or sense the pain this entire situation is causing in the pit of my stomach. How did she expect me to eat with that burning bubble always wrenching inside me?

It’s not that I don’t want to listen, Krys. You don’t want to talk to me.

You’re right! I say, spinning around to face her one more time. I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want to talk to anybody.

I’m running up the stairs again. It feels like déjà vu. Only this time when I close my bedroom door it’s not his voice I hear but his presence I feel.

three

It’s like somebody put a sweater around my arms. I shiver even though I didn’t realize I was cold. I’m in the house. It’s raining outside but it’s dry and warm inside. Goose bumps still prickle the bare skin on my arms.

In the pit of my stomach it feels like butterflies are dancing around. That’s strange because just a few minutes ago, downstairs with Janet, I felt that same burning in my stomach that I feel whenever I’m around her—whenever I think of her leaving my father.

I rest my forehead on the door, afraid to turn around, afraid not to.

He’s here, the boy. I know he is even though he’s not calling my name or begging me to help him.

What should I do?

I could scream and Janet would come running. But what would she see? I don’t think she can see ghosts. I didn’t think I could either.

The funny thing is I’d convinced myself I was cursed or crazy or both when I heard the voices before. The first time was when I was five. The last time I was twelve and had gone to visit my grandfather—on my father’s side—in a nursing home. I figured the voice was one of the old people asking for help or for food or the sound of someone who simply wanted a hug.

That night I swore I’d never hear another voice and for a while I thought my vow had worked.

Until today.

How long are you going to stand there?

His voice sounds so normal, like he’s just a boy from school sitting in my room talking to me.

I press my palms against the door and take a deep breath. I’m already in my room, my safe place. There is nowhere else for me to run or hide.

So, I figure I just better face it, I’m crazy.

I turn slowly and look toward the window seat. He’s sitting there, his back to the wall, one leg propped up on the seat cushion. My stuffed animal army is on the floor. Can dead people move things?

What do you want? I ask in the same monotone he uses. For some reason I don’t feel nervous, just tired. Of running or ignoring the voice, I guess.

I need your help.

I can’t help you.

You don’t even know what I need you to do.

Well, you’re dead, right? I can’t bring you back to life. I’m not that crazy.

He sighs, like I’m getting on his nerves.

I don’t want to come back, he says then stops like he’s thinking about his words. I just need some answers. I need to find out who did this to me.

Then you should go to the police or a lawyer. I don’t know, just stop stalking me.

He chuckles. Stalking or haunting?

I don’t find the situation very funny. Just go.

I can’t. Not yet. They think somebody from my crew killed me. But that’s not true.

Suddenly I’m really sleepy. I feel like I’ve been up for hours. I hear the words coming out of his mouth—unfortunately—but I’m too tired to comprehend them. I move away from the door and trudge over to my bed where I plop down and stare at the ceiling.

Who’s your crew? No, first, who are you?

My name is Ricky Watson. I used to go to Settlemans High until last year when I was shot in the alley behind the school.

I think I’ve heard the name.

Your brother is Antoine Watson?

Yeah, he’s a year younger than me. He’s in the tenth grade now. I was a junior.

Did you ask him for help?

You’re the only one who can hear me.

I was afraid of that.

I drape my arm over my forehead and close my eyes. I don’t want to see him but my eyes feel like they’re going to turn toward him on their own. So I cover them.

I don’t want to hear you, I say because it’s the truth.

That’s cool. But you can. And if you can hear me, you can help.

What if I don’t want to? What will happen then?

I won’t go where I’m supposed to.

And where’s that?

Not sure. But I know I wouldn’t still be here talking to you if there wasn’t something I needed to do.

How do you know that?

He chuckles again. I think I like the sound of his voice now.

I used to watch a lot of those shows on TV that talk about dead people not crossing over, having unfinished business and all that.

My arm slides from my eyes and I turn my head. He’s still sitting in the window seat. Ricky Watson—the dead boy. He has a dimple in his left cheek.

This is crazy. I must be crazy, I say, keeping my eyes on him. I’m lying in my room talking to a ghost.

You know, the crazy part is that I’m dead and still can’t get any peace.

I close my eyes because my lids feel really heavy. Then something happens. I feel something.

It’s warm and soft and those butterflies in my stomach dance around some more. I open my eyes slowly and Ricky isn’t in the window seat. He’s standing right next to my bed now, his hand hovering over my face.

It’s really close, Ricky’s hand. I can see the lines in the palm of his hand, the ones my grandmother used to tell me told your future. He acts like he’s brushing my hair aside, but it doesn’t really feel like it.

Go to sleep. We’ll get started tomorrow.

He’s talking to me like my father, or an older brother I guess. His hand is still moving across my body but I don’t really feel like I’m being touched.

I feel like my body is becoming warm.

I’m back again, inside the dream.

I know this place.

It’s our apartment in New York. I inhale deeply and my mouth waters so I lick my lips. Daddy’s frying chicken.

He’s from the South, my father. Calvin Jefferson Bentley. His parents were born and raised in Charleston, South Carolina. When he graduated from high school he went to college in New York, said he always wanted to live in the Big Apple. That’s where he met my mother, but that was years later since he’s ten years older than her.

All I know is he makes the best fried chicken and my stomach is growling. I feel like I haven’t eaten in months.

Twelve months to be exact.

In my dream, I open the door and leave my bedroom. It’s painted blue, my favorite color, and I love just looking at the walls and the matching curtains. But right now I don’t mind leaving so much.

There’s a short hallway then I’m in the living room. The TV is on, tuned to a sports channel. Daddy loves his sports.

I can hear the fried chicken sizzling and see trails of smoke traveling through the air. I keep moving, letting my stomach be my guide.

Just as I thought, on the stove is a deep cast-iron frying pan that looks like it will knock you out if somebody was fool enough to hit you with it. Inside the pan are a couple pieces of chicken, sitting in the hot bubbling cooking oil turning a golden-brown color.

On a plate across the counter from the stove is more chicken piled high like a pyramid. I don’t waste a minute. I hurry over, pick up a breast because I love the white meat and put it to my lips.

As I take that first bite, juice dripping down my chin, the warm, greasy, spicy taste moving around my mouth as I chew, I hear the door slam. So I turn around. I’m still carrying my piece of chicken and chewing as I enter the living room.

The TV is off now. There are suitcases by the door. I recognize the bags. They are dark blue with goldfish airport tags that I saved from our trip to Sea World a few years ago.

I swallow my bite of chicken but it sort of gets stuck in my throat as I look around the room and cough.

The big picture of Mama and Daddy the day they got married is gone. It usually sits on the sofa table in a big crystal frame. Not anymore.

Mama loves elephants. She collects them and puts them all around the apartment. They’re gone, too.

Moving like I’m in a trance, I head to my room, push open the door and drop the chicken

Reviews for Manifest

[bookratmisty · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

There was a point in Manifest that things sort of clicked for me and I saw the potential for something pretty gripping and distrubing (without giving too much away, there is a serious creep (in the real world sense) preying on the girls of Lincoln, and MC Krystal may be the next on his list. There was a dark, gritty and realistic edge to this side of the story that I didn't see coming, and it added much needed authenticity and danger. But this one almost-stellar aspect aside, Manifest fell flat for me. One of the biggest problems was the main character, Krystal. Krystal is very, very hard to like for a good chunk of the book. She's angsty in the worst way, pouty and insolent, she's kind of obtuse and frustrating, and it was sort of hard for me to root for her. This did get better as it went along, and I realize that it was an intended progression because of things that had gone on in her life, but it doesn't change the fact that I didn't want to read her; I didn't want to be in her head. Of the other bigger side characters, Ricky was cliched, contradictory and silly, Sasha is a princess who has yet to grow on me (bad sign, as she's the star of book 2), and Jake, who I liked and felt was more developed, was often brushed to the side.Another problem I had (and this was partly the result of my own expectations) was the cliched aspect of the novel, coupled with attempts to make it a more POC slant. I was looking forward to getting a new perspective, something more like a melding of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. But it never felt authentic to me. Ricky, the ghost gangbanger, wears his pants low and his Timbalands untied, and he speaks in alternating urban teen slang and well-spoken prepster -- sometimes both in one sentence, like this:"I'll admit, if circumstances were different, I might try to holla at you. But your foul attitude would probably turn me off." Really? What teen of any background talks in this weird mish-mash? And what teen says 'foul attitude', other than in a mocking way when they've just been written up for it? Overall, the way it was handled, I just felt like the author had to try to connect with an audience so she sprinkled some stuff in hoping it worked, or even worse, maybe thinking it rang true, and it didn't. For me, this was hard to get past, and I found myself rolling my eyes a lot. The same is true of the "Mystyx" powers (and the name Mystyx) -- it was sort of too grandiose and I rolled my eyes. A lot.But even though this bothered me, and I've been fairly negative so far, but truth be told, I did see potential. As I said in the beginning, there was a darker, more raw undercurrent that really could have made something of the book, and as is, saved it from completely flopping for me. I feel like Arthur has given herself room to grow over the series, and I'm curious enough, and saw potential enough, to be willing to read book 2 and see what she makes of it. I wouldn't push Manifest on anyone, but I wouldn't completely dissuade them from reading it, either. Caution, maybe, but not dissuade.In the end, I went into Manifest with hopes of a good POC take on paranormal YA, with maybe some romance. What I got was a letdown: a cliched story of a hard to like main character, with slang and skin color thrown in to mix it up. But I also caught glimpses of something better, and I'm hoping to see it expanded upon.

[bookswarm · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Poor Krystal, uprooted from NYC and dragged away from her beloved father to go live in some small Connecticut town. Then, to make matters worse, she's stuck with an annoying (but cute) dead guy who keeps hounding her to help him resolve unfinished business so he can move on. But she doesn't want to leave the comforts of her room, much less track down a killer.I liked Krystal and bits of my students in her (lots of my kids are military and move a lot and/or come from divorced homes). She's pissed off at the world, especially her mother (who left her father and won't tell Krystal why, claiming it's for grown folk to know) and stepfather (who's about had it with her attitude). She doesn't want to talk to anyone, much less make friends. And she certainly doesn't want ghosts annoying her. I found myself rooting for Krystal, hoping that she'd go out with the cute guy who kept flirting with her, that she'd help the dead guy, and that she'd tell the police or someone about the disturbing texts she was getting.Enter Jake and Sasha, two complete opposites who have the same mysterious "M" tattoo on their bodies and have unusual powers as well. They're bound and determined to make friends with Krystal, despite her protests. When they find out what Ricky wants, they convince Krystal to take action. They're both interesting characters, with decent backstories that I want to learn more about. Sasha was a bit annoying at times since she was so moody. (She may actually be bipolar since she could be manic one day then depressed the next but it never said for sure.) But they were great catalysts for Krystal, forcing her out of her room-cave and into the world.There were just a couple things that didn't quite work for me. One, there was a lot of slang sprinkled throughout the book which were jarring at times; they didn't always go with the flow of the dialogue. Two, the class differences and the cliques seemed cliche, way overly-dramatic. But I don't know, that may be the way things are in Connecticut. Overall, it was a well-constructed story, with lots of flavor and twists (the black fog that appeared was strangely reminiscent of the black demon fog in Supernatural). I appreciated the fact that, though this is the first book in a series, there was a full story arc which included an ending. No cliffhanger, just a few loose ends. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Oh, and check out the cover--no white-washing!! Yahoo!

[marielovesbooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I had trouble with what I wanted to rate this. To be completely honest, I hated the first part of this book. I guess what turned me off was Ricky, who I dubbed "the ghetto ghost" because that's what he is! A ghetto ghost! I read books to get away, and reading about Ricky wasn't getting away, it was more like what I see everyday. The way he talked, the way he dressed and it just, turned me off. But I did really like the rest of the book, it kept my attention and made me want to keep reading until I found out what happened. Who killed Ricky? Who killed his girlfriend? And most importantly, why?The book opens when Krystal running away from the voices in her head, I have to say, this is gripping. Krystal annoyed me in the beginning, everything Ricky said about her was right. She's a spoiled brat who has everything she could want but still hates everyone. Her attitude annoyed me, how she thought she was always right (when she wasn't) annoyed me, how she didn't want to help Ricky but was so clingy about him annoyed me. But once she gave in and decided to help, she wasn't as annoying anymore. I did feel bad for her, when truth's started to spill, when you find out the real reasons to things. You're left just as shocked and hurt as she is. Even though Krystal annoyed me, I could easily relate to her, cause I was a spoiled brat once upon a time too, I get why she was, if I was pulled away from the person I loved the most, I would be too.I enjoyed reading about all the other characters in this book, especially Sasha and Jake. I can't wait to read more about them in the rest of the books in the series. I thought Franklin was an adorable character and I liked the way he flirted with Krystal. And I admit, I did love Ricky's humor. He kept it real with Krystal and told her when she was acting out of line and to get a hold of herself. I think Ricky was exactly what Krystal needed at that point of her life.I hope that there will be more of an explanation on what the M really means, where it came from and what it stands for. Overall, I did enjoy reading this book and I look forward to the following ones in the series.

[mybookaffair · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't sure at first if I was going to like Krystal, she started off pretty "woe is me". Granted, she is really upset with her mother for leaving her father and not giving Krystal a reason. She has been moved to a new city and school and really doesn't have a clue as to why. Her mother has remarried and has expected Krystal to just go with the flow. I would be a little pouty and mad too. I think out of all of the characters though, my absolute favorite was Jake. I'm really hoping that in the next book he is focused on a lot more. There was just something about him that really drew me to his character. There is definitely more to learn about Sasha and whats going on with her as well. I really enjoy a book with powerful characters and these characters have powers for sure. This story flows along really well and is sometimes really hard to put down. I'm looking forward to reading more about the Mystyx. Definitely a book worth adding to your to be read list.

[mjmbecky · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Manifest is an interesting blend of the new and popular mystery and paranormal story that so many readers have come to crave. In this particular story, the paranormal element comes in the form of a group of teens who find they have matching "tattoos" or marks in the shape of the letter "M." Krystal's power seems to be the ability to speak to the dead, and although this might be cool in most cases, when you're a teen dealing with moving to a new school and the break up of your parent's marriage, it's all a bit much for her. Although I'm not a teen, I have to admit that I would never want this particular power, as speaking to the dead is a bit creepy in my book, and hard to not get a little shiver when thinking about it!The book starts off pretty slow, feeling more like journal entries chronicling Krystal's days at school, at home, and at the time she meets her first "dead" person. By about the mid point in the book, the action picked up, and the mystery behind the death of the dead kid "Ricky" starts to unfold. I appreciated that the clues dropped throughout the book actually matched with the way it turned out. In some cases, readers might find this annoying, as they guess the ending; however, I am just the opposite. I'm not a huge mystery fan for the fact that most writers "break the rules" (so to say) of the plot, and trip you up to shock you. In the case of Manifest, we learn what happens right along with Krystal, and we realize who has committed the crimes as she does. Honestly, I like figuring things out, so thanks to the author for creating a solid plot that followed through!For young adults looking for a quick mystery, with a little bit of magic and romance mixed in, this is a great fit. As it seems we don't have enough characters of color who take the lead role, who aren't merely talking about cultural angst, I also thought this was a great mainstream novel for all readers to enjoy. The storytelling can feel a bit like journal entries at times, but has a cohesive story, and interesting teenage characters.

[khager_9 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Krystal is not at all happy--her parents split up and her mom remarried a guy that she doesn't really get along with. AND they now live in her mom's hometown in Connecticut instead of in New York, where Krystal grew up. As an added bonus, she's getting visits from a ghost.When she sees two other teens that have the same birthmark she does (it's in the shape of an M) and learns that they have weird powers, too, things only get weirder.You know how there are young adult novels that transcend the YA thing and can be loved by people regardless of age (like, say, Hunger Games)? This wasn't one of those for me. Krystal seemed really immature and whiny, and she kept forgetting that she was the only one who could see the ghost/s.I did read the entire book and the last few chapters were a very compelling read, and the sequel sounds like it'll be amazing. But the book was almost 350 pages and a lot of that was just sort of filler for me. Again, though, I think actual young adults will probably like this book more than I did. :)

[elizajane_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Reason for Reading: The sounds of a Paranormal YA Ghost Whisperer with an added twist plot was enough to make me want to read it.This is a book that I enjoyed more the further I got into it. I find that while I'm reading I often rate a book as I go along. This was a two at the beginning, a solid three by the middle and pushing a four and a half by the end so to sum it all off I've gone with an overall four. Krystal can see dead people, hear them, have conversations with them and now they are asking her for help. Ricky Watson, a very cute boy, for a ghost, wants Krystal to find out who killed him and he won't stop pestering her until she agrees to help him. Two other kids at school are trying to corner Krystal into meeting them somewhere secret when they find out Krystal has the mysterious 'M' birthmark that both of them also have. This may all be very exciting to some but not Krystal as she is in the middle of glooming over her parents divorce, her mother's moving her from NYC to hicktown Connecticut and her subsequent marriage to Gerald who seems to hate Krystal almost as much as she hates him.When I first started reading I really did not like the character of Krystal. She was full of angst, self-importance, rude to her mother and everyone else for that matter, whiny and basically a grating narrative voice to have to read. Krystal's attitude remains the same for a good part of the book but fortunately the plot was exciting enough to keep me reading. There is a mystery to solve and the three teens set out to solve who killed Ricky; popular belief is that the crew he hung with had something to do with it but Ricky wants their names cleared and the real killer found. The story becomes more involved when Krystal meets another ghost in the boiler room, a crying girl who has had her head bashed in and thinks there may be a connection to Ricky's death.The plot was a fun read and I ended up reading the book in an afternoon. Little bits of information are leaked as the book progresses though I knew who the culprit was early on. This plot line is closed by the end of the book. In amongst the solving of the mystery, is a plot line where the teens found out about their birthmarks and powers, this, again, is an intriguing story arc and one that will continue through the series. They learn enough in this volume but there are many more questions to ask and so much more to know. The dynamics of the group of three who are from very different backgrounds is also explored and grows.Krystal's home life is an ongoing issue through the book and it just plain annoyed me. I'm not cold-hearted. I appreciate the drama of the situation, but it is one of those things where if everybody had just told the truth at the beginning there would not have been all this hatred and misery for so long. Toward the end there is some kind of resolution, and Krystal seems to lose her angst and bad attitude but we'll have to wait until book two to find out for sure. Because Krystal aside I really liked all the other characters, especially Sasha and I'm quite excited to find out what the next book will bring.

[yaaddict · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

MANIFEST is a coming of age story inside a paranormal tale. In the beginning, Krystal is cranky and unhappy with her situation. She can't stand her stepfather, and she is angry at her mom for leaving her dad and uprooting her from her home in NYC. She doesn't have any friends in her new town, because it's easier for her to just keep to herself. But those are not her biggest problems. Krystal can see ghosts, and one ghosts in particular has been following her, asking for her help. Krystal was a little hard to like in the beginning. She is an angsty teen, and sometimes I just wanted to tell her to get over it already. She also took forever to except the fact that she should help Ricky. Ricky was the opposite of Krystal, funny and optimistic. So he kept the first few pages flipping for me. But once Krystal accepted the fact that she needs to help Ricky and teams up with Jake and Sasha, I started to like and enjoy her character. The story was really good from that point.I enjoyed trying to figure out who Ricky's killer was; it wasn't who I thought it was. But the best part for me was finding out story behind Krystal, Jake and Sasha's powers. Superpowers are just cool and always fun to read about. But their is a lot of mystery behind the Mystyx powers. I love Greek mythology, so I was excited to see that thrown into the mix. I am eager to find out if the kid's theory is right about where their powers came from. Jake and Sasha were great characters, and I really enjoyed their personalities. The ending is a big cliffhanger that left needing to know what is going to happen next. MANIFEST is a nice start to a series with lots of potential. I am excited to see what's in store next for Krystal and the other "Mystyx" kids. I am looking forward to the next book, because I have a feeling it's going to be really good!

[peaceloveandpat_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Krystal moved to Lincoln as soon as her parents got divorced. She can hear and see ghost. I understand how freak out she is, it is only natural that you don't want to do anything at first. I can only imagine the horrors of seeing one knowing that they are asking for your help. After much convincing from a ghost named Ricky and two other teenagers at her school, who possess other abilities. Jake has inhuman strength and Sasha can teleport.I honestly wanted to smack Krystal for a good half of this book. Sure, she's still adjusting on her new life not only in school but also at home. She hates her stepfather and resents her mother for leaving her father. And then there's this ghost named Ricky, who asked for her help. But I didn't like her attitude because she's rude, overwrought and quite frankly a bit bitchy but all that changed when she did decide to help Ricky and befriend and team up with Sasha and Jake.There is a brief explanation or assumption, depending on how you look at it, on where they got their power and what the M birthmark which all three of them have, stands for. That got me, anything that has a greek mythology concept always captures my attention. So I hope they are right. I was left anticipating the real deal. And what is this black fog that Krystal keeps on seeing? I bet demon's breath (hehe. too much Supernatural). I enjoyed reading it, the twist on who was preying on teenage girls who also killed Ricky was very realistic (well... except the very last part). I am very much interested on what's going to happen next.

[nanajlove_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Engaging and delightful tale of supernatural discovery. Krystal is united with two unlikely friends in her new town in Conneticut, by of all things, birthmarks which appear to have supernatural origins. Krystal's once 'buried' abilities to communicate with the dead have reappeared and she is actively being sought to solve the murder and mysterious deaths of students at her highscool. Krystal and her new friends are drawn into a dangerous fight with evil manifesting on multiple planes of existence.Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the NetGalley Early Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." 

[galleysmith · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

In concept Manifest is a great story. A group of high schoolers with different mystical abilities come together in Connecticut to investigate a series of local killings. Unfortunately, for me, the story took too long to get to the real action that once we arrived I didn’t much care. I just kinda wanted to be done with the book.The foundation on which Krystal was built was the divorce of her parents, and while Arthur created a fabulously realistic portrayal of how that affected this fifteen year old, overall it couldn’t save the character. Outside of the overwhelming resentment Krystal had for her mother and step-father, as well as the undying affection she had for her father, she came off as whiny everywhere else. I was hoping at some point she would show more strength, and I guess in the end of the story she did, but sadly it was so are later that I was again left uncaring.I honestly felt like the supporting characters of Sasha and Jake were far more interesting and dynamic. We saw much less of them but perhaps in this case the mystery and desire for more information was more enticing for me. Ricky also had an enjoyable personality but since we know going in that he’s not a long term character it wasn’t worth investing all that much time in him.Knowing the above, there were few surprises when it came to the relationship between Krystal and Ricky. I admit, I was sad that there wasn’t more romance in this book, I was certainly anticipating it. I mean, there was some don’t get me wrong, but nothing in the grand sweeping “I need these two to end up together” way. I didn’t really feel a true connection between Krystal and the boy she ended up dating. I can’t decide if it was only because I didn’t see a real spark from the start or if it was such a small part of the overall story and the lack of focus kept me from it. Either way, it seemed a bit out of place since it didn’t really further the story at all.Another area that I thought Arthur nailed was the high school life. Her descriptions of the different cliques, the social hierarchy, and the way a new girl would navigate it all was spot on. The way Krystal was written to handle all of the burgeoning changes in her life felt natural and slightly disconcerting. It was as I would expect of any situation where a child was removed from everything she knew and loved and dropped into another circumstance entirely.In the end, the few elements of Manifest I did like were not enough to overcome the ambivalence I felt overall. I’ll say the book wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great for me. As I’ve mentioned before, this story….the concept of this story, has a great deal of promise. It’s unfortunate that this first book didn’t make me invest enough to feel compelled to press on to the second.

[kariannalysis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Teenage years are rough, and for Krystal, she’s at the bottom of the barrel. Her mom walked out on her dad and took her to Lincoln, Connecticut. Quite a difference when you compare it to her former home, NYC. But Lincoln isn’t exactly what she’d thought it’d be. She starts seeing dead people who want her help in crossing over and she makes a couple of friends who have the same birthmark that she does, an M. They also have some special powers. Now they have to find out why they have these powers, how they work and help catch Ricky’s killer before someone else dies.Although I wanted to smack Krystal for being so darn hateful, I ended up really liking this book. As with most YA books, there is major growth for Krystal. She finds out why her mom really left her dad, regains a relationship with her and finally mans up with her powers and quits putting them in the back of her mind.I will definitely keep an eye out for more books in this series. Manifest kept me reading and and kept me guessing as to who the killer was. I had absolutely no idea. Who doesn’t love being stumped?I give Manifest 4 bookmarks.

[c5ibarra · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

rystal’s parents have divorced, and her mom moved her to a small town in Connecticut while her dad remains in the city. She also remarried a guy that Krystal doesn’t really like. As if that isn’t enough she has a dead guy following her around. His name is Ricky, and he needs her help solving his murder. Seeing dead people isn’t a new thing for Krystal, but usually she is able to ignore them. Ricky’s persistence makes that impossible. During the course of the book she teams up with two other kids from her high school who just happen to share a unique birthmark Krystal sports on her neck. They will need to use their special powers to help solve the mysteries lurking in Lincoln High.I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the racial diversity that it offered. I also think the idea was a good one, but the plot’s execution could have been smoother. I had trouble wrapping my head around all the deaths that took place in this small town, and why no one seemed to talk about it. I know so much world building must go into the first book of a new series, and squeezing it all into just a little over 250 pages has to be a laborious task. I’ll still give the next book a chance because I liked the characters, and am intrigued by the connection they share. I look forward to getting to know the other Mystyx and Krystal better in the next book of this new series. I’m also interested in seeing how things progress between Krystal and her parents. There was quite a bit of tension, and intense revelations when it came to why their marriage ended. I feel this series has potential. Fans of books with paranormal themes especially involving ghosts will enjoy this one.