I have always been a fan of Aprilynne Pike, and those of you who have read her Wings series know why. Her characters are not only real, but authentic and well rounded. And Life After Theft is no different. Although this novel is a standalone, which is very refreshing in YA today, the characters are just as great.

We follow Jeff, a high school kid who is uplifted from his hometown and thrust into a new school and a new life. But it is on his first day that everything gets turned upside down. He sees a girl lying in the middle of the floor, he tell her to move and soon finds out that no one else can see her...only him. Kimberly is dead, and is left to roam the halls of her old high school until Jeff can help her move on. But that can be hard when the ghost you are trying to help is and was a kelpto. Aprilynne Pike does a great job in this retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel. 

What I loved most about this book was the undertone, what wasn't being said on each page. Each character has a back story, and each character is not perfect, and it is within the acceptance of what you were and who you have become that there is peace. This is especially true for Kimberley. I will admit that her character is not one you want to like at the beginning of the book. She is selfish, mean and a little condescending. But it is her evolution that was great to read. 

Each character means something in this novel, and you dont see that very often, and I want to commend Aprilynne for creating a story that is both funny and tragic at the same time.