Ultraviolet

  • Interest Level: Grade 7 - Grade 12
  • Reading Level: Grade 7

“Once upon a time there was a girl who was special. This is not her story. Unless you count the part where I killed her.”

Sixteen-year-old Alison wakes up in a mental institution. As she pieces her memory back together, she realizes she’s confessed to murdering Tori Beaugrand, the most perfect girl at school. But the case is a mystery. Tori’s body has not been found, and Alison can’t explain what happened. One minute she was fighting with Tori. The next moment Tori disintegrated—into nothing.

But that’s impossible. No one is capable of making someone vanish. Right? Alison must be losing her mind—like her mother always feared she would.

For years Alison has tried to keep her weird sensory abilities a secret. No one ever understood—until a mysterious visiting scientist takes an interest in Alison’s case. Suddenly, Alison discovers that the world is wrong about her—and that she’s capable of far more than anyone else would believe.

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Interest Level Grade 7 - Grade 12
Reading Level Grade 7
Genre Young Adult
Copyright 2011
Publisher Lerner Publishing Group
Imprint Carolrhoda Lab ®
Language English
Number of Pages 312
Publication Date 2013-01-01
Reading Counts! Level 6.2
Text Type Fiction—Mystery
BISACS YAF045000, YAF058060, YAF011000
Dewey [Fic]
Dimensions 5 x 7.5
Lexile 900
ATOS Reading Level 6.0
Accelerated Reader® Quiz 145210
Accelerated Reader® Points 13.0
Features Author/Illustrator biography, Awards, Reviewed, and Starred Reviews

Author: R. J. Anderson

R. J. Anderson isn't trying to hide that she's female, she just thinks initials look more writerly. According to her mother she started reading at the age of two; all she knows is that she can't remember a single moment of her life when she wasn't obsessed with stories. She grew up reading C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, watching Doctor Who from behind the sofa, and hanging out in her brothers' comic book shop. Now she writes novels about knife-wielding faeries, weird science, and the numinous in the modern world. Quicksilver, her latest novel, also has soldering and pancakes.

Awards

  • Andre Norton Award for Young Adult Science Fiction and Fantasy Nominee, Nominated, 2012

Reviews

The Horn Book Guide

“Part psychological thriller and part paranormal mystery, Alison’s compelling story will draw readers in as it challenges them to question their perceptions of reality.” —The Horn Book Guide

Booklist

“This is a unique insight into the life of someone with synesthesia, and the look at life inside a mental hospital is a natural grabber for teens.” —Booklist

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

“The realism here is very real indeed, and the plot turn to sci-fi will either delight or distract readers, according to their tastes. Everyone, though will stay on track with her bittersweet romance with Faraday and its promise that true love can break barriers and transcend even intergalactic dimensions.” —The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

VOYA

“Anderson uses stunning sensory details to bring Alison’s condition to life. The reader can understand what it is like to taste numbers and feel syllables through the beautifully written descriptions. Unlike any other paranormal story, Ultraviolet is a multilayered roller-coaster ride that looks at a dysfunctional family and backstabbing friends, as well as the strange world beyond. The author plays around with genre bending as she takes a murder mystery and twists it into a sci-fi thriller that feels a little like A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle. High school teens looking for an original, suspenseful read will enjoy this book. It is a great fit for any young adult collection.” —VOYA

Kirkus Reviews

“Anderson, a Canadian author of fantasy, is an assured storyteller with a knack for creating memorable characters. The barren, northern Ontario setting—where NASA astronauts once trained for moon landings—slyly accents a twisty plot refreshingly free of YA cliché.” —starred, Kirkus Reviews

Publishers Weekly

“Anderson blends paranormal, science fiction, and scientific elements in an intriguing story about a teenager who is convinced that she’s crazy—and a murderer—though reality is even more unpredictable.” —Publishers Weekly

School Library Journal

“A first-rate read.” —School Library Journal