The Moment Collector

Set on one of the Great Lakes, this mystery romance is the second of Anderson's books to be published in the UK. Maggie's impoverished family moves from Chicago to an old house miles from anywhere, and she becomes close friends with next-door neighbours Pauline and Liam, who are unofficially a pair. Frightened by murders in the area, Pauline is sent to stay with an aunt, and Maggie and Liam's relationship changes. When Pauline returns things change again.

A spasmodic ghostly commentary intersperses the action, but the real interest lies in the subtly changing relationships between the teenagers. Anderson's poetic descriptions of the lakes, their weather and their wildlife underpins her narrative to provide an unusual, intuitive and thought-provoking YA novel.