Ésta es la historia de Sarah, una mujer de treinta y nueve años que pierde a su marido en las aguas de un río cercano a una pequeña ciudad, en Estados Unidos. Unas semanas después de su desaparición, empieza a verlo en todas partes: en el supermercado, en el jardín de su casa, en la calle... Y, desde luego, piensa que se ha vuelto loca. Sus amigas le dicen que es normal, que forma parte del duelo... pero, ¿y si hubiera otra explicación? Al fin y al cabo, no encontraron su cadáver... ¿Y sino es un fantasma y sigue vivo? ¿Y si ha planeado volver a su vida?

A light, summer read with a bit of mystery that you can finish in a couple days. It's only 300 pages. ( )

"Sé que estás allí" cuenta la historia de Sarah, una mujer de treinta y nueve años que pierde a su marido en las aguas de un río próximo a una pequeña localidad, en Estados Unidos. Unas semanas después de su desaparición, comienza a verlo en todas partes; en el supermercado, en el jardín de su casa, en la calle... Y, por supuesto, piensa que se ha vuelto loca.Sus amigas le comentan que es normal, que forma parte del duelo... pero ¿y si hubiera otra explicación? Al fin y al cabo, no encontraron su cuerpo... ¿Y si no es un fantasma y sigue con vida? ¿Y si ha planeado regresar a su vida? "Sé que estás allí" es una inolvidable novela que te hará desconfiar de tu propia cordura.

The Basic Story: The opening line of the novel sets the scene perfectly: “Sarah McConnell’s husband had been dead three months when she saw him in the grocery story.” Right away, we are thrust into Sarah’s confusing world—where her grief and mourning play tricks on her mind. When she confesses her “vision” at a widow’s group, she finds support and empathy. After all, it is normal to “see” your loved ones when the loss is fresh and new. (I remember “seeing” my dad everywhere after he died. I’d glimpse a man with his build across the room and it would take my breath away. Of course, they always turned around and the illusion would be broken.) Complicating Sarah’s loss is that her husband David’s body was never recovered after his kayak was swept away in a flash flood. As Sarah attempts to create a life without David, she is forced to confront the realities of their marriage and some of her long-buried feelings. And as she continues to sense and feel David’s presence, she begins to wonder if the fact that David’s body was never found means something different after all.

My Thoughts: Oooohhh…this was so good! It had everything a good ghost story should—unease, dread, longing, hope, uncertainty and (finally) closure. Brodie does such a brilliant job of keeping you guessing about what is actually happening that you’ll be captivated until the very last page. I thought Sarah’s journey felt authentic and fully lived in. Sarah realizes that her marriage to David was flawed and possibly doomed. Their inability to have a child had created a wedge between them, and Sarah is forced to confront the reality that she wasn’t the best wife. Complicating things further is the presence of Nate—David’s younger and very handsome brother. Although Sarah doesn’t want to admit it, she’s always felt attracted to Nate and now she has the opportunity to pursue that feeling. Yet guilt and David’s presence make things tricky. I got very involved in Sarah’s story—and found myself conflicted about where I was hoping it would go. In the end, I think Brodie handled things fabulously and made all the right choices. If you’re looking for an emotionally involving novel that deals intelligently with the issues of grief, mourning, marriage and love, this would be an excellent choice. Highly recommended! ( )

Sarah's husband died three months before his ghost began appearing to her. She is confused, mourning her husband, trying to figure out how to deal with her life, and it's unclear what role the "ghost" is playing. I found this book mildly entertaining, confusing at times, not really compelling to read. There is a little surprise at the end that helps. ( )