Time Mansion: The Gift That Haunts by Laurel Lorenzini is a fun YA mystery story with a spooky plot. Toby is just a normal girl, living with her aunt and dad after losing her mom in a car accident. The problem is, since that accident, Toby’s life has been anything but normal because now she can see the dead. The biggest problem? They just won’t let her be. And things are getting worse for Toby as everywhere she goes, she sees ghosts, and when she lands a part-time job at a New Age store, things take another turn. Toby is starting to find it hard to tell the living from the dead, and it’s causing problems in every part of her life. Can she get to grips with her gift, or will it cause rifts in her life that can’t be repaired?

The Gift That Haunts by Laurel Lorenzini is the second book in the Time Mansion series. If you haven’t read the first one, you must, because this book dives straight in where the first left off, and you might not understand what’s happening and why without the background. It is a fun read, lighthearted with lots of spooky twists and turns, a great read with Hallowe’en just around the corner. The characters are likable with plenty of personality, and it’s an easy read – no high-speed drama or action, just a light, heartfelt story that you’ll find yourself engrossed in. If you enjoy the YA genre and love an easy read, this series is for you.

Time Mansion: The Gift that Haunts by Laurel Lorenzini is a YA paranormal novel that opens as Toby Omicioli is getting ready for senior year. She’s trying to be normal, which means cooking with her dad, Noah, texting her boyfriend Damien, and trying not to be known as the new girl who should be pitied because her mom passed away, or that she sees ghosts. But “normal” begins to slip as Cold Spring’s spirits press closer. Agnes, the once-stern head librarian, quits to open a metaphysical shop, and she wants Toby to mediate local hauntings. A perfectly solid gentleman in a mustard suit introduces himself, who turns out to be Agnes’s late husband, Percival Winters, and a weeping “lady in white” appears at Willow Falls, where legend and grief blur. As Aunt Esme’s Victorian house creaks with old secrets and school soon approaches, Toby must decide whether her strange gift is a curse to hide or a calling to accept.

I found this sequel warm, thoughtful, and quietly eerie. It’s the kind of YA paranormal story that focuses more on character and consequence rather than jump scares. The pacing balances real-life milestones (first love, first job, first week of school) with uncanny intrusions, so each ghostly encounter fell right into place at the right times. Toby’s grief and resilience balance the story, while Noah’s dad-humor, Aunt Esme’s gentle reinvention, and Damien’s support of Toby's unique gift help move the story forward. Agnes’s transformation from brusque librarian to intuitive shop owner really stood out, and the Willow Falls “lady in white” thread created a mix of folklore and empathy. Laurel Lorenzini’s clean, inviting style reminded me of Victoria Schwab’s City of Ghosts for its teen narrator and compassionate hauntings, and Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Blood for the ethics of helping the dead.