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thenextgenlibrarian's review against another edition
3.0
This creepy tale will be a hit with my 6th graders who still want to be a little scared, but not a lot. I love the diversity in this book and representation of Latinx culture, language and heritage. Good choice for a MG ProjectLIT book. While it’s not my favorite genre personally, I can see why it was chosen and know lots of kids will love it. #projectlitbookclub
sweeneysays's review against another edition
5.0
Middle grade is generally not my jam and in truth I bought this because after I had the good fortune of talking to Claribel for a podcast I followed her on Twitter, where she is a genuine delight.
And I'm so glad I picked this up because I truly adored this book. I read it slowly because it was kind of like a warm hug before I went to bed at night. Lucely & Syd's friendship is really, really beautiful and in a lot of ways a more mature friendship than is often depicted in adult literature – the way that they care for and support each other makes me emotional when I think about it. The themes of grief and loss and families we choose were beautifully handled. Babette, Syd's grandmother, is extremely cool, and there is also an extremely cool cat. The magic & adventure were fun, the writing was engaging, and the FEEEEEELLINGS were strong. All-around A+ read.
And I'm so glad I picked this up because I truly adored this book. I read it slowly because it was kind of like a warm hug before I went to bed at night. Lucely & Syd's friendship is really, really beautiful and in a lot of ways a more mature friendship than is often depicted in adult literature – the way that they care for and support each other makes me emotional when I think about it. The themes of grief and loss and families we choose were beautifully handled. Babette, Syd's grandmother, is extremely cool, and there is also an extremely cool cat. The magic & adventure were fun, the writing was engaging, and the FEEEEEELLINGS were strong. All-around A+ read.
malgamma's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
charvi_not_just_fiction's review against another edition
4.0
This book was so beautifully written!
What started out as an adorable story with lively characters turned into a well-developed and enriching cast as well as plot. To start with, I love the unabashed usage of Spanish sprinkled in between and the fact that the story draws its roots from fables and myths.
I loved getting a glimpse into the culture and I feel that my favourite part of this books was the fireflies and Lucely's undying love for them. Tia mi labros and the abuela were my favourite ghosts because they were so fierce and protective of Luce! Lucely herself is a wonderful protagonist to follow- loyal and determined.
Also, she and Syd make for a dynamic duo. I love the snark and wit on Syd and her huge interest in witches and anything unnatural. She's dramatic and does everything with a flair. I absolutely loved seeing their undying friendship.
But my all time favourite character has to be the mysterious and absolutely amazing Babette. I won't give any spoilers but let's just say that she's amazing and has a huge role to play in this book. I stan this grandma so hard. Also, can I adopt Chunk? He's just the perfect cat ever.
The whole story was written very well and had an aura of magic. My experience was even more enhanced because the audiobook narrator outdid herself with the voice modulation and her expressions.
The only thing is that I saw all the plot twists coming way before so it was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it nevertheless. And since this is a middle grade book maybe it's just me who saw the twists coming and younger readers will be able to gasp better at the revelations. Either way, I definitely ended up loving this book :)
What started out as an adorable story with lively characters turned into a well-developed and enriching cast as well as plot. To start with, I love the unabashed usage of Spanish sprinkled in between and the fact that the story draws its roots from fables and myths.
I loved getting a glimpse into the culture and I feel that my favourite part of this books was the fireflies and Lucely's undying love for them. Tia mi labros and the abuela were my favourite ghosts because they were so fierce and protective of Luce! Lucely herself is a wonderful protagonist to follow- loyal and determined.
Also, she and Syd make for a dynamic duo. I love the snark and wit on Syd and her huge interest in witches and anything unnatural. She's dramatic and does everything with a flair. I absolutely loved seeing their undying friendship.
But my all time favourite character has to be the mysterious and absolutely amazing Babette. I won't give any spoilers but let's just say that she's amazing and has a huge role to play in this book. I stan this grandma so hard. Also, can I adopt Chunk? He's just the perfect cat ever.
The whole story was written very well and had an aura of magic. My experience was even more enhanced because the audiobook narrator outdid herself with the voice modulation and her expressions.
The only thing is that I saw all the plot twists coming way before so it was a bit predictable but I enjoyed it nevertheless. And since this is a middle grade book maybe it's just me who saw the twists coming and younger readers will be able to gasp better at the revelations. Either way, I definitely ended up loving this book :)
billblume's review against another edition
4.0
Enjoyed this audiobook a lot. The story is fun and loony. I also loved how the reader performed the story. Ortega has crafted a great middle grade novel.
chillcheeto's review against another edition
3.0
It's a fun fast read with ghosts, witches, found family and friendship.
The girls are adorable and honestly I wish when I have daughters, they will be like Lucely & Syd.
The girls are adorable and honestly I wish when I have daughters, they will be like Lucely & Syd.
violinknitter's review against another edition
4.0
Super cute, great family & friendship aspects. Fighting ghost smoke monsters doesn’t do much for me, so my personal enjoyment was 3.5 stars. But it’s a good book, and I’d happily hand it to any middle grade person I know!
harpweaving's review against another edition
3.0
This book was extremely cute and a fun read. I did think it had some pacing issues (I wish the actual Ghost Squad portion had started earlier, more around the halfway mark; after that point everything felt rushed), but really a delightful story.