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timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
My middle grade years are far behind me, but I remember things like The Thirty-Nine Steps. More recently, Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book or Bradley’s Flavia de Luce series. Schwab seems to have aimed for a younger and slightly dimmer reader. Which is OK.
The plot is thin but coherent, and the suspense builds well. The parents are suitably unobtrusive.
I agree with others that Cassidy isn’t nearly curious enough about her abilities.
I never got why she has a film camera. And wasn’t she lucky to find a place at random that still develops film overnight? I accept that the place named may well do exactly that in real life. There was one brief hint that digital cameras just don’t capture the same things, as if C already knew that - but how?
The explanations of Britishisms were especially condescending, as if C’s parents think she is dim — and her reaction to the explanations suggests ggat perhaps she IS.
Excellent work describing Edinburgh, though. Where next?
The plot is thin but coherent, and the suspense builds well. The parents are suitably unobtrusive.
I agree with others that Cassidy isn’t nearly curious enough about her abilities.
I never got why she has a film camera. And wasn’t she lucky to find a place at random that still develops film overnight? I accept that the place named may well do exactly that in real life. There was one brief hint that digital cameras just don’t capture the same things, as if C already knew that - but how?
The explanations of Britishisms were especially condescending, as if C’s parents think she is dim — and her reaction to the explanations suggests ggat perhaps she IS.
Excellent work describing Edinburgh, though. Where next?
kamilleslibrary's review against another edition
4.0
For a middle grade, this book was creepy. Or I am just a scary cat when it comes to ghosts… who knows.
jillybooks's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
As a huge fan of ghost stories, I had fun reading this but feel like something was missing. Maybe I wanted it to be a little more atmospheric, especially when we get a glimpse into the city of ghosts? Or maybe I expected it to explore the emotional weight of being a ghost more? I also went into this book thinking it’d be whimsically spooky, like other MG ghost stories, and was a little disappointed to find that that wasn’t the case. Still, a great read :)
beccaperson's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
jabuch40's review against another edition
4.5
Great story for kids who are in the 11-ish to 14-ish range (and for adults like myself who will read ANYTHING V.E. Schwab! :)!!!
mills404's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
denali_epub's review against another edition
4.0
Once again, VE Schwab has outdone herself. While this was likely my least favorite of all her novels I’ve read, it was still one of the best novels I’ve encountered within the last year. The only issue being that Schwab consistently blows me out of the water, and this book was geared toward younger readers and thus did not resonate with me as much as some of her other works.
That being said, if I was still a middle grade reader, this would have been a five star book. Cassidy is a great protagonist to bond with, and her friendship our local ghost boy, Jacob, is one of my favorite things about the book as a whole. I’m slightly concerned for VE and her passion from bringing characters back from the dead, but she does it so well that I really can’t complain.
Well paced, interesting word choice, and the usual VE Schwab brand of dark undertones were executed near flawlessly in this novel. I’d recommend it to my younger siblings for a new favorite read, and I’d recommend it to my friends if they’re in need of a quick read to break them out of a reading slump or help bump up their reading challenge numbers.
That being said, if I was still a middle grade reader, this would have been a five star book. Cassidy is a great protagonist to bond with, and her friendship our local ghost boy, Jacob, is one of my favorite things about the book as a whole. I’m slightly concerned for VE and her passion from bringing characters back from the dead, but she does it so well that I really can’t complain.
Well paced, interesting word choice, and the usual VE Schwab brand of dark undertones were executed near flawlessly in this novel. I’d recommend it to my younger siblings for a new favorite read, and I’d recommend it to my friends if they’re in need of a quick read to break them out of a reading slump or help bump up their reading challenge numbers.
marion's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ☆
c'était trop divertissant, je vais lire la suite maintenant
c'était trop divertissant, je vais lire la suite maintenant