City of Ghosts

SYNOPSIS:

CW: teenage death; drowning; paranormal activity.

Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn't like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead...and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.

So things are already pretty strange. But they're about to get much stranger...

REVIEW

(4 STARS)

What a surprising little book! I was feeling apprehensive because it involves ghosts, but I decided to dive into in nonetheless. I feel like I haven't give Schwab enough opportunities to surprise me. I liked 'Vicious' but I didn't enjoy 'A Darker Shade of Magic', so I needed something to balance it out. This book did just that! I wasn't expecting to appreciate it much, especially because I haven't read Middle Grade in a long time. However, this story warmed my heart and soul.

Giving the world's current situation (for the future kids reading this, I'm referring to the great 2020 Global Pandemic), we couldn't travel at all last year. Books are a wonderful way to travel without leaving our houses (cliché, but true), but I haven't read many Fantasy stories set in real places. Yes, authors draw on their experiences and get inspired by real countries, but they usually build a new world with new rules, designed to accommodate their stories. Schwab added a little bit of spice. This book is set in our world and we travel around it with our main character, Cassidy Blake. In the first book, she travels with her parents to Edinburgh, and Schwab gives us a little tour of the city, telling us its story and legends while writing her own. For those who've been to Scotland, they would find comfort with revisiting the town; and for those who haven't been (like me), this story makes the perfect pretext.

Schwab's writing is also the perfect mix of educational and fun. Since the target audience for this book is middle graders, she tries to keep it simple and easy, while at the same time teaching fun facts about words or places. On the other hand, she throws in many Harry Potter and Comic books references to make the story extra fun. Even though you can see Schwab's intention, it feels natural because we're in the body of a 12-year-old.

I must admit, though, that as a 24-year-old there were parts that made me feel jumpy. If your kid loves the Paranormal genre, buy them this book; but if they're scared easily, choose something else. This is a 'Ghost Busters' meet Melinda Gordon type of narrative, so besides Cassidy having a friendly ghost with her at all times, she also has to send spirits to the other side. None of this is original (especially when it comes to Paranormal stories), but every bit about it is entertaining.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Reba Buhr, who did an outstanding job not only giving life to this story (she's an amazing voice actress) but also with the different characters' voices, their accents and overall personality. She made the experience extra pleasurable, which is why I've decided to keep on listening to this trilogy even with the books at hand!