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cozylifewithabby's review against another edition
3.5
Very cute middle grade ghost book about a girl and her ghost friend's adventures in Scotland
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
midsummernoodle's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
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? No
4.0
I liked the story! It wasn’t my favorite book of all time, but a fun one to listen to while driving or doing the dishes. I’ll be listening to the other books in the series as well. I’m looking forward to them!!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
racheyreads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
For the first book I've listened to in this series and from this Author I quite enjoyed the story. The writing was fine and the characters were also fine.
It was a lovely book and if you wanted something paranormal and very easy to read then this is the book for you! It's fun and the premise of the overall cause for the story is interesting, I'm keen to continue the series for the development of Cass and Jacob alone.
I think it's going to be an in-between series for me though - I'm not particularly compelled to rush to the next book. Though I'll happily read it if it's available and I can't think of anything else to pick up.
It was a lovely book and if you wanted something paranormal and very easy to read then this is the book for you! It's fun and the premise of the overall cause for the story is interesting, I'm keen to continue the series for the development of Cass and Jacob alone.
I think it's going to be an in-between series for me though - I'm not particularly compelled to rush to the next book. Though I'll happily read it if it's available and I can't think of anything else to pick up.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
booking_along's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
this was good and i enjoyed Cassidy and Jacob as characters, the writing was well done and the story itself was good.
but i disliked the constant mentions of HP as of that’s something that needs to be included in a book with a kid as a main character. especially since this has so many moments talking about HP and the author of that series that if you haven’t read that series entire parts of conversations or even pages make no sense. is it really a good book if it references other books so much that it doesn’t make a lot of sense if the reader hasn’t read those other books?
also edinburgh is a city filled with history why is it necessary to mention JKR so much as if she’s a historical landmark or the most important person in the cities history?!
this book is literary about a girl being able to see ghosts and cross over into another ghostly version of the world but sure let’s not talk all the interesting things that could be seen in edinburgh that way… let’s instead focus on one specific author?!
mhm.
so maybe this bothered me a lot more now with all the extremely problematic things JKR is spewing for now other reason than that she feels entitled and besides that should just keep her opinions to herself… but i never liked it when one book leans heavily on the knowledge of other media.
also this book kind of spoils Peter Pan plot points too?
i mean mention other books especially classics to get kids that are reading this become interested in reading.
but spoiling books that a kid might not yet have read? mhm.
also the entire trip to edinburg starts 1/3 of the way into the book and i expected that a little earlier.
and for a pretty slow build up the actual action and adventure part of this then happened extremely fast and furious and all of a sudden it was all over already.
would i have loved a bit more explanation and exploration of the entire ghost business?
absolutely!
would i have enjoyed a bit more build up and suspense? yes.
the pacing is off in this book.
i don’t want to spoil it or say to mich since this is an extremely quick and easy read and basically a one sitting kind of thing for any adult.
but this books pacing climbed up it’s plot pretty slowly, which i didn’t mind i enjoyed getting to know. cassidy and jacob and the parents and all that… but then it kind of stuttered a bit just before the big drop and excitement was supposed to happen, instead it tried to climb just a little bit more in the plot building but never got it’s momentum back and so the drop was too fast and over too quickly to be actually shocking or too spooky or overall well done.
either the book should have been a bit longer or the entire edinburg portion of it should have been more.
and as i said i think it would have been nice to actually learn more about the how’s and why’s and maybe even if many people are able to do what cassidy can do and why that is more than a quick thrown out sentence by a side character that is just there to give just enough to help but not to actually be helpful.
what i did i like about this?
that’s easier to list:
- the main characters as already mentioned
- i liked that the entire family including their cat is tracking the world for a summer to film a tv show and apparently nobody questions why the cat should be brought along.
who doesn’t love a furry side kick even with minimal appearances? (still counts!)
- i loved that cassidy’s parents accept and even supported her having a for them invisible friend and just accepted that their kid believes it and that was fine for them.
i don’t say that in the way that i think every parent should support strange behavior! but in the sense that their kid went through something traumatic and came out of that having an invisible friend and otherwise seemed okay and they think that’s okay because if she needs that friend to feel okay right now? that’s okay.
at least that’s how i took that situation since it’s mention that at least the dad does not believe but humors his daughter and why not?
- the writing was great. for all the issues i had with details and moments and pacing through this book? the actual writing? really good! it’s easy to read and accessible for a large range of ages, easy but not simple do that both kids and adults can enjoy this and have fun reading this.
- i loved that there was no romance in this book.
that might sound strange since i do believe this is in the middle grade genre which for me means about the age group of 9-12? there should not be a need to point out there is a friendship but not a romance or a love interest. but sadly that happens too often so that this was such a nice thing to see.
all in all this was good.
i wish especially the small things would have been changed -for example that an editor would have pointed out that it’s not necessary to lean so heavy on the HP love and just focus on something else- but as it is it’s good.
it’s a quick but pretty fun read.
slightly spooky but not too much for a kid around the age of 11 or so to read.
i will continue very soon and see what the other books have to offer and if some of the things i didn’t love in this will get better in the other books of this series -maybe? hopefully!- but for what this is… it’s good and i would recommend.
just be aware that if you are avoiding any HP and it’s author references? this one is a book to skip.
but i disliked the constant mentions of HP as of that’s something that needs to be included in a book with a kid as a main character. especially since this has so many moments talking about HP and the author of that series that if you haven’t read that series entire parts of conversations or even pages make no sense. is it really a good book if it references other books so much that it doesn’t make a lot of sense if the reader hasn’t read those other books?
also edinburgh is a city filled with history why is it necessary to mention JKR so much as if she’s a historical landmark or the most important person in the cities history?!
this book is literary about a girl being able to see ghosts and cross over into another ghostly version of the world but sure let’s not talk all the interesting things that could be seen in edinburgh that way… let’s instead focus on one specific author?!
mhm.
so maybe this bothered me a lot more now with all the extremely problematic things JKR is spewing for now other reason than that she feels entitled and besides that should just keep her opinions to herself… but i never liked it when one book leans heavily on the knowledge of other media.
also this book kind of spoils Peter Pan plot points too?
i mean mention other books especially classics to get kids that are reading this become interested in reading.
but spoiling books that a kid might not yet have read? mhm.
also the entire trip to edinburg starts 1/3 of the way into the book and i expected that a little earlier.
and for a pretty slow build up the actual action and adventure part of this then happened extremely fast and furious and all of a sudden it was all over already.
would i have loved a bit more explanation and exploration of the entire ghost business?
absolutely!
would i have enjoyed a bit more build up and suspense? yes.
the pacing is off in this book.
i don’t want to spoil it or say to mich since this is an extremely quick and easy read and basically a one sitting kind of thing for any adult.
but this books pacing climbed up it’s plot pretty slowly, which i didn’t mind i enjoyed getting to know. cassidy and jacob and the parents and all that… but then it kind of stuttered a bit just before the big drop and excitement was supposed to happen, instead it tried to climb just a little bit more in the plot building but never got it’s momentum back and so the drop was too fast and over too quickly to be actually shocking or too spooky or overall well done.
either the book should have been a bit longer or the entire edinburg portion of it should have been more.
and as i said i think it would have been nice to actually learn more about the how’s and why’s and maybe even if many people are able to do what cassidy can do and why that is more than a quick thrown out sentence by a side character that is just there to give just enough to help but not to actually be helpful.
what i did i like about this?
that’s easier to list:
- the main characters as already mentioned
- i liked that the entire family including their cat is tracking the world for a summer to film a tv show and apparently nobody questions why the cat should be brought along.
who doesn’t love a furry side kick even with minimal appearances? (still counts!)
- i loved that cassidy’s parents accept and even supported her having a for them invisible friend and just accepted that their kid believes it and that was fine for them.
i don’t say that in the way that i think every parent should support strange behavior! but in the sense that their kid went through something traumatic and came out of that having an invisible friend and otherwise seemed okay and they think that’s okay because if she needs that friend to feel okay right now? that’s okay.
at least that’s how i took that situation since it’s mention that at least the dad does not believe but humors his daughter and why not?
- the writing was great. for all the issues i had with details and moments and pacing through this book? the actual writing? really good! it’s easy to read and accessible for a large range of ages, easy but not simple do that both kids and adults can enjoy this and have fun reading this.
- i loved that there was no romance in this book.
that might sound strange since i do believe this is in the middle grade genre which for me means about the age group of 9-12? there should not be a need to point out there is a friendship but not a romance or a love interest. but sadly that happens too often so that this was such a nice thing to see.
all in all this was good.
i wish especially the small things would have been changed -for example that an editor would have pointed out that it’s not necessary to lean so heavy on the HP love and just focus on something else- but as it is it’s good.
it’s a quick but pretty fun read.
slightly spooky but not too much for a kid around the age of 11 or so to read.
i will continue very soon and see what the other books have to offer and if some of the things i didn’t love in this will get better in the other books of this series -maybe? hopefully!- but for what this is… it’s good and i would recommend.
just be aware that if you are avoiding any HP and it’s author references? this one is a book to skip.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death
Moderate: Kidnapping
directorpurry's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Fire/Fire injury
jojo_fiction_'s review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Cassidy Blake did not die. But she did drown.
Ever since that day she has been able to go across the veil that separates the living and the dead. When her ghost hunting parents take her to Scotland, she and her best friend Jacob (who just so happens to be a ghost), find that there is much more to Cassidy’s gift than she originally thought. And just how much they stand to lose.
I haven't read a middle grade book in a few years, but knowing that this was written by my favourite author, I just had to give it a shot. And I wasn't disappointed! Although written for a younger audience I could still see the distinct style and themes of V. E. Schwab’s writing that I enjoyed. Her descriptions of Edinburgh made me feel as if I was walking down the streets and exploring old castles right alongside Cass and Jacob. And despite its more simplistic plot and characters, I still managed to get immersed in the story. I enjoyed this so much as an adult and I know if I had read this when I was a kid I would have been obsessed, so I will definitely be picking up the rest of this series.
A super quick read, but with a good story, lovable characters, and a wonderful friendship dynamic between Cass and Jacob that I think both younger kids and older will enjoy.
A super quick read, but with a good story, lovable characters, and a wonderful friendship dynamic between Cass and Jacob that I think both younger kids and older will enjoy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief
Minor: Body horror
caitcosentino's review against another edition
First 20% just didn't draw me in much
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury
ju_harue's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Foi meu primeiro contato com escrita da VE Schwab, e eu estava ansiosa demais por ouvir tanta coisa boa. E que bom que comecei por essa história - e no Halloween! Apesar de não me encaixar no público alvo, middle grade, eu li com olhos da Juliana mais nova, e sei que ela teria adorado.
A forma como se fala sobre morte, como o mistério é construído, eu gostei demais. Tem algumas coisas que talvez foram resolvidas facilmente por uma criança de 12 anos, sim… mas acho que para leitore jovem, foi uma sucessão de acontecimentos de fácil compreensão e que despertam a curiosidade para os próximos livros. Vou seguir lendo entusiasmadíssima. E adorei se passar num dos meus lugares favoritos, destino dos sonhos, Escócia.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Child death and Grief
horrorandscience's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Fire/Fire injury
a LOT of Harry Potter referencesnerdysread's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
A really great book. But with too many HP references
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Death