Disclaimer: I received this book for free in exchange for a review! Thank you to the author for reaching out to me. Although I did not have to pay for this book, all my thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.
Rating: ⅘
Genre: middle grade
Synopsis: After her parent’s split, Ellie, her brother and her mother move into a new house only for her to find that they might not be alone after all. Ellie then sets out on a mission to find out what has happened at this house in order to solve a ghostly mystery.
This was such a charming read! I read this in one sitting whilst it was raining and it was perfect for the atmosphere of the book. Whilst this book was not for me as I don't generally reach for or enjoy middle grade, (nothing wrong with reading middle grade as an adult though!), I still enjoyed reading this story.
It’s got a lovely level of mischief between the two main characters, Ellie and Edward, in a way that’ll keep readers, especially young readers, engaged throughout the plot. They were such adorable characters that continued to grow and develop throughout the story, and used their intelligence in order to get out of the situations they found themselves in. I especially enjoyed Edward, the ghost of the house.
The rest of the cast were also brilliant! I find from the limited number of middle grade books I've read, some of the books tend to have a cast of characters which are very repetitive but in this story, each character had a distinct personality which made it easy for me to tell them apart. Each of the characters added their own little bit to the story and I enjoyed each and every one of them.
I also really enjoyed the portrayal of the supernatural in this book. I thought it was so fun to read. I loved reading about the little shenanigans Edward got up to. The silliness of the characters don't take away from the overall creepy atmosphere of the plot, making the reader want to find out what is going to happen. This book manages to strike a very good balance between being fun and being creepy, resulting in a great story for readers to follow and something that will not be too frightening for a younger audience. This paired with the general fast paced plot made it so that there was never a dull moment in the story.
I really appreciate how this story touches and introduces kids to deeper topics like divorce, prejudice and illness in a way that will not be overwhelming for children to read. I especially love that Ellie and Charlie (her brother) aren’t portrayed as being deeply depressed after their parents split. I think divorce doesn’t always have to be portrayed as this massive, traumatising event in a kid’s life that absolutely destroys them and tears apart their family. Although I’m not denying that happens in some cases, other times, it’s all okay and people are better off because of it. I think that constant negative portrayal can really reinforce the idea that divorce = bad in a kid’s mind which can be really damaging. I think if I had books like this growing up I would’ve been much less afraid of the idea. It will also help other kids who don’t have to go through divorce understand the kids that do, building empathy in the child.
My main drawback with this book has a lot to do with the fact that this was not written for me. I tend to prefer high fantasy with a convoluted plot and a stupid amount of characters, as opposed to middle grade or even contemporary novels in general. Therefore, most of the "flaws" I find with this book are a result of the genre, such as being quite a simple story or having a limited cast of characters that aren't explored. However, I still think for the right audience this would be a lovely read. Also, I can't really judge the characters when I have only read one book out of a series of books.
I felt weirdly nostalgic reading this book despite not having read middle grade in a long, long time. I think the last time I regularly read middle grade was in year 7 (I’m 19 now, going into my second year of university) and it reminded me of such fond memories being in library time in the corner with my book. I have a deep appreciation for books like this despite not really reading them myself anymore because they are what got me into reading in the first place.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it’s protagonist, Ellie, as well as the simple yet engaging plot that runs throughout. I appreciate the various themes that are touched on throughout this story, and I can really see this becoming a valuable story in a kid’s life. I will be recommending this to some close friends with young siblings as I think this is great for its target audience. I highly encourage you to pick it up if you have a kid at home or if you just like reading middle grade.