Middle-Grade Review: Not Quite a Ghost

I got a wonderful surprise in the mail last week that I read right away: Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu, a middle-grade spooky thriller with a twist from a favorite author and a virtual friend for over 15 years. She and I share the same chronic illness, ME/CFS, an immune disorder, and we each reached out to the other at various times, as I explain in this post on my chronic illness blog, Great Books from a CFS Author. I reviewed her first middle-grade novel, The Shadow Thieves, book one of The Cronus Chronicles, in which she cleverly worked her illness into the story of modern-day kids battling Greek gods. My son (a young teen at the time) and I both loved the action-packed, funny series. I later reviewed her middle-grade novel Breadcrumbs (and also reviewed it for Family Fun magazine), which features a ten-year-old girl dealing with real-life issues who meets fairy-tale characters in the snowy woods. I enjoyed it so much, I gave it to my niece for Christmas that year! I also enjoyed The Real Boy, about a young boy who works for a wizard and is dealing with his own challenges. I reached out to Anne recently to see how she was doing and how her health was, and she sent me a copy of her latest middle-grade novel, Not Quite a Ghost. I read it immediately and think it may be my favorite of her novels, which is saying a lot!

Eleven-year-old Violet is going through a lot of changes in her life. Her family has just moved out of their too-small house into an older house that needs some work. Violet's teen sister, Mia, is thrilled to finally have some privacy and gets her first choice of rooms, and their little brother needs to be near their parents. That leaves Violet up in the creepy attic bedroom with the ugly wallpaper all by herself. She's also starting middle school, where her closest friends suddenly seem to change and to want a bigger friend group. Then, in the first weeks of school, Violet gets sick ... and she doesn't get better. Sometimes she feels OK and tries to act normally, leading some friends to think she's faking, and other times, her body just won't work and she can't get out of bed. Spending a lot of time in the attic bedroom, Violet begins to see strange things in the weird wallpaper and suspect that she's not alone up there. She calls on her new friend, Will, who's been researching ghosts, to help her, but is there anything they can do? 

I loved this spooky, unique novel and never wanted it to end! Violet is eventually diagnosed with ME/CFS, the same illness that the author and I share. Both of my sons got it, as well (it has genetic roots), at ages 6 and 10, and it affects millions of other kids and teens all over the world--even more now since long-COVID often develops into ME/CFS. Ursu describes the disease perfectly, with all of its mysterious symptoms, seemingly random ups and downs, dismissive doctors and school personnel, and disbelieving family and friends (though Violet's family is very supportive). I felt seen. If all of that sounds like it might be depressing, it's not! 

Ursu brings her marvelous sense of humor to this novel, and I was often laughing out loud while reading it. And she writes kids so well; young readers will definitely see themselves in Violet and her friends. Plus, there is also that wonderfully creepy supernatural plotline throughout the novel. The suspense and tension crank up as the strange experiences in Violet's attic bedroom increase, and she and Will try to figure out what's happening. Ursu has created a clever parallel to what's happening in Violet's body with the house being unable to expel whatever has "invaded" it in the attic. It's a gripping, original story with a nail-biting climax that is perfect. Like I said, of all of her unique, magical, funny, suspenseful novels, this one is my new favorite.

288 pages, Walden Pond Press

HarperAudio

You can visit Anne's website for more information about her books. And to read about her inspiration for this book and her own illness experiences, see her blog post "On Hauntings" on the Nerdy Book Club blog.

This book fits in the following 2024 Reading Challenges:

 

Monthly Motif Reading Challenge - October - Wicked Good Reads

Alphabet Soup Challenge - N

Diversity Reading Challenge

Literary Escapes - Minnesota

RIP - Readers Imbibing Peril 
 

Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher in return for an honest review. My review is my own opinion and is not influenced by my relationship with the publisher or author.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Purchases from these links provide a small commission to me  

Visit my YouTube Channel for more bookish fun!

 

Listen to a sample of the audiobook here and/or download it from Audible.

 

Or get this audiobook from Libro.fm and support local bookstores (audio sample here, too, which showcases the humor in the story).

 

Print and e-book from Amazon.

 

You can buy the book through Bookshop.org, where your purchase will support the indie bookstore of your choice (or all indie bookstores)--the convenience of shopping online while still buying local!

 
  

It's Monday 10/28! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

We just arrived back home from a lovely weekend spent with our sons and one girlfriend at a rented lake house. This has become an annual tradition for us in the fall, one that we all enjoy. It was wonderfully relaxing, and the time spent together in such a beautiful place is always fun and comforting. We ate meals together, read books, enjoyed the stunning view, played games, talked, and laughed--lots of laughter! Our sons are now 26 and 30 and live busy lives of their own, and we are so grateful for this quiet time together and our shared family history. 

My husband & I waiting for the "kids" to arrive Friday!

Kayaking on a beautiful fall day

Fall colors were past prime in northern NJ but still pretty

Our son on a paddleboard & my husband kayaking

Our son  chilling on the paddleboard

Perfect reading spot in the sunshine!

Our family

Sitting around the firepit

Sunrise (which I rarely see but I woke too early!)

View from my bedroom!

Reading on the sunny dock

We carved pumpkins Sunday!

Gorgeous sunset from the upstairs balcony

Cloudy this morning but still beautiful - hard to say goodbye!

 

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On Video

 Travel & Camping Vlog: Killens Pond State Park, DE - come along on our recent camping trip, with lots of peaceful nature videos and a peak into our new-to-us camper.

Friday Reads 10-25-24 & Some Halloween Fun - decorated & dressed up for Halloween, as I share some books I've recently enjoyed that fit the season.

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 What We're Reading

Most of our reading has been for the RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) event.

I finished reading November Road by Lou Berney, a road trip thriller I gave my husband last year after reading great reviews from Stephen King and others (and it won multiple awards). In 1963, Frank Guidry works for a crime boss in New Orleans and feels good about the status he has achieved in the organization ... until he realizes the boss wants him dead. In Oklahoma, Charlotte makes a sudden decision after Sunday dinner with her in-laws and afterward, her husband once again makes an excuse to go to a bar. She quickly packs up herself and their two daughters, seven and eight years old, and heads west toward California. Eventually, Frank's path as he flees the assassin sent to kill him intersects with Charlotte and the girls. We also get the assassin's perspective. It's twisty and suspenseful but also features in-depth characters, great settings, a touch of romance, and even a sense of humor. The ending was just right, and I really enjoyed it!

 

I got a wonderful surprise in the mail last week that I wanted to read right away: Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu, a middle-grade spooky thriller with a twist from a favorite author and a virtual friend for almost the last 20 years. The main character, 11-year-old Violet, is going through a lot of changes in her life. Her family has just moved out of their old too-small house into an older house that needs some work, and Violet ends up in the creepy, ugly attic bedroom. She's also starting middle school, where her closest friends suddenly seem to change and to want a bigger friend group. Then, in the first weeks of school, Violet gets sick ... and she doesn't get better. Sometimes she feels OK and tries to act normal, leading some friends to think she's faking, and other times, her body just won't work and she can't get out of bed. Spending a lot of time in the attic bedroom, Violet begins to see strange things in the weird wallpaper and suspect that she's not alone. She calls on a new friend, who's been researching ghosts, to help her, but is there anything they can do? I loved this spooky, suspenseful novel full of heart and humor so much that I'm going to break my new rule and write a full review of it, so look for that later this week!

 

I just finished listening to a classic mystery, Arsene Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc, first translated into English in 1910. Read that title closely because the first few times I saw it, my brain read what it thought it should be instead of what was written! My husband and I have watched the Lupin series on Netflix, so I knew who this classic French literature character was: a gentleman thief who constantly outwits law enforcement. Here, in a series of interrelated stories, he pulls off several heists and ends up going up against the famous English detective (the author must not have been allowed to use the real name but there is even a tongue-in-cheek reference to Arthur Conan Doyle here!). It's intriguing and clever, and I enjoyed listening to it.

My husband has also been reading a spooky-season classic, Dracula by Bram Stoker. He picked it up at the indie bookstore we visited in Oneonta, NY. I enjoyed it on audio in 2015, and he's been meaning to read it for years. It's the perfect book for October!

 

And I finally had a chance to catch up with my son's reading! Even though he usually plows through epic fantasies one after the other, he admitted he didn't read much this summer after starting his new job because he got caught up in playing Civilization, one of his old favorite video games from high school. But he's back to reading and enjoyed the relaxed reading time this weekend. He is reading The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie (book 2 in the World of the First Law series) which we gave him for his birthday in August. This is one of his all-time favorite authors, and he said no one writes battle scenes better!

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What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.

 

What are you and your family reading this week?

It's Monday 10/21! What Are You Reading?

Hosted by The Book Date

Life

Don't worry - I'm still here!  Just took a break last week to squeeze in an October camping trip in the midst of a very busy month! I'll catch you up. 

After my last post two weeks ago, my husband returned from his surprise birthday golf weekend and picked up his friend's wife at the airport, flying in from Texas. I've met his high school friend briefly a few times before, but neither of us had met his wife. It turned out that she and I had so much in common! It seemed like all week, anything one of us said, the other said, "Me, too!" She was an English teacher, so she shared my love of reading (as well as fiction about time travel!). They used our home in Delaware as home base and explored the East Coast: beaches, Pocono mountains and fall foliage, Philadelphia, and New York City. They covered a lot of ground! And when they were here, we thoroughly enjoyed their company.

Such a joy - old friends and new!

We took our Texas friends to our local nature center

My husband and I at the nature center

They flew back to Houston Saturday afternoon, and by Sunday at noon, we were packed up and ready to go camping! I just didn't want my favorite month to pass by without any camping. It was a quick 2-day trip, but we very much enjoyed the chance to just relax, do nothing (but read), and enjoy the outdoors. I'll post a travel vlog tomorrow on my YouTube channel, but here are a few preview photos.

Ahhh ... reading while camping

Beautiful reflections in Killens Pond

We did manage a short hike in the woods

Happy campers!

Some fall color starting in central Delaware!

Back home and back to a busy schedule, I took advantage of beautiful fall weather and managed some short walks to admire the fall foliage.

I love sunlight shining through colorful fall leaves

My favorite walking path

Lots of green here still but a few trees in full color!

And this weekend, we made our annual trip to a local farm market to get freshly-made apple cider donuts and pumpkins with our younger son and his girlfriend - love that he still enjoys our family traditions! Afterward, we got to see their new apartment, which is wonderful.

Love our fall tradition!

Our son and his girlfriend in their beautiful new apartment

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On Video

 

Two Bookstores in New York State - a quick video tour of a used bookstore in East Chatham, NY, and an indie bookstore in Oneonta, NY.

Friday Reads 10-11-24 & A Life Update - hear my thoughts on a Richard Russo novel, plus two great audiobooks.

The Winning Title Tag - fun questions about book titles that I answer with books from my waiting-to-be-read shelves.

Friday Reads 10-18-24 - I talk about 3 great October reads, plus historical fiction on audio that surprised me with its depth.

Fall in Delaware - In this 1-minute short video, I bring you along on a walk on a perfect fall day.

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 What We're Reading

I love the extra reading time while camping! Most of our reading has been for the RIP (Readers Imbibing Peril) event. This is a two-week catch-up:

I finished reading Chances Are ... by Richard Russo, my first Russo novel. Three men--Lincoln, Teddy, and Mickey--were roommates and best friends in college in Connecticut. When they graduated in 1971, they each went their separate ways to very different lives. Now, at age 66, they've reunited at the same Martha's Vineyard cottage where they spent Memorial Day weekend together after graduation, along with a girl named Jacy who was a close friend of theirs. After that weekend, Jacy disappeared and was never heard from again, not even by her parents. Now, back on the island, the events of that long-ago weekend haunt them, as they each remember what happened and puzzle over the mystery of Jacy's disappearance. I enjoyed it very much and can see that Russo is excellent at developing interesting characters. The twisty mystery at its center added some suspense and surprises.

 

 

Next, I devoured an excellent YA novel, Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu, author of Moxie, which was made into a movie on Netflix that I loved (check out my review & the trailer at the link). This book is also centered on a group of teen girls but this time in 1964 Houston. Evie is part of a close-knit group of bad girls who've embraced the label everyone seems to use for them. After all, bad girls have more freedom ... and more fun. A horrible incident at the drive-in one Friday night brings Evie together with an unlikely ally: Diane, a well-bred girl from the right side of the tracks. As the two girls bond over their shared experience and work to deal with the fall-out from that awful night, Evie's group gradually allows Diane in. This coming-of-age novel tackles the role of girls and women, society's rules, and fierce female friendship, all within a gripping, can't-put-it-down plot.

 

Now, I am reading November Road by Lou Berney, a road trip thriller I gave my husband last year after reading great reviews from Stephen King and others (and winner of multiple awards). Frank Guidry works for a crime boss in New Orleans and feels good about the status he has achieved in the organization ... until he realizes the boss wants him dead. In Oklahoma, Charlotte makes a sudden decision after Sunday dinner with her in-laws and her husband once again making an excuse to go to a bar. She quickly packs up herself and her two daughters, seven and eight years old, and heads west toward California. Eventually, Frank's path as he flees the assassin sent to kill him, intersects with Charlotte and the girls. We also get the assassin's perspective. It's twisty and suspenseful but also features in-depth characters, great settings, and even a sense of humor. I'm loving it so far.

On audio, I finished The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers for my book group that meets this week. This historical fiction book had a lot more complexity than I expected. In 1946 North Carolina, fifteen-year-old Maddie is still grieving the loss of her father in the war when her mother, also struggling, drops her off at her aunt's house in Brightleaf, NC. Maddie's aunt is a talented seamstress who makes dresses for the wealthy wives of the town's tobacco executives. Since it's gala season and some unexpected problems come up, Maddie pitches in to help her aunt. At first, I thought this was just an interesting novel of a particular time and place, but it's so much more. It delves into women's rights, corporate responsibility, the role of Big Tobacco in a company town, and more. I enjoyed it on audio and think it will make for a great discussion.

 

Now, I am listening to a classic mystery, Arsene Lupin versus Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Leblanc, first translated into English in 1910. Read that title closely because the first few times I saw it, my brain read what it thought it should be instead of what was written! My husband and I have watched the Lupin series on Netflix, so I knew who this classic French literature character was: a gentleman thief who constantly outwits law enforcement. Here, in a series of interrelated stories, he pulls off several heists and ends up going up against the famous English detective (the author must not have been allowed to use the real name but there is even a tongue-in-cheek reference to Arthur Conan Doyle here!). So far, it's intriguing and clever, and I'm enjoying it on audio.

 

My husband has also been reading a spooky-season classic, Dracula by Bram Stoker. He picked it up at the indie bookstore we visited in Oneonta, NY. I enjoyed it on audio in 2015, and he's been meaning to read it for years. It's the perfect book for October!

 __________

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.

 

What are you and your family reading this week?