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4.18 AVERAGE
4.18 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
sooooo cute i loved
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Yes
adventurous
funny
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
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:
Complicated
This was great on SO MANY LEVELS. It had such rich history while also having different love stories and was so steeped in New Orleans lore. There was so much to love about this book and it really gave you a lot to think about! Really, really great.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism, Classism
Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, Murder
Chelsea is a Black girl who attends a presumably predominantly white independent school. Her parents are divorced, and her dad works as a ghost buster (or ghost roaster, as it is called in the book). Chelsea is trying to fit in with some mean white girls who have kind of adopted her, pulling her out of "untouchable" status. Unfortunately, the night school gets out for the summer, they pressure her into breaking into a cemetery and drinking, which gets all of them jailed for the evening. Chelsea's parents are livid, and instead of having a fun summer, Chelsea gets to work with her dad. They get a job at an old plantation, and Chelsea discovers that she can actually see ghosts, making her reluctant to pulverize them. With help from an elderly woman who owns the place and two resident ghosts, Chelsea investigates the family, reviewing microfilm of old newspapers at the historical archive where her mom works. What she finds helps bring some hidden history to light.
Some of the action is a little hard to follow, especially at the beginning. There is also mention of the plantation family's patriarch's being born in 1785 in Toledo, OH, and "emigrating" to Louisiana "following the Louisiana Purchases of 1803." Based on the history of Toledo provided on Toledo.com, Toledo was not founded until 1833, and there were not any villages of white people there until at 1817. There do not appear to be any European settlers there at all until 1790. With so much interesting historical detail rooted in fact, this piece of the story clangs.
Some of the action is a little hard to follow, especially at the beginning. There is also mention of the plantation family's patriarch's being born in 1785 in Toledo, OH, and "emigrating" to Louisiana "following the Louisiana Purchases of 1803." Based on the history of Toledo provided on Toledo.com, Toledo was not founded until 1833, and there were not any villages of white people there until at 1817. There do not appear to be any European settlers there at all until 1790. With so much interesting historical detail rooted in fact, this piece of the story clangs.
Spoiler
At the end, it is hard to understand why the money-hungry real estate developer nephew of 93-year-old Agnes, who owns the property, suddenly has a change of heart and agrees to designate the site as a national historic landmark. Incredibly, they have a grand opening as such only one month after the action of the rest of the book.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
The cover art and blub alone had me locked in from the get-go, but let me tell you the illustrations and storyline are so enchanting and a little spooky. I thought it was going to be scarier than what it actually was and was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed Ghost Roast!
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*
*Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.*