Reviews

Ghostlight by Kenneth Oppel

bookish_fish's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

bibliobrandie's review

Go to review page

“A giant cannibal ghost is taking over the city, and we have to stop him.” This story about a group of kids trying to stop an evil ghost reminded me of Stranger Things meets Ghostbusters. There was a lot going on and so many action scenes. The plot is needlessly complicated and the book is way too long. It should have been fun and exciting, but it wasn't. I enjoyed the setting (Ontario, Canada) and the history of the area more than the story and the characters.

zenxara's review

Go to review page

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

lorettaandbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

adventurous lighthearted mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

breakfastgrey's review

Go to review page

2.0

I really enjoyed The Nest so when I saw Oppel had a new horror book coming out, I was excited. I shouldn’t have been. After a solid start, the book gets caught up in the worst case of “the princess is in another castle” syndrome I’ve ever seen. It is twice as long as it needs to be as the Scooby gang explores every Toronto landmark imaginable only to find out that, oh my goodness, the magic thingamabob is actually not there anymore and they now need to go to this landmark instead. Guess what. It won’t be there either. By the end, I just didn’t care anymore especially as the horror tinged tone of the beginning was entirely shed to become run of the mill monster fantasy and the plot holes became so numerous it was amazing someone didn’t twist an ankle in one of them. On a positive note, though, Yuri is a front runner for favorite book character of the year.

einnymydog's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark 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? Yes

2.75

jenniekay24's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

noble_reads's review

Go to review page

adventurous mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

Brilliant, fun story with characters you cannot help but love. The only thing that keeps this from a 5 star is pockets of lazy editing, don't let that keep you away from a great story, just temper yourself with patience before going in.

emjrey's review

Go to review page

adventurous medium-paced

3.0

Entertaining enough. Lost me a bit in the second half 

jesforeverlostinbooks's review

Go to review page

adventurous informative mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

“Ghost stories are like history class only better. It’s sort of like time travel.” 

Oh I loved this middle grade ghostbusting adventure… it’s action packed & I seriously 
listened to this book in one day.  I loved the historical elements & the thought that ghost stories tell us about history. This is the second book I’ve read by Kenneth Oppel & after finishing this book you can guarantee I’ll be reading more of his books. Gabe’s summer job is scaring tourists with ghost stories but he doesn't actually believe in ghosts until one day he summons the spirit of a dead girl & comes face to face with Rebecca Strand. He discovers the truth behind her death & it’s up to he with the help of his two friends, Callie & Yuri to set things right. It’s full of treasure hunts, Canadian history, non stop action & throw in some ghost & I’m here for it!