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sunshine8473773's review against another edition
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Slavery, Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Racial slurs, and Racism
clarabooksit's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
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? No
4.5
Well crafted from beginning to end, this is a thoughtful, satisfying read. And Ophie is such a fantastic character: a thinker whose determination carries her through grief, surprise and confusion. She’s curious, observant, lonely, loves to read, and is a little resentful but never unkind.
I also loved how Ireland built the world around Ophie, using relationships, places, and movement. A silent mother, bullies for cousins, cookies and gossip from cook, the motions of going up and down stairs, a dusty attic, salt and iron in her pocket, the side of town that makes Ophie feel safe—it’s so good! Likewise, history gives this story so much nuance and presence, especially amongst the ghosts who embody it.
This is a great book with a fantastic lead, an intriguing mystery, and impeccable world-building. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Bahni Turpin, and I loved it.
I also loved how Ireland built the world around Ophie, using relationships, places, and movement. A silent mother, bullies for cousins, cookies and gossip from cook, the motions of going up and down stairs, a dusty attic, salt and iron in her pocket, the side of town that makes Ophie feel safe—it’s so good! Likewise, history gives this story so much nuance and presence, especially amongst the ghosts who embody it.
This is a great book with a fantastic lead, an intriguing mystery, and impeccable world-building. I listened to the audiobook, which is read by Bahni Turpin, and I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Racial slurs
Moderate: Death and Murder
Minor: Hate crime
naomiysl's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
SO so amazingly deep. I'ts not that common to find such a heavy set of topics handled so well and gently without minimizing their depth in the least. The last 3rd of the book features a slow build to disaster that becomes more and more inevitable, tension drawn out masterfully. World building is entirely on-point, both for historicity and for the fantasy elements.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, and Violence
Minor: Child death, War, and Alcoholism
Explicit and pervasive treatment of the racial realities and tensions in place in 1920s USA.writtenbydnicole's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Murder, Slavery, and Violence
Minor: Cursing and Gore
alenka's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-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
5.0
I LOVED this, oh man. Ophie is a wonderful character - strong in a kind of quiet, solid way, which makes sense considering who her parents are, and what they've endured. She's a child and she wants to play and learn and explore, but she's starting to be interested in romance - at least in stories in magazines - and is thrilled to be friends with older girls and young women. Knowing Ireland, this attention from older women perhaps speaks to some queerness, as well.
Ireland makes the city a character, as well as Daffodil Manor, the trolleys - she creates conversations and relationships between parts of the city and the people within it that are really fascinating. Houses want to embrace and look after who is within them, Pittsburgh has a body made up of her parts that serve people in different ways, Aunt Rose's house has particular feelings on how it wants to be cared for - each little chapter that anthropomorphizes these places fills in the world around Ophie, despite Ophie herself being largely stuck in one place. Ireland lets us know that the city is large and complex, and Ophie is a small piece of it but can have a large impact.
I enjoyed how Ireland played with the mystery aspects of the story - and I didn't quite guess the culprit, which was cool! It's fun to see Ophie reading detective stories and then implementing things she learns from them. There is so much emotional weight to this story - grief, not just for specific individuals, but for the potential and brightness and incredible amount of lives lost to the trauma of slavery - but Ophie is still a child, still plays, still looks for things to learn and adventures to have. Ireland balances these different tones and aspects of the story brilliantly.
A powerful, wonderfully crafted ghost story.
Ireland makes the city a character, as well as Daffodil Manor, the trolleys - she creates conversations and relationships between parts of the city and the people within it that are really fascinating. Houses want to embrace and look after who is within them, Pittsburgh has a body made up of her parts that serve people in different ways, Aunt Rose's house has particular feelings on how it wants to be cared for - each little chapter that anthropomorphizes these places fills in the world around Ophie, despite Ophie herself being largely stuck in one place. Ireland lets us know that the city is large and complex, and Ophie is a small piece of it but can have a large impact.
I enjoyed how Ireland played with the mystery aspects of the story - and I didn't quite guess the culprit, which was cool! It's fun to see Ophie reading detective stories and then implementing things she learns from them. There is so much emotional weight to this story - grief, not just for specific individuals, but for the potential and brightness and incredible amount of lives lost to the trauma of slavery - but Ophie is still a child, still plays, still looks for things to learn and adventures to have. Ireland balances these different tones and aspects of the story brilliantly.
A powerful, wonderfully crafted ghost story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Torture
As this is a ghost story, there are some descriptions of ghosts showing signs of how they died. They're not intensely graphic. There is a particular character who uses racial slurs and is very clearly and blatantly described as the racist old lady that she is.library_kb's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-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? No
3.5
ALC through Educator ALC Program from @Librofm
I think that this is a great mystery to add to classroom libraries because it is so subtly informative throughout. It is a true mishmash of genres: mystery, fantasy (with the ghosts that only some can see and communicate with), historical fiction--so it can be recommended to lots of students and help them branch out from their comfort zone. The book does have a slower pace, mostly due to setting up the setting, and that pacing and the details pay off when the mystery is solved because you can see how all the details were there all along, but students who are used to fast-paced books may need to be encouraged to stick with the book longer in order to really get into it. I really liked how the mystery and its solution were tied in with the effects of racism through history. I did have a little trouble (since the ghosts who kept showing up were from a variety of time periods) figuring out what time period the book was taking place, which might confuse students who are not super familiar with American history events yet. But, overall, really enjoyed this book--great for 5th grade and up.
I think that this is a great mystery to add to classroom libraries because it is so subtly informative throughout. It is a true mishmash of genres: mystery, fantasy (with the ghosts that only some can see and communicate with), historical fiction--so it can be recommended to lots of students and help them branch out from their comfort zone. The book does have a slower pace, mostly due to setting up the setting, and that pacing and the details pay off when the mystery is solved because you can see how all the details were there all along, but students who are used to fast-paced books may need to be encouraged to stick with the book longer in order to really get into it. I really liked how the mystery and its solution were tied in with the effects of racism through history. I did have a little trouble (since the ghosts who kept showing up were from a variety of time periods) figuring out what time period the book was taking place, which might confuse students who are not super familiar with American history events yet. But, overall, really enjoyed this book--great for 5th grade and up.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, Racial slurs, and Murder
betweentheshelves's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Ireland is excellent at writing alternative history. Ophie sees ghosts, and when her and her mom start working at a house in the 1920s filled with ghosts, Ophie wants to help them. I enjoyed the way that Ireland works the ghosts into a story about Ophie's own grief after her father is killed. You're pulled into Ophie's story from the beginning, and the mystery behind the ghosts at the manner really drives the story forward.
Plus, the narrator of the audiobook was amazing. I would say that Ireland's foray into middle grade was definitely a success!
Plus, the narrator of the audiobook was amazing. I would say that Ireland's foray into middle grade was definitely a success!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Racial slurs, and Racism
tinytrashqueen's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death
rhiannonafternoon's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Death of parent
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