Reviews with content warning for Murder - Ophie's Ghosts

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Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland

22 reviews

charmingreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

this book is so good! i’m really surprised it’s not talked about more. i love ophie so much, she’s such a sweet character. the story is very beautiful and i highly recommend reading it.

age rating: 12+

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jackelz's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Who doesn’t love a good ghost story?

I love that this was a combination of historical fiction and fantasy… a combo I’m not sure I’ve read outside of Justina Ireland books and I’m here for it! The story covered the horrors and history of racism so well; it’ll make for great conversation with the kiddos.

Ophie herself is a force of hope as she helps the ghosts move on to the afterlife and shows the truth to those who are still living. Every character, ghost and living, has a backstory and is so well done. The point of view is mostly Ophie’s, but the old house, Daffodil Manor, and the City of Pittsburgh, also have a voice — which I found to be a very interesting perspective.

I hope Justina Ireland continues to write Middle Grade books because I absolutely adored this one.

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sunshine8473773's review against another edition

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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

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clarabooksit's review against another edition

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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.

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writtenbydnicole's review against another edition

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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

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erine's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I loved Dread Nation and a lot of what appealed to me in that series hit hard here for me, too. The fierce, flawed main character and the rich historical details combined with the supernatural (ghosts here, zombies in Dread Nation) were captivating enough that I could forgive some of the creakier or clunkier parts of the story. There were certainly moments in this one where I felt that Ophie was being unnaturally obtuse, or when her Aunt Rose only grudgingly told Ophie the bare minimum of information which (of course!) set Ophie up to make potentially catastrophic mistakes as she learns to deal with the dead. But that aside, I loved the backdrop of the Great Migration and the concept of refugees within one's own country (this made me think of both Caste and The Four Winds); the snarky cousins fully infuriated me; the sad Clara was both pathetic and terrifying.

The discussion of what creates a ghost was intriguing, too. Do they haunt places or people? How do they gain power? (Cookies!) How can Ophie encourage them to finish their journey to the afterlife, and does she even want to? The whole ghostly conceit allows Ireland to demonstrate both the ephemeral and the very real connections and consequences of centuries of human enslavement. The connection between Colin and Mr. Henry, the contrasts between the overt, de jure racism of the South and the more subtle de facto racism of the North. It all comes through very well, down to the subtle "we were here first" vibes of Ophie's cousins.

A perfect October read, full of historical horrors and mysterious spooks.

Takes place in Pittsburgh, PA.

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bookishandjoyceful's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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? No

5.0

5 ⭐ Alert!!!!! I listened to this book through @libro.fm and truly loved this book and all of its twists and turns. Thank you @libro.fm for this ALC! This is Justina Ireland's debut Middle Grade novel and it was a hit! I will definitely be looking into her other books that she has previously written because of this book! Ophie is a young girl who finds out she can see ghosts. What she doesn't expect is that this is a very complicated gift to have, and while Ophie and her mother move and work trying to make ends meet Ophie comes into contact with many ghosts who reveal a mystery about Daffodil Manor where they are working. The mystery and twists and turns ensue throughout the entire book up until the very end! This was a phenomenal listen and I look forward to more middle grade novels by Justina Ireland!

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