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mirable's review against another edition
3.0
SLJ review:
Grade 5–8—Fourteen-year-old Derek survives a horrific train wreck, but his father and older brother Ronny are killed. When Ronny shows up a month after his death, with no explanation, their uncle, who is taking care of Derek and the estate, accepts him immediately. But it's soon apparent to Derek that Ronny is not who he seems to be. Investigating the fact that there was a similar disaster 70 years ago at the same place involving a train full of murderers and thieves introduces Derek to the idea of translation, or dead souls possessing the bodies of the more recent victims. The book's title refers to one of the large cemeteries in New Orleans. The first title (Scholastic, 2009) in the series by Tony Abbott ends with a cliffhanger. Nick Podehl does a good job with Derek's first person narration, lending an immediacy and urgency to the story. What secrets lie ahead in the City of the Dead? Though it occasionally veers off into territory where suspension of disbelief becomes a heavy burden, this should be a good match for reluctant readers.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
Grade 5–8—Fourteen-year-old Derek survives a horrific train wreck, but his father and older brother Ronny are killed. When Ronny shows up a month after his death, with no explanation, their uncle, who is taking care of Derek and the estate, accepts him immediately. But it's soon apparent to Derek that Ronny is not who he seems to be. Investigating the fact that there was a similar disaster 70 years ago at the same place involving a train full of murderers and thieves introduces Derek to the idea of translation, or dead souls possessing the bodies of the more recent victims. The book's title refers to one of the large cemeteries in New Orleans. The first title (Scholastic, 2009) in the series by Tony Abbott ends with a cliffhanger. Nick Podehl does a good job with Derek's first person narration, lending an immediacy and urgency to the story. What secrets lie ahead in the City of the Dead? Though it occasionally veers off into territory where suspension of disbelief becomes a heavy burden, this should be a good match for reluctant readers.—Charli Osborne, Oxford Public Library, MI
jmftmedia's review against another edition
5.0
It's been years since I read this series but this was the very series that made me fall in love with reading as a kid! Easy to digest, spooky, all the fun stuff.
taliaissmart's review
4.0
Okay so I loved this book, but not at all for the actual content. My friend Madeline and I read it to each other chapter by chapter, and added in bits about Derek being prego. Consequently, I found this book HILARIOUS. :)
trixie_reads's review
3.0
The story meandered a bit and the end was too abrupt, but I enjoyed it enough to read book two.
cooks4eleven's review
2.0
This is basically one book that has been split into three books without any good reason. :(
The plot is okay. The writing is tolerable. I wish I had spent my reading time on something that was actually finished.
The plot is okay. The writing is tolerable. I wish I had spent my reading time on something that was actually finished.
carriereads's review against another edition
3.0
It's a very fast read (especially for booktube-a-thon) but not the best ever book.
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