Reviews

Ghostcloud by Michael Mann

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dandelionsteph's review

adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Notably, one member of the Ghost Council is the fused remains of a boy and his sister, so is in some sense nonbinary, although he's referred to as "he".

Content Warnings

Ghostcloud is a fascinating middle grade book about a dystopian London.
There is this intriguing take on ghosts, a dastardly villain and children stepping up because there's no one else to do it.
I loved this book for the characters, world and way it was written. This is all indicated by the number of notes and highlights taken. I am looking forward to spending more time in this version of London, roll on the next book.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the eArc.

alexijai98's review

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adventurous lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

theweatherwriter's review

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4.0

This book was a really fun read. Might be a little too dark themed for some younger readers. There are definitely dark themes but overall I liked the plot and characters. As a meteorologist, did enjoy how accurate the weather talk is.

constantinareads's review

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4.0

This is a very imaginative and special approach to a scary story about ghosts. The conversation is clever and funny, and the plot also has some calm and reflective parts with Luke's relatives. This is an amazing story about a boy who fought hard to become free, even when it seemed impossible. I really love how Mann changed London to look like a steampunk world. I really enjoyed the dark and gloomy atmosphere of the book, and I thought the characters were enjoyable and entertaining. The story idea was very intriguing, and there was a lot of excitement and it was a quick book to read. I really liked the mysterious parts of the story and how everything was figured out at the end.

lilycrwban's review

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adventurous hopeful

4.0

story_sanctuary's review against another edition

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5.0

The story is set in an alternate London, one plagued by pollution and corruption. Children disappear. A factory that powers the city is secretly worked by children.

I liked Luke right away. He's desperate to get home to his family, but he can't turn his back on someone who needs help. When he meets a ghost and learns about a whole ghostly population of London, he realizes something bigger is going on than children going missing and appearing to work in the factory, and working with the ghosts may be the key to stopping the whole vicious cycle.

The whole story is whimsical and a fun adventure. I loved the oddness of the story world and especially Luke, Jess, and Stealth the cat.

Note: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions my own.

cupitonians's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful inspiring tense 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

4.0

Very good middle-grade debut novel by an author who is 'half' Yorkshire, 'half' Indian - just like my niblings. I enjoyed Luke Smith-Sharma's (the MC) navigation of what it means to have mixed identities, and his journey to finding himself. It does have dark themes of child labour, trafficking, and climate events caused by fossil fuel usage, but I feel that Gen Alpha readers (like our MCs Luke, Jess, Ravi and Alma) are aware and ready to fight the good fight for the collective good of humanity. I immediately added the second book to my TBR.