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yoyofro's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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? Yes
3.5
I got this book for my birthday from my 11 year old brother, the book is really sweet and as far as children horror goes it’s pretty good. At the time of reading it I’m 19 so it’s definitely not meant for my age group but I still enjoyed it. I would recommend it for children around the age of 11 but for anyone looking for a light and spooky read it’s definitely worth your time
fscottfishgerald's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The book begins with Zee, a girl who loves horror and exploring creepy cemeteries with her best friend Elijah. She is picked on by popular girl, Nellie, for everything from her looks to the fact she is living with her sister and has no parents. But this beings to be the least of her worries when a storm comes into town, bring more than just a little bit of rain. Shadows and mysterious dogs begin following her everywhere. And things. take a turn when a mysterious principal comes into town. Zee, Elijah, and surprise ally will need to uncover the truth of these mysteries in order to restore peace in their small, sleepy town.
The atmosphere was really captured, especially in the first half of the book. At times I was reminded of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Just that super creepy tension building book, but probably not as dark. There were a few scenes that creeped me out and made me feel like a kid reading scary stories under the sheets with a flashlight. The characters were very well written for a children/ middle grade horror book. I enjoyed Ally Malinenko's ability to capture the broken family aspects really well for a children audience.
I really recommend this for 5-7th grade students or teachers looking for a creepy Halloween/stormy day read. I think this provides just enough goosebumps to get into the spooky mood, but not so scary it will deter non-horror fans. I can see this being a good introduction to horror for younger children.
The book begins with Zee, a girl who loves horror and exploring creepy cemeteries with her best friend Elijah. She is picked on by popular girl, Nellie, for everything from her looks to the fact she is living with her sister and has no parents. But this beings to be the least of her worries when a storm comes into town, bring more than just a little bit of rain. Shadows and mysterious dogs begin following her everywhere. And things. take a turn when a mysterious principal comes into town. Zee, Elijah, and surprise ally will need to uncover the truth of these mysteries in order to restore peace in their small, sleepy town.
The atmosphere was really captured, especially in the first half of the book. At times I was reminded of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Just that super creepy tension building book, but probably not as dark. There were a few scenes that creeped me out and made me feel like a kid reading scary stories under the sheets with a flashlight. The characters were very well written for a children/ middle grade horror book. I enjoyed Ally Malinenko's ability to capture the broken family aspects really well for a children audience.
I really recommend this for 5-7th grade students or teachers looking for a creepy Halloween/stormy day read. I think this provides just enough goosebumps to get into the spooky mood, but not so scary it will deter non-horror fans. I can see this being a good introduction to horror for younger children.
aliviasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Cute book! Definitely good for younger readers during spooky season. One of my biggest criticisms is I absolutely despise how most middle school books have their protags act like they're in high school and this book fell victim to that a bit.
That aside is was a cute and spooky read that had a bit of a moral element to it! Cute writing as well
That aside is was a cute and spooky read that had a bit of a moral element to it! Cute writing as well
twilliamson's review against another edition
5.0
Ghost Girl might be labeled for a middle grade audience, but Ally Malinenko proves that a good story is never out of season, no matter what stage of life you might be in. When it comes to reading as an adult, it's important to understand that reading has no real age limits, and while the messages coded into a book may hit differently at one stage of life over another, that does not diminish its power or its importance. Ghost Girl is proof that just because a book may be written for a younger audience does not mean that it has no lessons to impart.
Firstly, Ghost Girl is full of powerful emotion, delving into complex issues through the framework of coming-of-age. Zee and her friends face a lot of heavy issues throughout the book, facing the way words can help or hurt, the potency of grief and the difficulty of confronting it healthily, the inherent problem of searching for personal authority at the cost of community wellbeing, and the fear and anxiety of having to grow up to confront life's many problems and complexities. It's a book rich with meaning, delivered with concision and authenticity.
Secondly, the scope of what the book has to explore reaches far beyond just the scope of childhood. Malinenko frames the story not just in terms of how these themes impact the child characters of the book, but also in how the adult characters of the novel are also impacted by their own difficulties and struggles. The focus may be on children, but Malinenko deftly weaves in an exploration of how these emotions are difficult in any stage of life, not just childhood--and we need to deal with them in childhood if we want to better equip ourselves to understand their impact in adulthood.
Thirdly, because the book is so rich with meaning, it provides a natural conversation gateway for adults wanting to have difficult conversations with their growing children. Ghost Girl is a natural launching point to have deep, meaningful conversations about difficult topics. In a world so concerned with the "appropriateness" of literature for children, I can't think of a better way to help broach difficult conversations than to do it with age-appropriate literature like this novel. Complexity of emotional framework does not make a book age-inappropriate, and books like Ghost Girl are powerful tools in any parent's arsenal for connecting with their kid.
Ghost Girl is a wonderful book, through and through. It's the kind of book I would have loved as a kid, and the kind of book I can only wish I had growing up.
Firstly, Ghost Girl is full of powerful emotion, delving into complex issues through the framework of coming-of-age. Zee and her friends face a lot of heavy issues throughout the book, facing the way words can help or hurt, the potency of grief and the difficulty of confronting it healthily, the inherent problem of searching for personal authority at the cost of community wellbeing, and the fear and anxiety of having to grow up to confront life's many problems and complexities. It's a book rich with meaning, delivered with concision and authenticity.
Secondly, the scope of what the book has to explore reaches far beyond just the scope of childhood. Malinenko frames the story not just in terms of how these themes impact the child characters of the book, but also in how the adult characters of the novel are also impacted by their own difficulties and struggles. The focus may be on children, but Malinenko deftly weaves in an exploration of how these emotions are difficult in any stage of life, not just childhood--and we need to deal with them in childhood if we want to better equip ourselves to understand their impact in adulthood.
Thirdly, because the book is so rich with meaning, it provides a natural conversation gateway for adults wanting to have difficult conversations with their growing children. Ghost Girl is a natural launching point to have deep, meaningful conversations about difficult topics. In a world so concerned with the "appropriateness" of literature for children, I can't think of a better way to help broach difficult conversations than to do it with age-appropriate literature like this novel. Complexity of emotional framework does not make a book age-inappropriate, and books like Ghost Girl are powerful tools in any parent's arsenal for connecting with their kid.
Ghost Girl is a wonderful book, through and through. It's the kind of book I would have loved as a kid, and the kind of book I can only wish I had growing up.
sierra_color's review against another edition
3.0
This book could've been SO much better, and it has a really compelling beginning before.. it started to go down hill for me?
There's a lot of interesting concepts in this book, a manipulative villain who takes advantage of people's desires, and a girl who can see ghosts. That was great! But the character relationships.. no.
I am so tired of middle grade books redeeming bullies and giving them the most HALF ASS redemption arcs. This book did so. I loved it when the main character beat her tormentors ass! That was great! But then, they BECOME FRIENDS. AFTER THIS BULLY LITERALLY ISOLATED HER AND PREVENTED HER FROM HAVING FRIENDS?? GIRL, I---
I???
yeah, no. And I hated the forced romance in this book. Which is another trope I hate in middle grade, and tbh escaping romance is WHY I read middle grade. There were a lot of cool things in this book, but the "redemption" of a girl who isolated and ostracizes the main character, spreads rumors about her, and openly contributes to the main characters misery is a no go. I hated that part of the book so much. And the fact that the bully had a bad family life is no excuse. It doesn't teach kids empathy. It's a dumb message with no thought. And the villain did turn cliche near the end. This book was sweet at first but left a sour taste in my mouth, so three stars.
There's a lot of interesting concepts in this book, a manipulative villain who takes advantage of people's desires, and a girl who can see ghosts. That was great! But the character relationships.. no.
I am so tired of middle grade books redeeming bullies and giving them the most HALF ASS redemption arcs. This book did so. I loved it when the main character beat her tormentors ass! That was great! But then, they BECOME FRIENDS. AFTER THIS BULLY LITERALLY ISOLATED HER AND PREVENTED HER FROM HAVING FRIENDS?? GIRL, I---
I???
yeah, no. And I hated the forced romance in this book. Which is another trope I hate in middle grade, and tbh escaping romance is WHY I read middle grade. There were a lot of cool things in this book, but the "redemption" of a girl who isolated and ostracizes the main character, spreads rumors about her, and openly contributes to the main characters misery is a no go. I hated that part of the book so much. And the fact that the bully had a bad family life is no excuse. It doesn't teach kids empathy. It's a dumb message with no thought. And the villain did turn cliche near the end. This book was sweet at first but left a sour taste in my mouth, so three stars.
meganlee007's review against another edition
2.0
There was far too much going on with this one to give it a better rating. I love ghost stories and was looking forward to reading this but it took off in a random direction and never came back.
Spoilers below.
Shrug.
Spoilers below.
Spoiler
The lessons in the book were great, I just wish this was more about ghosts. This should have been called Demon Girl. As soon as Principal Scratch was introduced, it started to go downhill. He has a spell on the town, a teacher has gone missing (which is not resolved at all!) and Zee, Elijah and Nellie (bully turned friend) team up to defeat him. Zee develops the 'sight' and it turns our her mother had it as well as Nellie's Aunt. Random. Zee starts to see a ghost girl (the missing teacher) and this should have turned into a mystery ghost story at this point in my opinion but it derailedShrug.
scribe391's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? Yes
3.0
Set in the small mountain town of Knobb’s Ferry, eleven year old Zee Pulkett enjoys telling stories, however when her school acquires a new principal, strange things begin to happen.
d3nim_diva's review against another edition
adventurous
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
3.75
refe's review against another edition
5.0
Zee Pucket loves ghost stories and readers will love Zee Pucket. She's a little awkward, a little mischievous, and a lot smarter than she lets on. Watching this tale of ghosts and specters (and a genuinely creepy villain) unfold through her eyes is a blast, and makes for a story that is as heartfelt as it is spooky.
sydneyraereads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0