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imstephtacular's review
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Death
spinesinaline's review against another edition
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’d been looking forward to reading this one for some time because it’s written by a librarian/archivist! That role has nothing to do with the story but her school had shared the book news when it was released and I was so excited to read a book written by someone who went to a similar program as I had.
This story follows Shelley, a young Cree girl, who works with her grandmother to catch ghosts, in their hair, and help them move on. But when Shelley’s mother dies, Shelley begins to collect ghosts, hoarding them in her room as she searches for her mother’s ghost. It becomes quite a literal story about working through grief that I think worked beautifully, and I loved the incorporation of Indigenous spirituality through the grandmother’s work.
There are also subtle comments on the discrimination that Shelley and her family face – her grandmother is often sought out by police when they’re trying to track down a missing person (the author noted that she had a family relation in a similar role) but Shelley still notices that these seem to be the only times her grandmother’s gifts are welcomed. She’s young but she picks up on looks and comments that she and her family face in public and at school, which I appreciated. The author never underestimates children’s intelligence here.
There aren’t any grand statements in this story. All of these revelations feel quite subtle and just below the surface but they still work together in creating a powerful story on grief, with a gentleness I expect that is geared to its audience.
This story follows Shelley, a young Cree girl, who works with her grandmother to catch ghosts, in their hair, and help them move on. But when Shelley’s mother dies, Shelley begins to collect ghosts, hoarding them in her room as she searches for her mother’s ghost. It becomes quite a literal story about working through grief that I think worked beautifully, and I loved the incorporation of Indigenous spirituality through the grandmother’s work.
There are also subtle comments on the discrimination that Shelley and her family face – her grandmother is often sought out by police when they’re trying to track down a missing person (the author noted that she had a family relation in a similar role) but Shelley still notices that these seem to be the only times her grandmother’s gifts are welcomed. She’s young but she picks up on looks and comments that she and her family face in public and at school, which I appreciated. The author never underestimates children’s intelligence here.
There aren’t any grand statements in this story. All of these revelations feel quite subtle and just below the surface but they still work together in creating a powerful story on grief, with a gentleness I expect that is geared to its audience.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Minor: Racism
Minor content warning for
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