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A review by erine
Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland
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.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Violence
Frank -- but not graphic -- discussion of slavery, death, murder, and violence.