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A review by citrus_seasalt
Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
One of those books I a.) got from the bookstore before I even finished my library copy (my first book purchase of the year!! Yay), b.) struggled to read the further I got in, but not out of disinterest. The idea of letting go of the characters saddened me. (…But, after going through my own strange range of emotions, I was glad the journey was over. Look, I started getting attached to this book a la “Bianca Torre Is Afraid Of Everything 2023 coping mechanism”, and that was very fun until I got to the end and was once again slapped in the face by the paternal grief.)
First and foremost, I really adored the inclusivity of the cast. Especially the queer rep!! As someone who had very fluid gender expression in middle school, Bea resonated so heavily with me. I was even able to clock when they’d start using they/them pronouns because the outfits they’d wear were similar to ones I would wear on the days I presented more masc.🥺 (Bea just had the advantage of no jorts layered over patterned leggings. And having an actual beanie! I’d stuff my hair under a cap, lord.) It was so trippy to see myself reflected in a book like that! 🥹
(Besides that, though, I did also enjoy Bea as a character. Were the twists about the reasons for all their actions very predictable? Yes, but I think younger readers will enjoy piecing everything together. And I still thought they were interesting.) (And oh, Bea influencing Jasmine’s style too😭💕that moment with her in the pink dress was just so cute.)
The sense of community throughout was endearing, made even moreso by how new its solidity and the feeling of it is to Jasmine. I thought that the neighbors felt more developed than the middle school teachers, though, likely because their interactions with Jasmine could be a lot more casual. But also because they felt the most like people, even if their emotions and issues were still viewed with the limited understanding of a child.
Of course, though, the Gay Supernatural Alliance was a prime example of character community I loved to read about! Their banter was oftentimes silly, but their friendship also felt authentic (age-typical anxieties, and arguments included). I did appreciate that while there was oftentimes conflict that came with a trio of kids with unmanaged grief trying deal with literal and metaphorical ghosts, none of it was toxic enough to make the GSA’s bond feel fragile. They were just hiccups that could be (and were) addressed and fixed.
I think in the middle, when the ghosts are just starting to be tracked but there’s not exactly a way to communicate with or trap them yet, that the chapters can get a bit repetitive. I didn’t have much of an issue with it because I thought the plot was exciting, but I can see other readers tuning out. Some other qualms I can think of are that some of the dialogue felt a little awkward—especially when it referenced modern slang, and that the ending was very “I know! We’ll use the power of friendship😃” LOL… Also, Spanish speakers (especially Mexican-Americans) correct me if I’m wrong, but some of the Spanish felt awkwardly placed?😭
I feel tempted to add more thoughts, but I don’t really have the bandwidth for it. Not now, probably not even in the future. Point is: I enjoyed this, and I’m glad to have this as a second book of the year. Makes me even more peeved that I couldn’t make it to Mark Oshiro’s book tour when they were literally in my state man
First and foremost, I really adored the inclusivity of the cast. Especially the queer rep!! As someone who had very fluid gender expression in middle school, Bea resonated so heavily with me. I was even able to clock when they’d start using they/them pronouns because the outfits they’d wear were similar to ones I would wear on the days I presented more masc.🥺 (Bea just had the advantage of no jorts layered over patterned leggings. And having an actual beanie! I’d stuff my hair under a cap, lord.) It was so trippy to see myself reflected in a book like that! 🥹
(Besides that, though, I did also enjoy Bea as a character. Were the twists about the reasons for all their actions very predictable? Yes, but I think younger readers will enjoy piecing everything together. And I still thought they were interesting.) (And oh, Bea influencing Jasmine’s style too😭💕that moment with her in the pink dress was just so cute.)
The sense of community throughout was endearing, made even moreso by how new its solidity and the feeling of it is to Jasmine. I thought that the neighbors felt more developed than the middle school teachers, though, likely because their interactions with Jasmine could be a lot more casual. But also because they felt the most like people, even if their emotions and issues were still viewed with the limited understanding of a child.
Of course, though, the Gay Supernatural Alliance was a prime example of character community I loved to read about! Their banter was oftentimes silly, but their friendship also felt authentic (age-typical anxieties, and arguments included). I did appreciate that while there was oftentimes conflict that came with a trio of kids with unmanaged grief trying deal with literal and metaphorical ghosts, none of it was toxic enough to make the GSA’s bond feel fragile. They were just hiccups that could be (and were) addressed and fixed.
I think in the middle, when the ghosts are just starting to be tracked but there’s not exactly a way to communicate with or trap them yet, that the chapters can get a bit repetitive. I didn’t have much of an issue with it because I thought the plot was exciting, but I can see other readers tuning out. Some other qualms I can think of are that some of the dialogue felt a little awkward—especially when it referenced modern slang, and that the ending was very “I know! We’ll use the power of friendship😃” LOL… Also, Spanish speakers (especially Mexican-Americans) correct me if I’m wrong, but some of the Spanish felt awkwardly placed?😭
I feel tempted to add more thoughts, but I don’t really have the bandwidth for it. Not now, probably not even in the future. Point is: I enjoyed this, and I’m glad to have this as a second book of the year. Makes me even more peeved that I couldn’t make it to Mark Oshiro’s book tour when they were literally in my state man