Ally Malinenko

Ghost Girl is one of those books to which I was drawn simply because I loved the title. Who could refuse a title like that? There is also something really appealing about juvenile fiction cover titles as well, and this one is really effective as the more I looked at it, the more I saw. I am not one to be drawn to a book by a cover title as I usually tend to chose them by the content, but I do admire the artistry and the talent that do go into them. As someone who can't draw anything more artistic than stick figures, I have a huge respect for the effort that goes into a lot of these cover pages.

Zee is a fun character, but I can't honestly say that she stands out from any other middle-grade character that I have read in this genre. As usual, she is the one who stands out in school for telling odd stories and coming from a family that has some issues so the other students don't quite know what to make of her situation. Because she doesn't follow the societal rules, she doesn't really fit into any social group at school and is the target of the usual group of popular girls. Standard stuff, really. I didn't always root for her character as she had a tendency to be mean and spiteful at times, which in a funny way, I kind of liked as it reflected more the reality of the situation of someone who is being picked on a lot of the time. She definitely had a chip on her shoulder and I do wish the author had developed this a bit more through her relationships with her peers.

I thought the writing style was fine for a juvenile fiction novel as there is a fine balance between detail and story, and you don't necessarily want to bog down young readers with too much detail. While I thought there were a lot of gaps in the story, and some of it left holes that were not fully explained, I'm not sure a young reader would necessarily pick up on those. The story was not original by any means, but it was fun, and the author took the time to place the importance on family and friendship, running themes throughout the book. And while Zee could be spiteful, she did get called out for her behaviour, and there were definitely consequences to her actions, which I liked.

I will be honest and say that I am a terrible judge of creepiness in a book as I have always loved creepy, even as a kid. The story does revolve around a trickster who promises people whatever their hearts desire and Zee is one of the few people who is immune to his tricks. I have years behind me reading horror, fantasy, and ghost stories, so this premise is not original but for a kid who is seven or eight? This might be right up their alley if they are looking for something that is creepy, but won't send them to mom and dad's room for the next month.

Verdict
Ghost Girl was a solid tween entry, and I did enjoy the book. Yes, there were gaps in the story, and some young readers may pick up on the lack of development or the brushing over of those ideas, but I think for the most part, young readers will enjoy the characters and how they eventually worked together to save their town. I definitely think this book will appeal to those young readers who are venturing into this genre as it's not too scary and the story, and the characters, are relatable.… (mer)

Malinenko's Ghost Girl is a fun, dark romp of a book with fantastic characters and storytelling. It grabbed me immediately, and then it packed so much into this one story that I found myself feeling it was all the more real and unable to put it down. I loved that so many threads and themes were pulled together as they were, and the fact that Malinenko didn't shy away from tough conversations and themes made it all the better. I'd absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes paranormal middle grades (for themselves or their kids!), and I'll be looking for more from this author.

Absolutely recommended.… (mer)