This is a really good book. The storyline keeps youwanting to read more.

WARNING! This is one very odd review

In a nutshell: It's a fine spooky ghostly read. But there is many a better book out there.

Me and Middle-Grade Me book discussion:

MGM: It's sort of... 4-ish? maybe...

Me: Solid 3-point-5-er. But I'm willing to raise to a 4. IF you are sure.

MGM: Um. How about no? I liked the friendship bit, and ghost mystery bit. But why SHOULD I help ghosts just because I see them?

Me: I liked those best too. She still has a choice in the end, but yes, that was preachy. Me no want.

MGM: Their families are really weird. I wish there weren't these kinds of people.

Me: If wishes were horses... Somehow I got a feeling Rose's parents might separate, once her dad finds his feet. I don't know why.

MGM: No way. He's weirdly attached to that iceberg.
You know, I really really didn't like the "You are dead and ghostly! You died!" bit. Maybe if she realised it herself and held on to say goodbye to the other girl. Or something.

Me: Oh I know. People like to ignore the obvious if they don't like it. I thought that was a bit melodramatic, but it IS accurate emotion-wise. I just don't care for the woe-is-me. And personally, I would have liked for the ghost to help in a ghost-fight or something. Like maybe holding off some scary deadly shadowy monster-ghost or holding down a vengeful spirit for a cleansing ritual.

MGM: That sounds exciting. And a bit more Purpose.

Me: It's a middle-grade book.. A kid book.

MGM: It's not like I read only age-appropriate books, you know.

Me: Me too. That's why we are here to begin with.

MGM: Sorry. But it WAS an interesting read.

Me: Yes. Hard to put down. But I already feel it fading from me mind.

MGM: That's kind of disappointing, isn't it? I wanted more from this book.

Me: Well, it's pretty solid but not without flaws. I'm not the one it was written for and I actually liked it quite a bit. Just not the whole thing.

MGM: I don't know how many stars to give. I liked it, but I didn't like like it.

Me: Well, I was going to give 3. Yes, I know I said 3.5 but I didn't like it THAT much.

MGM: Okay.

Me: That's... way too easy.

MGM: I'm just a memory. I may have chucked it straight off. Who knows?
We have other books to read. Like Gaiman. And Pullman. And Diana Wynne Jones. Brothers Grimm. Jonathan Stroud. We could read or re-read a Bradbury. Or re-read Alanna.
Or Narnia, there is ALWAYS Narnia.

Me: We DO! Yes, we CAN. LET'S!


(this was weird, but I couldn't do this differently for some reason) ( )

I really really love reading books set in my city! I like being able to picture exactly where the characters are. Next time I'm in the area I'm going to check out the cemetery.
Rose and Polly were lovely characters. I kept reading because I really wanted to find out what was going to happen to them. And I was pretty sure some character or another was going to end up being a ghost. I thought there was some good insight into what it's like to be a kid - how you can be lonely when no one is around but also lonely when everyone is around. The ghost story was interesting. I was engrossed the whole time I was reading, but I also feel like there could have been a bit more fleshed out either with the characters or the story - but not to the extent that I think it diminished my pleasure in reading it. ( )

The Swallow had a lot going for it. Unfortunately, it had a few significant drawbacks as well.
Polly is a 12-year-old girl who is largely ignored by her huge family. She seeks refuge from the noise of all the brothers and sisters in the attic of their duplex. Rose is a 12-year-old girl, who is an only child, and is also largely ignored by her parents. She also seeks refuge in her attic, on the other side of the same duplex. Polly is obsessed with ghosts and longs to see one. Rose sees ghosts all the time and longs for them all to go away and leave her alone. When the two girls meet, an odd friendship develops. Polly is almost convinced that Rose herself is actually a ghost.
This is quite the plot-heavy book. I would recommend reading it in as short a time as possible, as so many things are going on it's easy to forget parts. Each chapter has two parts: First the told by Polly, then the told by Rose. One problem is that Cotter writes both girls sections in exactly the same voice, so I frequently found myself forgetting which girl was telling this portion of the story and having to go back to look. She also tosses a lot of red herrings into the mix, which serves to confuse things more.
If you are familiar with the movies "The Sixth Sense" or "Angel Heart," that type of suprise revelation at the end seems to be what the author is after. She succeeds to a degree, but I got confused so many times on the way there it didn't have the impact it should have. There doesn't seem to be any deeper theme to the narrative. None of the characters grow or become better people as a result of the events in the story.
If you like a ghost story with some surprise twists, I'd recommend it. If that's not your thing, then better to skip this one. ( )

'Twas a bad case of cover love that drew me to this book. In a world packed to the brim with covers that blend together, the beautiful simplicity of The Swallow: A Ghost Story called to me. Once I'd read that it was set in the 1960's, and rife with ghostly happenings, I was sold. I love Middle Grade reads anyway, but this one in particular seemed something I'd all but devour.

Things started out well enough. Although I wasn't completely in sync with Polly or Rose, I was fascinated by their shared ability to see ghostly apparitions. From the first moment that Polly mentioned seeing the specters, the book had this slight air of menace. I know, that sounds odd. It's just that Cotter does a wonderful job of helping the reader understand that Polly's particular ghost isn't quite nice. Not nice at all, in fact. That being said, for the age group that this is aimed to, I'd be a bit wary. There are mentions of ghostly attacks that, while they didn't bother me one bit, might spook a younger reader.

What I couldn't get enough of during this read, truth be told, was the setting. I don't want to say too much and risk spoiling anything, but I would so have loved to live in Polly's or Rose's homes. They spoke of times gone past. Of hidden secrets, and musty attics. Even now, as an adult, I can't help but fall in love with places like these. When I was a child I would have loved to explore a place like this, ghosts or not. I suppose things never change, do they?

I wish I knew what exactly kept me from really enjoying this story. It truly has all the markings of a journey I'd normally fall in love with. Cotter writes of friendship and mystery, all with an undercurrent of deep uncertainty. I didn't dislike Polly or Rose, and the writing was smooth enough. Somehow it just lacked that bit of extra. The piece that keeps me glued to the page, and wanting to come back for more. That's all I can offer up to you. The Swallow: A Ghost Story is a fine read. It'll appeal to many a bookworm. It just wasn't exactly what I was looking for. ( )