(Cassidy Blake #1)
by Victoria Schwab
August 28, 2018
272 pages
Goodreads Summary:
Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.
When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.
Cassidy Blake's parents are The Inspectres, a (somewhat inept) ghost-hunting team. But Cass herself can REALLY see ghosts. In fact, her best friend, Jacob, just happens to be one.
When The Inspectres head to ultra-haunted Edinburgh, Scotland, for their new TV show, Cass—and Jacob—come along. In Scotland, Cass is surrounded by ghosts, not all of them friendly. Then she meets Lara, a girl who can also see the dead. But Lara tells Cassidy that as an In-betweener, their job is to send ghosts permanently beyond the Veil. Cass isn't sure about her new mission, but she does know the sinister Red Raven haunting the city doesn't belong in her world. Cassidy's powers will draw her into an epic fight that stretches through the worlds of the living and the dead, in order to save herself.
Review
I don't usually read middle grade stories but when it came to my favourite author, Victoria Schwab, I had to pick up City of Ghosts. I knew she would deliver. This creepy little tale was engaging and eye-opening.
Through the ages there have always been speculations into what happens after a person dies. City of Ghost takes us to a familiar yet unique other world. Known in the book as the Veil and/or the in-between, it is a place where the dead are stuck. As simple as that sounds Victoria Schwab shows us piece by piece the complications to the world. The other side really came alive (yes I do mean alive) whenever we peeked into it.
Cassidy has the ability to see ghosts. More specifically she can cross over into the Veil. We spend a fair amount of time in City of Ghosts exploring Cassidy's feelings about her newfound supernatural ability. It was ironically so healthy to see her curiosity and to witness her bickering with her ghost of a best friend. Jacob's presence was a steady anchor for her. The way Victoria Schwab explained the otherworldly connections really clicked for me. Especially when it came to Cassidy's constant sense of lost. She was able to figure it out- she was missing her Purpose.
I love how present Cassidy's parents were in the story. They may have been oblivious to their daughter's situation but they were always encouraging. "Embrace your strange, dear daughter. Where's the fun in being normal?" (ARC, p. 141). Grim, the cat on the cover, only made a few appearances but whenever he did, he was precious and adorable.
City of Ghosts is a strong start for a new middle grade series. It introduces us to an unforgettable living dead world and brave and odd characters. I look forward to what other undead adventures Cassidy Blake takes me on!
*I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. All quotes were taken from the ARC I received.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you so much for visiting my blog and reading my posts!