City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab

 

Last week over break, I read City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. This paranormal fantasy novel is about a girl, Cassidy Blake, who can travel through the Veil and enter the world of ghosts after she drowned and was rescued by a boy ghost, Jacob, the previous year. At the beginning of summer vacation, Cass's parents take her along on a trip to Edinburgh, Scotland, so they can host a TV show about the world's most haunted places. In Edinburgh, the Veil is particularly strong in places and she sometimes struggles stay in the world of the living. During her trip, she meets another girl, Lara Jayne Chowdhury, who shares her "gift" and learns about a powerful ghost called the Raven in Red who steals children according to local legend. When Cass draws the attention of the Raven, she must learn more about her abilities from Lara and protect herself from becoming another one of Raven's victims.

This novel was everything I thought it would be and more. It was truly fascinating to me that someone who nearly dies could gain the ability to travel between the worlds of the living and the dead. Not to mention, I was curious as to what Cass was meant to do with her power besides traveling through the Veil to learn about how specific ghosts died and take photos while she was there. I also really enjoyed her friendship with Jacob. Because he rescued her during her accidental drowning, there is a connection between them and they go on adventures together, both being able to travel between worlds. I was very excited when the two of them went to Edinburgh, Scotland. Previously, I knew Edinburgh was a place with a lot of history, but it was eerie realizing just how haunted the city was in the story. It definitely seemed to be overwhelming for Cass, especially in locations where there was a lot of death, and I was so nervous that the Raven would harm her. By the end of the book, I was really glad that Cass met a fellow ghost hunter because although she was skeptical of Lara at first, Lara did have knowledge that she needed to know about protecting herself from ghosts. City of Ghosts is perfect for anyone who wants to read something creepy and suspenseful.

Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes

 

Over the weekend, I read Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes. This realistic fiction novel is about a twelve-year-old boy, Jerome Rogers, who observes his family and community as a ghost after he is shot and killed by a police officer while playing with a toy gun. Jerome wishes someone in his family could see him, but he is surprised when the officer's daughter, Sarah, sees him at the preliminary hearing for her father. Although he doesn't know why she can see him, he slowly befriends her and soon meets another ghost boy, Emmett Till. Emmett reveals to Jerome how the history of racism lead to his murder and inspires him to help Sarah understand her father's prejudice.

This novel was such a gripping story and I finished it in about a day. It was so devastating what happened to Jerome as the story gradually revealed the events of the day that led to him being murdered by a police officer. I was drawn in by Jerome's relationships with his family and a new student he befriended earlier that day, Carlos. Although I was heartbroken by the unimaginable grief of Jerome's family, it was Carlos's guilt that really struck me because he was the one who gave Jerome the toy gun. While Jerome's sister, Kim, knew about it, I wondered when Carlos would tell the rest of Jerome's family. I also thought it was so interesting how the author incorporated Emmett Till, a real life victim of racism in 1955, in the story. Jerome was so focused on his own pain, and Emmett was a guide in teaching Jerome that he's just one victim in the pattern of racism and prejudice throughout American history. I think that Sarah is the character who grows the most in the story, though. It was very difficult for her to come to terms with what her father did, but eventually she understood the magnitude of what happened when she found video of Jerome's murder and asked her school librarian about Emmett. This knowledge led to her deciding to make a difference by the end of the novel. While tragic, Ghost Boys is a powerful and timely choice for anyone who hopes for a better world.

Inkling by Kenneth Oppel

 

Earlier this morning, I just finished reading Inkling by Kenneth Oppel. This fantasy novel is about the experiences of a boy, Ethan, and his family after an ink blot comes to life and escapes from his dad's sketchbook one night. When Ethan meets this creature, he decides to call him Inkling. Although Inkling absorbed the ink from Ethan's math textbook and the beginning of his group's graphic novel project, Ethan decides to befriend Inkling and asks him to help with his project. Inkling also meets Ethan's sister who likes when he behaves like a dog that she names Lucy. Additionally, Ethan's dad has been stuck ever since Ethan and Sarah's mom passed away, so Ethan asks Inkling to help inspire his dad to write another graphic novel. When Ethan brings Inkling to school one day to give him a vacation from drawing, a classmate kidnaps Inkling and Ethan must come up with a plan to rescue him.

Inkling was such a funny and entertaining novel. It was full of daring escapes and had a lot of heart. Before reading, I wasn't expecting the book to deal with grief, but I found that it added an emotional element to the story. I loved the friendship between Ethan and Inkling, and it was obvious that taking good care of Inkling was important to Ethan. I enjoyed Inkling's love for a wide variety of books because I'm also a voracious reader. On the other hand, for much of the book, I hated Ethan's classmate, Vika, because she always seemed to be up to no good and was nosy about Ethan's secret when he started showing progress on his group's graphic novel project. I don't want to reveal too much, but it turned out she wasn't the story's biggest antagonist. The end is slightly bittersweet, but it seems to leave open the possibility of a sequel. Overall, Inkling is a terrific book for anyone who wants to read a magical and heartwarming story.

Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

 

Earlier this week, I read Free Lunch by Rex Ogle. This memoir is about Rex's experiences during his first semester of sixth grade. Because his family is poor, Rex's mother signs him up for the Free Lunch Program at school. Rex is very embarrassed the first time he gets lunch when he has to shout for the lunch lady to hear him because she is hard of hearing. Then, Rex is disappointed when he can't join the football team as school and his longtime friends don't want to eat lunch with him anymore. His English teacher even shows prejudice against him. On top of his challenges at school, his mom and her boyfriend are out of work and they all get into verbal, and sometimes physical, fights. Soon, Rex makes a new friend, Ethan, who introduces him to X-Men and shares his comic books. He also takes care of his younger half brother, Ford. Unfortunately, circumstances take a turn for the worse after Thanksgiving when his family has to move into government-subsidized housing near the school. Rex's mom is desperately looking for a job, though, so Rex has hope that things will get better.

For me, this memoir was a very fast and engaging read. At the same time, it was hard to read about the abuse and neglect in Rex's home because I could see just how much his mom and her boyfriend were hurting him. I had so compassion for Rex because he had many challenges growing up poor. One of my favorite parts of the memoir was Rex's friendship with Ethan because they bonded over comics and had surprisingly philosophical discussions. I wasn't expecting that. I also especially enjoyed Rex's relationship with Ford. Even though they weren't supposed to leave the apartment building when their parents left them home alone for a few days, I was happy that Rex decided the two of them should get ice cream instead of getting high like their other friends in the apartment complex. Unfortunately, I knew Rex would still get in trouble because he went against his parents' directions and chose an irresponsible option, even if it was the lesser of the two. Additionally, I liked when Ford would make Rex laugh. Although things were looking pretty bleak for Rex's family, the memoir does end on a hopeful note. Rex's story shines a light on poverty in America, and I think anyone should read it.

It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

 

Last Friday, I finished reading It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah. This memoir is about the experiences of Trevor Noah, the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, as he was growing up in South Africa during apartheid and the aftermath. In South Africa, black people were not supposed to get married to or have children with white people. Mixed children were not supposed to exist, but Trevor did after his black South African mother decided to have a child with a white European who was living in the same apartment building. He was literally a crime. Living under a racist government was not easy for Trevor, but he overcame great obstacles with the loving support of his mother and using his smarts and sense of humor. Although he often misbehaved and got into trouble, Trevor was able to create opportunities for himself to set himself up for success in life.

I read the original version of this memoir, Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood, around two years ago, so the story of Trevor Noah's childhood was already familiar to me as I was reading the young reader's edition. I enjoyed it just as much as I did the first time. Although there are funny moments because he was definitely a wild child, Trevor's life story is also compelling, enlightening, and dramatic. The suspense is ramped up in the last chapter when Trevor goes into detail about his mother's life and what happened soon after he left home. I knew it was ominous when his mom started dating a man, Abel, who had anger issues after drinking. They soon got married and had Trevor's half brother, Andrew. While things would be fine for long periods of time, as the years went on, Abel would beat his mother more frequently and the conflict reaches an explosive finale. I feared for Trevor's family because the situation was terrifying. Throughout the book, I also saw the parallels between racism and segregation in our own country and apartheid in South Africa, even though there are some differences, such as people of different races not being seen as equal and laws being nationally-based in South Africa. It was all very interesting because I only really knew a little bit about apartheid from the Disney Channel Original Movie, The Color of Friendship, and hearing about the political leader, Nelson Mandela, from time to time. It's Trevor Noah is a fascinating choice for anyone who wants to learn more about Trevor Noah and South Africa's racial history.