City of Ghosts (Cassidy Blake, #1)by Victoria Schwab
Published by Scholastic
Middle grade, fantasy, paranormal
They're here.
They're watching.
Cass can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead.
When Cass's parents start hosting a TV show about the world's most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh. Here, graveyards, castles and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms.
But when Cass meets a girl who shares her "gift", she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil - and herself. And she'll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.
I was super excited for City of Ghosts, but unfortunately I had misunderstood some things: I thought that Cassidy is Scottish and it made me excited since there's never enough books set in Scotland. However, Cassidy and her parents are American and only travel to Edinburgh to shoot a TV show. It's not bad thing, per say, but not what I was expecting. The thing is that the book is an ode to the city of Edinburgh, but not so much ode to the people who live there, as most of the characters weren't Scottish or live in Edinburgh. There's a lot of stereotypes flying around - from the pants/trousers to fries/chips conversation and character behaviour - and I didn't care for it much. I'm sure it's not so bad for those outside of Scotland, but after living here for years, I cringed for a lot of it. It felt a bit like travel guide, if I'm being honest.
That's the only major thing for me to complain about. The story itself was entertaining - it's creepy but not too much, and the characters are likable. I particularly loved Jacob, he's funny! There's haunting and mystery, and a nicely paced plot. It's a quick and enjoyable read, and I'm sure kids will love it. All in all, a solid start for a middle grade series. I'll definitely continue reading the series (and probably not get so stuck on Scottish stereotypes since the next book is set in Paris.)
That's the only major thing for me to complain about. The story itself was entertaining - it's creepy but not too much, and the characters are likable. I particularly loved Jacob, he's funny! There's haunting and mystery, and a nicely paced plot. It's a quick and enjoyable read, and I'm sure kids will love it. All in all, a solid start for a middle grade series. I'll definitely continue reading the series (and probably not get so stuck on Scottish stereotypes since the next book is set in Paris.)
3 of 5 stars
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