ARC Review: “Ghost Girl” by Ally Malinenko

“Ghost Girl” by Ally Malinenko

Publishing Date: August 10, 2021

Genre: Middle Grade, Fiction, Horror

Page Length: 288 pages (electronic review edition)

Synopsis:

Zee Puckett loves ghost stories. She just never expected to be living one.

It all starts with a dark and stormy night. When the skies clear, everything is different. People are missing. There’s a creepy new principal who seems to know everyone’s darkest dreams. And Zee is seeing frightening things: large, scary dogs that talk and maybe even . . . a ghost.

When she tells her classmates, only her best friend, Elijah, believes her. Worse, mean girl, Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl.

But whatever the storm washed up isn’t going away. Everyone’s most selfish wishes start coming true in creepy ways.

To fight for what’s right, Zee will have to embrace what makes her different and what makes her Ghost Girl. And all three of them—Zee, Elijah, and Nellie—will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending. (description from Goodreads)

Review:

Ghost Girl tells the story of a young girl named Zee and her older sister abbey where they live by themselves. Abby struggles with taking on the role of caretaker as their Dad looks for work out of state. Unlike other kids, Zee is ostracized by the kids and gets the nickname “ghost girl” only because of her white hair and affinity for the supernatural. Zee is a kind and creative young girl who loves to create ghost stories learning about the supernatural and just sharing her uniqueness that gets her to believe. She and her best friend Elijah thrive on finding fun, spooky things, but things really take a turn when certain we’re supernatural things start happening, and her nickname actually starts to become fitting.

This novel is so much fun! I love the spooky hints of horror, but it’s nothing too scary or over the top that readers shouldn’t be frightened by. There are definitely some parts that spooked me but the ominous atmosphere added to the story. I love the element of mystery and suspense. Why does Zee see ghosts? Is it a gift or a curse? How can she help them? And why does the new school principal seems so creepy?

I think zee’s story can be relatable to young readers and empowering too. She feels weird and outcasted but learns how to use her uniqueness as a strength and build her overall confidence. It’s a story about believing in yourself and celebrating what makes you the person you are, which I really appreciated.

Zee thought about her teacher telling her that girls didn’t behave this way, about how people expect girls to be nice and polite and small. What garbage. She was never interested in small. She was interested in the stories her mind could invent, the tales her tongue could tell, and the power her body held.

The story moves fairly fast but kept me captivated as a whole. It was full of thrills and chills, and anyone who likes solving mysteries will enjoy Ghost Girl and its atmospheric reading experience. I love the spooky vibes of the novel and its themes of gratitude, the power of friendship, and dealing with grief.

Final Verdict: