User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
I loved this! I mean... going into it, I knew it'd be something I'd end up enjoying. I'm kind of bias when it comes to Victoria Schwab. OKAY A WHOLE LOT BIAS. I can't help it though! She's a HECKA talented author. From the epic world building, to the luscious writing style, enticing characters, & unique stories! There's a reason I fall for her books so easily.
Rating: really liked it
Don't get me wrong—I loved this book, but how come ghost books are always about ghosts from the 1800’s or something? Why aren’t there stories about ghosts from 2015 who scream “DEEZ NUTS!” at 3 in the morning and scare the ever loving shit out of you?
This is very relevant to my interests.
Rating: really liked it
A girl who almost drowned.
The ghost boy who pulled her back.
A very haunted city.
I am really proud of this book. I hope you guys enjoy it.
ETA: OH MY GHOST, we're up for a Goodreads Choice Award!!!
Rating: really liked it
This was a super cute and fun read! I would absolutely recommend to paranormal lovers.
CW: drowning
I have read fantastic young adult and adult fiction works from Victoria Schwab and I have to say, she’s done it again with this new excursion in her writing! Her vivid story telling translates well to middle grade. It retains the same whimsicality and darkness of her other novels (I particularly feel
City of Ghosts is perfect for Victoria Schwab fans who are missing
The Archived!!) I saw someone compare this novel to “Strangers Things meets Ghost Hunters” and I 100% agree with this sentiment. The overall atmosphere of this book is immaculate and I’m so excited to read future installments in this series.
My one main critique of
City of Ghosts is that it felt fairly simplistic. The characters, though undeniably loveable, are not extraordinarily fleshed out. The plot is straightforward. I did not find myself shocked by plot twists, concerned for the character’s well-beings, etc. It was a great story. Easy to read, entertaining, and engaging. But it did not blow me away and I desired more from the story.
I would definitely recommend
City of Ghosts and will be anxiously awaiting book two!
I received a free copy of this book from Scholastic at Book Expo 2018. I had no obligation to review this book and all opinions are my own.
Rating: really liked it
ARC provided by Scholastic in exchange for an honest review. “People think that ghosts only come out at night, or on Halloween, when the world is dark and the walls are thin. But the truth is, ghosts are everywhere.”
City of Ghosts is a middle grade novel that has such a perfect spooky atmosphere, and it’s set around scary places in Scotland. Like, sounds perfect, true? And, as always, Victoria’s writing is so very beautiful and lyrical. I think this will be such a fun fall read for so many readers. Also, this is my 100th book read in 2018!
*throws confetti everywhere* Cassidy Blake isn’t the most popular girl in her school, but she has the only friend that she needs; a ghost named Jacob that saved her from death. And after Jacob saved her that frightening day, they have been connected. Jacob lives in the realm of the living with Cassidy, but Cassidy now can open and enter the veil, and see the ghosts that are stuck within it.
Even though she is always drawn to walk in-between the worlds, she has always managed to stay safe. That is, until her parents, who are ghost hunters, by the way, get a once in a lifetime opportunity to film a show about the most haunted spots in Scotland. And while in Scotland, Cassidy meets a ghost that is more evil than any of the others she’s ever encountered before.
“Once there was a woman, a beauty with fair skin and black hair, and a little boy who loved to wander.”
Trigger and content warnings for death, especially the death of children, murder, loss of a child, and abduction.
I truly did enjoy this book immensely. In fact, it might be my favorite Victoria Schwab book to date. But, a few things kept me from rating it higher. The biggest being the
Harry Potter references. At first, I was so happy, and then they became so abundant and so forced. Also, you can really tell that Victoria is banking on her previous fans buying this, because yeah, twenty and thirty year olds are going to love nods to
Harry Potter, but a new and actual middle grade audience? Probably not so much. And even me, a Gryffindor who fits that demographic, thought the
Harry Potter references were too much.
The only other annoying thing, is that this cover really doesn’t make sense. Like, Cassidy does have a cat named Grim, but they aren’t brought up very much, and when they are it is in their carrier. Like, looking at this book cover you’ll get major Mr.Kindly from
Nevernight vibes, but that’s totally not the case in the slightest. And I obviously know that authors have no control over their covers, but I wish the cat was replaced with Jacob.
“Embrace your strange, dear daughter. Where’s the fun in being normal?”
But overall, I really do think people are going to enjoy this one. Again, Victoria truly is a very talented writer and her prose always really works with me. The atmosphere in this book is completely teleportive, and it was such a fast and enjoyable read. I loved seeing these scary places though the eyes of Cassidy, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next.
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The quotes above were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.Buddy read with May at Forever and Everly & Julianna at Paper Blots! ❤
Rating: really liked it
“Stories have power," she says. "So long as you believe them.”If my life were as aesthetic as Victoria's covers, I would have had an editorial in VOGUE years ago. BUT - and that's the only criticism I have - how is the cat on the cover not a main character? Honestly, though, for some weird reason, I thought this was a story about a girl that can see ghosts (true) and her best friend, a ghost cat (totally not true). Turns out her best friend IS a ghost, but a human one. Well, post-human. You know what I mean. Not sure where this misconception came from, but I definitely would have liked that version, too.
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. Since it is a middle-grade novel and tuned for a younger audience than ADSOM and
Vicious it comes without saying that it is less suspenseful and intricate than her YA or adult novels. I loved seeing how the level of writing and plotting changes when the target audience is another. I have read so many of Schwab's novels, but never a middle-grade one and it's amazing how the author adjusts her writing but still keeps her voice.
I would have been fairly spooked if I had read this book as an 8-year-old kid if I'm being honest. It was a fun, slightly creepy and superbly nuanced novel for kids and teenagers. It talks about friendship, trust and death in a child-friendly way without giving kids the feeling that you don't trust them they couldn't stomach such heavy topics. Oh, and if you are a Potterhead, this is a perfect book for you, too.
I rate this book with 4 stars because I was not as involved in the story, and did not get as warm with the main character as I would have liked it to be. Nevertheless, I can highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a good ghost story or two.
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Rating: really liked it
”We all need someone who sees us clearly.”This was a really nice middle grade book and I enjoyed reading it.
Of course there are no horrible plot twists or especially complex characters but this isn’t what the book aimed for and if you’re aware of this you’ll not only be fine but also able to savour it properly.
”My camera was on the bedside table, the purple strap frayed and the viewfinder cracked. It was damaged but not ruined, changed but not destroyed. Kind of like me.
A little special.
A little strange.”Since this was my first Victoria Schwab book I can finally say that I’m intrigued by her writing style. I don’t know how her other YA and adult books are but after giving
“City of Ghosts” a try I’m convinced that I’ll like her other series as well. Because even though there didn’t happen a lot in this rather short fantasy book the writing style still kept me going and caused me to read on.
Actually I’m kinda afraid that I’ll fall head over heels for all of her other books. If they have fleshed out morally grey characters and an intriguing story line I’ll be a goner before I can say: “What?” XD
”Fine, seven,” I say as we reach my street, “but I get final approval. And no Batman.”
He looks aghast. “You heathen.”As for the plot in this book: It was okay and a little bit predictable, but we’re talking about a middle grade book here so that’s to be expected. This said I really liked Cassidy as a character and I adored and loved her close friendship with Jacob. Those two were a lot of fun to read about and I can’t help but wonder what will happen to them in the next instalment. There was a little bit of foreboding at the end of the book so we’ll see what’s going to happen next. ;-)
She throws her arms around me. “Embrace your strange, dear daughter. Where’s the fun in being normal?”I didn’t get warm with Lara but she’s not really a cordial character so I guess I wasn’t supposed to like her all that much. Cassidy’s parents were pretty kick-ass though and I loved the fact that they spoke about ghosts and were experts but didn’t even have a clue that their own daughter could actually see and talk to them. *lol* It’s an almost iconic irony and I was so there for it. XD
He looks up at the word ghost and clears his throat. “I prefer the phrase ‘corporeally challenged.’”If there was one thing I truly loved about
“City of Ghosts” it's the way Edinburgh was described. It made me curious about the city and I’ll make sure to visit it one day. "Mary King's Close" sounded too fascinating to pass on it and since I’m a little history geek Edinburgh sounds like the perfect place to be. =)
All told I thoroughly enjoyed this and I’ll make sure to read the second book as well.
Before that I’ll jump into Victoria Schwab’s other books, though. I’m curious now and this curiosity needs to be sated. *lol*
__________________________________
Soo I guess it’s confession time:
I never read a Victoria Schwab book!
There, I said it. XD
And now that I admitted this I’m finally going to change it as well. *lol*
I don’t know if her only middle grade book is the best way to start with her books, but I picked this from a shelf at my library and decided to go for it.
As far as I can tell there will be ghosts, haunted places and graveyards and after finishing “Lockwood and Co.” recently, this sounds exactly like the kind of book I need right now.
Let’s hope I’ll fall in love with Victoria Schwab’s books too! =)
(Because judging from all the reviews I saw, she might actually be able to become one of my fave authors.)
Wish me luck! ;-)
Rating: really liked it
Yup. Loved this. Doesn’t matter what genre or age demographic Victoria writes for, her stories are always so amazing. They speak to something deep within my soul.
Rating: really liked it
ETA: Queen Schwab has now joined the small, elite group of authors who has hit bestsellers lists in Adult, YA, and Children's releases, and I can't think of anyone who deserves it more. 💖
As someone who loves ghost stories, stories set in Scotland, middle grade horror,
and Victoria Schwab,
City of Ghosts is like some sort of literary perfect storm for me. It was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, to the point at which, when I received the eARC approval notification, I literally stopped
everything I was doing to start reading this. All I can say is that it did
not disappoint.
Some people call it intuition, others second sight. That tickle at the edge of your senses, telling you there’s something more.
Cassidy is able to see ghosts, and to travel beyond the Veil, thanks to an accident that left her somewhere in between the living and the dead. Despite the bizarre nature of her everyday life, Cassidy is such a level-headed, calm child, and I
loved that about her character. Even as a kid, I could never relate to MG protagonists who were particularly reactive or prone to outburst, because that wasn’t my personality, and I would have lived for a main character to see myself in like Cassidy. She has this “old soul” quality to her that’s so charming and sweet.
Crossing the Veil is like opening the closet door. Of course, the difference is, monsters aren’t real. The closet was always empty. The Veil… not so much.
I absolutely adored the world Victoria created here, and thought the Veil itself was a delightful touch. I loved the idea of this semi-tangible thing that Cassidy could cast aside to enter the world of spirits, and you can tell that the entire dynamic of the Veil is one that Victoria has thought out in complexity, from the consistent rules it has. I was delighted to see that, even in a children’s story, Victoria cut no corners.
The living may take strength from love and hope, but the dead grow strong on darker things. On pain and anger and regret.
While I do consider
City of Ghosts spooky enough to be considered horror, I think it’s going to be important for readers to keep in mind that this book is
middle grade horror—it’s written for children, not adults. I’m seeing a lot of negative reviews from long-time Schwab readers who feel that it isn’t scary enough or is too predictable, and obviously everyone has the entire right to their own opinion, but to offer another perspective: as someone who is a long-time middle grade horror fan, I feel that this story absolutely excels at accomplishing its goals. That said, it is on the lighter end of the MG horror spectrum, so if you’re looking to hand a copy of this to a kid in your life, I’d say it’s suitable as long as they aren’t
terribly easily frightened.
But we both know Jacob’s not a normal ghost, just like I’m not a normal girl. Not anymore. There was an accident. A bike. A frozen river.
The last thing I want to touch on is Cassidy’s best friend, Jacob—a little ghost boy who saved her life, and in the process, became tangled up in her everyday world. He stays in her home with her, and her parents have more or less accepted his presence, even. He’s supportive and protective, an absolute delight of a character. He’s a perfect best friend to Cassidy, and he’s so precious that I just wanted to squeeze and protect him.
I wish I could slip my hand into his. Give him some of my warmth. But all I can do is promise that I won’t let him freeze. That I’ll never leave him behind. Where you go, I go.
Of course, this book is by Victoria Schwab, and I don’t know if the woman is altogether comfortable with writing a story without
any sadness. Without spoiling anything, there’s a conversation that occurs at the end of
City of Ghosts that has me simultaneously eager and incredibly nervous to continue the series, because, well… let’s just say that it feels like some very uncomfortable foreshadowing, and I don’t think even the kiddos are safe in Victoria’s worlds.
If we were in a comic book, this would be our origin story. Some people get a spider bite, or a vat of acid. We got a river.
Honestly,
City of Ghosts was literally a
flawless read for me. It held all of the charms and whimsy that I love so much in MG horror, with the added bonus of Victoria Schwab’s gorgeous storytelling and characters. I am so happy that I pre-ordered a finished copy of this ages ago, because I know I will reread it time and time again, and I cannot wait for the announcement of the second book!
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you so much to Scholastic for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!
Rating: really liked it
**3.5-stars**I absolutely flew through
City of Ghosts, but honestly, I was hoping for a bit more from the spooky Middle Grade story.
I did love the premise and am planning to continue on with the series, however, while it was good, I never felt truly immersed.
I actually read quite a bit of Middle Grade and for me, this was lacking the level of humor and fun that I am used to seeing in similar stories within the genre.
I know this is supposed to be darker, as far as content, but it still could have had more humorous banter, or something to keep me engaged.
Confession:
While Victoria Schwab is a beloved author, this is actually the first book I have ever read from her.
Her writing is great. Very fluid and experienced, but for Middle Grade, something about it just never clicked for me. Again, the premise is strong. I love the idea of Cassidy's parents being Paranormal Investigators.
That's definitely a buzzword for me. The whole concept of their television series and having to travel to different locations for filming is so exciting; opening up numerous directions for this series to go in.
I also enjoyed that Cass can actually see ghosts, and interact with them, even though no one else in her family can.
I think maybe as the series continues, the plots will become more involved and perhaps we will have more of a chance to connect with the characters.
Overall, I feel this is definitely a good book and a solid start to a series.
Obviously, I am not the intended audience for this, so a room full of Middle Graders may have a completely different opinion than me.
I think if this concept sounds interesting to you, pick it up and give it a shot!
Rating: really liked it
(2.5) Well this was a disappointment but I suppose it's partly my fault.
I didn't realize this was a Middle Grade book which isn't my cup of tea. Schwab's forte is her writing in my opinion and unfortunately a MG book doesn't show it AT ALL.
This was a quick read and a little girl seeing ghosts wasn't uninteresting but I wouldn't recommend it unless you are 12 or under, or usually love MG.
Rating: really liked it
Me, in a crowd of Schwab fans: so am I like not allowed here anymore or what
I mean, this isn’t a bad 3-star, and I didn’t HATE it. It’s so atmospheric and creepy, in Schwab fashion of course, and I did enjoy it. I think one of Schwab’s best writing talents is
her ability to create fantastically strange and mysterious concepts, and that’s clearly evident in this book. It’s about a girl named Cass who can pass between the worlds of the living and the dead, and can see ghosts. This happened after she almost drowned, which is when her dead best friend Jacob showed up as well.
When I first read the blurb, I was in love with the concept of the story. A girl who can see ghosts? Traveling to a city full of them? With a ghost best friend? Then meets another person who can see ghosts? HELL YEAH.
Cass and Jacob were interesting characters to read about, and I loved their friendship dynamic. I found Jacob the most intriguing (he’s a GHOST. he’s DEAD) and I’m sad that we didn’t get to know more of him in the book. I didn’t feel super connected to Cass or Jacob, but I liked them enough.
The villain though, the Raven in Red—I loved her SO much. She steals the souls of children for herself and that’s like 100% My Thing™. We got the perfect amount of backstory from her and I adored it.
I also LOVED that this was set in Edinburgh; if I’m correct, each book in the series takes place in a different city, which I think is super cool. I loved getting to know different places around the city and it definitely added to the atmosphere of the book.
But god, the most disappointing thing about City of Ghosts was the
lack of good plot development. I’m just… so worked up over this for no reason??? Like COME ON. Of all things, I’m so surprised it was THIS that disappointed me.
I can’t say much without spoiling but it’s just like. the main conflict was kind of introduced in the beginning? And then it got smothered by other things. The issue is that there are kind of two plots here (the Raven in Red one is specifically for this book, while the “figuring out what this whole ghost thing is” plot is an overarching one for the whole series) and
the plot for the whole series just… took over.
Basically, the first 2/3 of the story were filled with 1) exploring the city, 2) trying to figure out the full scope of Cass’s abilities (and responsibilities), and 3) buildup. It was relevant to the series as a whole, but it wasn’t relevant to the specific book, and it ended up bothering me a lot,
because there was just no focus on the specific book’s plot.
Usually, if a plot isn’t good, I’m pretty much fine with it, as long as I like the characters and their development was good. And while I like how Cass and Jacob turned out at the end of the book, and the villain, I was really disappointed by how little we got to know a side character named Lara.
Lara is an Indian girl who can also move between the worlds of the living and dead, and I really thought we’d see more of her. In reality, she showed up briefly in the first third, came back in the last third, and disappeared. The blurb says that after Cass meets Lara, she starts to question what she can truly do, and
it seems like Lara is basically just a plot device. WHICH IS ANNOYING.
Also Lara is pretty much the diverse rep for this whole book so. :) :)))
Overall, City of Ghosts is an atmospheric, creepy book that will definitely keep you engaged with its fast pace and intriguing characters, but the lack of proper plot development is something that really bothered me and kept me from enjoying it more.
I really do think that this is a “it’s me, not you” scenario, so I’m really confident that other people will like it more! It’s got that dark vibe that all Schwab books have, though fortunately, there is no heartbreak. (Besides mine, of course, for having to feel this disappointment.)
:: rep :: Indian side character
:: content warnings :: death (mostly of children), abduction (mostly of children)
// buddy read with banshee #1 and banshee #2
Thank you to Scholastic for sending me a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review! This did not affect my opinion in any way.
Rating: really liked it
Rating: 4.5 stars
Rating: really liked it
that's it, its official, schwab is an actual queen that can literally write ANYTHING
- this book felt like a mix of vicious and the archived series but with a middle grade tone and i am so here for it
- i love my soft precious ghost son 😭😭
- i love cassidy as a main character, her voice is so strong but she fits her age and is the middle grade queen we all stan
- THIS ALSO FELT LIKE LOCKWOOD AND CO. TO ME LIKE GHOSTING HUNTING KIDS, YES I NEED MORE
- dont be deceived by the target audience, this book reached some creepy heights (to me, an actual Baby™) and i couldnt read it in the dark wow this is sad
- im literally in love with victoria schwab's writing, shes writes so magical and seamless, i just dont know how its possible
- MORE FEMALE FRIENDSHIPS PLEASE I LOVE LARA
- despite how much i loved the book, i did find the plot to be underdeveloped in the technical sense that its more of an introduction than anything
- i feel like the coming books will be much stronger bc they have this background to build off from, and so the hopes are high
- but really its a fun, easy, quick read about creepy ghosts
- i can't wait to see more of the adventures cassidy and her family go on AND LIKE I NEED JACOB'S BACKSTORY ASAP
- i just really love that little boy, he needs protecting guys
i CANNOT WAIT to see what else she has in store for us bc i know its going to be amazing and its gonna hurt
Rating: really liked it
Despite me being annoyed by all the Harry Potter references (they were literally everywhere, please stop), this was a solid middle grade book.
Nothing special and it felt a little rushed, but it's based on a good idea, it had a great writing style and characters with a lot of potential.
I'm looking forward to continuing this series!
