City of Ghosts (City of Ghosts, #1)

by Victoria Schwab

[Quirky Cat]

I know I am very late to the game, but I finally sat down to read City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. I'm trying to read through her whole backlog, and thus far, I have loved everything I've tried. City of Ghosts is the first novel in the Cassidy Blake series, a young adult/middle-grade series following a girl who can see ghosts.

Cassidy Blake's parents are a ghost-hunting duo, which is a bit ironic. You see, they can't see ghosts. But their daughter can. Not that Cassidy has been quick to tell anybody her secret. In fact, only her best friend knows the truth, and he won't be telling anyone anytime soon.

Her parents just got the ghost-gig of a lifetime, signing on for a new show called The Inspectors. Their first stop is Edinburgh, one of the most haunted places in the world. How will Cassidy cope with seeing this many ghosts?

“Embrace your strange, dear daughter. Where’s the fun in being normal?”

City of Ghosts was a fun and oddly endearing introduction to the life of Cassidy Blake. There is something utterly charming about her story – and I can't quite put my finger on why. Perhaps because it reminds me of a show, I used to love growing up? (Any guesses?)

I'm only one book into this series, and I can already tell that more than meets the eye about Cassidy – and her powers. The same could be said about her best friend, Jacob. I'm dying (perhaps not the best term here) to learn more about what is happening there."

“Stories have power," she says. "So long as you believe them.”

This is the perfect ghost story for readers who love the supernatural – but aren't looking for something super gory or terrifying. It has the right amount of haunting vibes without going too far. This also happens to make it perfect for a broad range of audiences, including middle-grade readers, young adults, and anyone else interested (myself included).

There is one thing that dates the release of City of Ghosts – all of the Harry Potter references, and boy, are there A LOT of them. So if this is a subject you're actively trying to avoid at the moment, I have bad news for you.

When deciding to read City of Ghosts, I went with an odd combination. I read it, and I listened to the audiobook narrated by Reba Buhr. Buhr did a fantastic job, not only with Cassidy's voice but Jacob and everyone else as well. It made the experience all the more entertaining. So much so that I believe I'll be following this combination for the rest of the series.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks