Ghost Squad, (Hardcover)

My grandson wanted the book!

GHOST SQUAD IS SO AMAZING! Okay, seriously, I really loved this book. I read it a few months back near Halloween and it was such a perfect read and I am SO excited to be able to read it again once the book comes out. Okay. SO let's get into this review (I'm not a reviewer but I LOVE books so hear me out in my rambling). Lucely is SUCH a great main character. I literally cried when I read the first chapter because of her motivations and her dedication to helping her father, it really touched me. Especially as a Latino, I know that as children, we immediately feel a sense of responsibility over our parents and we end up having to grow up a lot sooner than we'd like. SO IT WAS REALLY CUTE AND I LOVE IT. And also, the ghosts? The ghosts of her family? Of course I got emotional. And then we get into such a fun adventure between her, her best friend Syd, and Syd's grandmother Babette (who is a witch, by the way, and also really awesome). The dynamics between Lucely and her family are beautiful, but what I love about this story is that it also showcases Lucely's found family as well with Syd and Babette. They are just as important emotionally in the story and I think it's beautiful because although Lucely has a really big family, they are mostly ghosts. If I remember correctly, all she has is her father. And that's okay. I'm really trying not to spoil anything in the story because we're still sometime away, but there's so much heart and humor and fantasy in this. I genuinely teared up a few times and laughed out loud at the jokes and just really loved the world that Ortega brought us into. This read is perfect for any time of year, especially when you're missing your loved ones. This story brings comfort that they haven't really left us after all.

This book was recommended to me by some friends and I'm so glad it was. I enjoyed reading this none so much. Chunk was a favorite of mine. The story was unique and pulled me in from the start. I will be reading more by this author.