Summary: Ever since Cassidy Blake almost drowned (correction: she did drown, but let’s not think about how she’s still alive), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead and enter the world of ghosts. At least she got a comic-loving best friend out of it. But Cass’s life with ghosts doesn’t end here. When Cass’s parents get their own TV show about the world’s most haunted destinations, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Aka the city of ghosts. In a city filled with phantoms and restless spirits, Cass realizes she has a lot to learn about the Veil and herself.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Since I am starting to enjoy middle grade more and more, it’s pretty exciting that City of Ghosts is the first middle grade novel I’ve reviewed on Fangirl Fury. How could I not read Victoria Schwab’s first middle grade and latest release??

Every now and then, I’m in the mood for a fun paranormal story and Victoria Schwab completely delivered with City of Ghosts. It was so much fun reading Schwab’s take on the ghost world and learning about the Veil and the family’s own history with ghosts. How cute is the name “The Inspecters”?? I liked seeing the contrast between Cass’s relationship and her parents’ relationship with ghosts. I wish Cass’s parents could be a bit more understanding of their daughter’s uh, situation, but then I guess we wouldn’t get Cass and Jacob’s hijinks.

Cass is a really great MC , and she’ll inspire the adventure inside all readers. She’s a Gryffindor after all! Jacob is also a really fun sidekick- I promise I’ll buy him an automatic page turner if that’s a thing; he can’t pick up anything physical!. I guess it’s part of the middle grade genre, but I like how Jacob and Cass have a strictly best friends relationship (or so I hope). I think if City of Ghosts were a typical YA book, they might have been paired as love interests. His humor really made me laugh, especially when he gets his Harry Potter terminology mixed up. I mean how could you not laugh at “Tumbledore”??

Speaking of Harry Potter, there’s loads of Harry Potter love and history packed into the story, with the main setting of Edinburgh, Scotland! Cass gets to experience some HP history in Edinburgh, and even without all the HP-goodness, Victoria Schwab really brings Edinburgh to life. And I’m not just talking about the walking and talking spirits. I think her amount of research into Edinburgh and the paranormal is really evident, especially during the Blake’s filming about the city. Also, how could you not love Finley as our/the Blakes’ tour guide??

Overall, City of Ghosts is a fun, paranormal take in the middle grade world and I’m really excited to see the next installment in this what-I-think-will-be-a-series from Victoria Schwab. 

This review is based on an advanced reading copy. By no means did receiving this ARC affect my thoughts or opinions.

How lucky are we that Queen Schwab is blessing us with not one, but TWO new books in 2018 (not to mention The Steel Prince!)?? How excited are you for City of Ghosts? VENGEFUL ANYONE?? Share in the comments!