Shanna MilesReviews
Author of For All Time
Reviews
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Theo has been left at the family estate while his mother deals with the death of his father. While Theo can't seem to fit in at school, the array of ghosts and his other family members keep him busy. Actually, it's his deceased aunts, which pester him the most. In any case, he does have enough to do thanks to his paranormal talents, which have him and his cousins dealing with all sorts of situations surrounding the afterlife. That is until things start getting strange, and he realizes that there's more to deal with them than any of them every expected.
I've been looking forward to diving into this one for quite some time, but the universe...maybe ghosts... delayed things a bit. Still, I'm glad I finally got to it. Theo is a super sweet guy with a big heart, tons of determination, and even more patience...and considering his ghostly aunts, he needs plenty of it. Better yet, he doesn't attack everything alone but finds support in his family. This adds a cushion of wholesome goodness to contrast the other problems he faces. Theo also has a lot on his plate as he deals with the absence of his parents and takes on ghosts, demons and more. With all of this going on, there's definitely excitement, surprises, tense moments, and emotions too. The entire array settles into a surprisingly easy read, which will especially work well for the younger end of the middle grade audience.
I enjoyed the hints of history and myth as they wove around a imaginative world. I adds a wonderful atmosphere. Still, it would have been nice to have a bit more depth on this end to tie it better together. While the ghostly and demonly threats are grabbing, the entire paranormal world stays blurred below the surface. The background and details to build the foundation aren't fleshed out as much as they need to be for older readers. Also, there are moments where the pacing slows down, but this does allow emotions to settle in and character depth to form. There are more than a few characters, which grab attention with their quirks and personalities.
It's a fun read with humor, heart, creepy moments, and situations. Readers, who enjoy paranormal adventures and a touch of Southern myths, will have no trouble sinking in and getting lost in the adventure. I received a DRC and enjoyed joining Theo is his ghostly battles.