“City of Ghosts” is a book written by Victoria Schwab is a
story about Cassidy, who has the ability to interact with ghosts after an
accident. She and her family moved to Edinburgh, Scotland, which is known as
the “City of Ghosts” in the book, for her parents’ work.
The book is the first of the Cassidy Blake series. Other
books in the series take place in Paris and New Orleans. It is great that this
took place in Scotland and that Scotland has become a popular setting for books
in recent years (thanks, “Outlander”!). It seems like the author chose other haunted
locations, especially with the Catacombs in Paris. “City of Tombs” was a great
introduction to the series, and it would be interesting to see how Cassidy
navigates the Catacombs with the bones of the deceased.
The story of the book is unique and creative. While it is a
young adult book, it was still a bit scary yet captivating at times. There were
events throughout the book where the chapter ended, and listeners may find it
difficult not to continue. It was captivating and suspenseful at points,
keeping listeners engaged and wanting more.
The audiobook was excellent. The narrator used her voice to
convey the story and emotions. There were some moments where the chapters ended
on a cliffhanger, and I wanted to keep reading (listening). Her voice was interesting
and inflected the different aspects of the story and characters.
The only thing that may be upsetting for some was Cassidy’s
obsession with “Harry Potter” and her praise of J.K. Rowling. Rowling has made
transphobic comments on social media, and the “Harry Potter” series has been
shown to be racist and full of other issues.
Overall, the book was well written. It was interesting to
see how the story ended and how things wrapped up. Even at the points that
seemed like details may not be concluded, the details were not forgotten, and
questions were answered. The resolution at the end was satisfying and really
sweet. I, for one, am intrigued to continue the series to see how Cassidy
navigates the next locations and how her relationships with Jacob and Laura
evolve.
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