4.5 stars

There's more to this story than originally meets the eye ... and that's always a good thing!

I've never read anything by this author, but I will certainly be checking out her books! Characters are well-crafted and relatable. The voice is a perfect match for the target audience (though I'm beyond that age group, and the story kept me thoroughly engaged while trying to figure out what was going on!). Ursu totally captures the emotional roller coaster known as middle school, and I'll be recommending this book to my teacher friends.

I wasn't familiar with "The Yellow Wallpaper," which this story gives a nod to, so I appreciated that information in the author's notes.

I love that the author addresses, seamlessly weaves in, and brings awareness to invisible illnesses (ME/CFS and even mentions of Long Covid). As someone familiar with such diagnoses, I could tell before the author's note that this story was coming from a personal experience. I almost stopped reading with the Covid mentions, as I'm not ready to go there yet, but it was minimal and done in an appropriate manner. I loved the incorporation of Will's dad, as he's exactly what everyone who lives with a chronic illness hopes to find. I also loved how Violet's parents believed what she was telling them, even when the doctors did not. And that latter fact is all too familiar for those living with a chronic illness, who are often told it's "all in their head." This book is a must-read for anyone who's struggled with middle school, friendships, or a chronic illness.

Violet and her family move to a new house, and Violet gets stuck taking the creepy attic room with the super ugly, vaguely creepy wallpaper. She's already struggling to adjust to middle school and navigate her changing friendships and then she starts getting sick. Her symptoms are just broad enough that it could be anything -- or nothing -- and she's accused of faking her illness. As she spends more time in the attic with the wallpaper and its secrets, Violet is convinced there might be something in the attic with her that wants to hurt her.

This was SO GOOD! I loved The Lost Girl by Ursu (side note: whoever designs her covers should get an award) and was super excited to read this. I loved how she addressed invisible illnesses within the context of a horror story and appreciated the nod to The Yellow Wallpaper. I think the kids at my school are going to love this -- can't wait to recommend it!

I absolutely loved this book. We need a new name for this genre that blends realistic fiction, horror, and fantastical elements. The book's first half is realistic, and it captures so well the angsty, emotional rollercoaster that Violet experiences as she begins middle school, moves to a new home, and navigates transitions with friends and siblings. She is a classic introverted middle child who wants to make peace and please everyone around her. She's had the same two best friends forever (they got even closer as a pod during Covid) but as they enter middle school, her friends want to go from a pod to a squad. But, entering middle school corresponds with moving to a new home with her own room in the attic that just may be haunted. Then Violet gets sick and no one can figure out what is wrong with her. Enter creepy ghosts and scary noises that turn this from a more typical realistic story to a low-key horror story. This book manages to be emotionally intelligent and resonant and a page-turner with excellent character development. I particularly like that it honors and acknowledges the challenges kids face when they are dealing with physical and mental health issues.

Anne Ursu has a way of weaving together beautiful prose with down-to-earth dialogue and description, and is the only author who could pull off telling a story about chronic illness in the most page-turning way possible. I loved this book, and I’m sure middle school readers will, too.

In 1892, Charlotte Perkins Gilman published a short story called "The Yellow Wallpaper." We can interpret it to be about many things, but squarely placed among them is the fact that the unnamed narrator is suffering from post-partum depression and has been prescribed a "rest cure," which isn't helping. Viewed through this lens, Gilman's story is about how the medical establishment ignores or writes off women's pain and mental health, and that's the piece that Anne Ursu carries through into her middle grade retelling of the tale. Ursu's protagonist, Violet, has just started middle school, and that's not going very well. Her friend group is changing in ways she doesn't like or understand, her older sister is deep in the throes of teenage angst, and her family has just moved into an old Victorian house, where Violet has been made (by her sister) to take the isolated attic bedroom, which is covered in hideous yellow wallpaper. All of these things allow medical professionals to write off Violet's physical maladies as "hysteria" or "all in her head," an all-too-familiar diagnosis girls and women are given when they have an invisible illness.

But it's <i>not</i> all in Violet's head, not even the malevolent spirit hiding behind her wallpaper. The spirit, which shakes the paper and creeps along behind it like Gilman's woman in the wallpaper, is using Violet's infirmity to try to take over her body, but she's not the one who made Violet ill - that's a very important detail here. Violet really is suffering, and I love that her parents never stop believing her, even when doctors repeatedly try to dismiss them. And while the girl in the wallpaper is scary, the fact that most people think Violet is making up her physical condition is far more frightening - take it from someone who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at thirteen after years of being told to "stop being such a girl" by doctors, and who still has to fight with doctors who don't believe it's real thirty years later.

Although they don't use it quite the same way, Ursu's story is still about freeing yourself from the woman in the wallpaper. Where Gilman's narrator pulled it all down to become free, Violet acknowledges that the paper is there and frees herself from it with knowledge. But either way, the truth still remains: you can paper us over, but our pain will always bleed through.

This middle grade read handles chronic illness, typical middle school adjustments, and moving. The main character, Violet, is also dealing with a ghost alongside this. I think the book captured Violet’s experiences really well. I really enjoyed this book and recommend it for kids, especially those who deal with chronic illness. Something I really appreciated was how the story handled doctors not always hearing patients and having to get multiple opinions over weeks from a middle school perspective.

There is one house on Katydid Street that looks like it's been shut out by the others. It happens to be Violet's new home and although when entering it seems like there is a sense of safety, the attic reveals its true self. Ursu introduces Violet's new home as a secondary character which with a book that promises ghosts makes it all the more enticing to read. There is a quiet, unease coming from the attic which is Violet's new room. When she becomes sick you don't know what to make of it all especially when one of her best friends and even doctors don't believe her. You begin to question what's real and what's not as a reader making this a fascinating read.


Violet was dealing with moving to a new home, starting middle school, insecurities with her friends and family, and a possible ghost in her house. A lot was going on with her and they all connected with each other. I thought Not Quite a Ghost had a brilliant concept and it easily captured my attention. Violet's family was always supportive of her which is rare to find in middle grade so I particularly appreciated that. Although mentioning COVID did age the book and the slower pace might not appeal to everyone, I think readers who like more psychologically spooky reads would enjoy this one.

Violet isn't excited about moving - especially not into a creepy house where her bedroom has hideous wallpaper. To make matters worse, get beat friends seem to be growing away from her. Then she gets sick, but nobody can seem to figure out what's wrong. Is there something in the house making?

This book offers a nuanced portrayal of invisible illness and the often frustrating lack of support. Violet and her family feel real and engaging, and it's great to see family support. The difficulties Violet goes through with her friends also feel real, and it is just as heartwarming to watch her make new friends.

This will be a good book for the target audience, but it was taking way too long to get into the good parts for me to continue the story. I appreciate the world building, but it was too much for me to stay interested, unfortunately. I would definitely get a copy for my library if it were an affordable price!

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu is a good middle grade creepy house story. Violet has moved into the house with her new step family and finds some strange sensations in her new room. Along with contending with her best friend who seems to be moving on and becoming very ill, Violet has to try to find out what the evil is in the house and try to make everything well. This is a good story with enough creepiness to enjoy and Violet is an engaging protagonist.

This is a deliciously creepy middle grade novel that explores important themes of blended families, changing middle school friendships, and invisible illness. Anne Ursu brilliantly balances Violet's descent into illness with the haunting of the girl in the walls. A terrific read.

Anne Ursu’s book is a mash-up of middle grade tropes—merging into a larger middle school with kids from several elementary schools, growing distance between two siblings, family drama with a dad who left, new step-dad and half-brother, shifting friendships—plus a seriously creepy ghost trapped in the attic’s ugly wallpaper. There is a mysterious illness plaguing the book’s main protagonist, Violet, as well. Combining all these elements made for a great read for me, but may make it difficult for librarians to find just the right readers as the drama-loving readers may be disturbed by the ghosty girl who tries to take over Violet’s body as wish the focus stayed on the selfishness of former besties Paige and Ally and the budding friendship with previously homeschooled Will and the fans of all things horrific might skip over the relationship woes. There will be those in both of those groups who don’t understand if Violet is ill because of the stresses of changing friend groups in middle school or because she is being overtaken by the girl in the yellow wallpaper. The author’s note after a seriously creepy de-haunting of the house on Katydid Street sets everything straight and informs those who actually read end notes that it is truly a threefold story (school drama, a haunting, and an illness) with overlapping threads and an exploration of chronic fatigue syndrome as well as other “invisible” illnesses. I found that the elements blended nicely into a winning book with great representation: Violet’s biological parents are both Caucasian and wonderful step-dad is Black, two of Violet’s friends live in homes with same sex parents (not a key part of the plot but smoothly incorporated into book events), and Violet’s parents and one doctor are shown to be supportive even when others doubt her.

Oh this was PAINFUL. I don't normally read contemporary middle grade, but I auto-requested this because of how much I loved the Troubled Girls of Dragomir Academy by this author. This is mainly contemporary with a slight haunting/magical realism plotline.

Mainly, it's a commentary on friendship, particularly between girls in middle school/junior high, as well as chronic illness. I highlighted SO many lines, and teared up. If you've ever struggled with your friendships or your body, this is for you!

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for this DRC.
Violet has just started middle school, moved to a new home and has a blended family. It’s a lot for a young girl, but the worst part is the creepy floral wall paper in her new room that sometimes looks like there are eyeballs in it. When Violet becomes ill and doesn’t recover the question becomes is it the house or is she faking it?

I did not put this book down. It was so mysterious, keeping right on the edge of is there really something creepy going or not? When will it happen? The wallpaper immediately made think of an Agatha Christie where the wallpaper had arsenic in it. I kept trying to solve the mystery of the house and her illness. I failed, but the answers were amazing! Make sure to read the author’s notes at the end.
#NotQuiteaGhost #NetGalley

I loved this story so much. It was wonderful. The main character was my favorite.
10/10 recommend it to all

Thanks to NetGalley for allowing me to read this in exchange for an honest review.

A young girl grapples with an invisible illness while something strange and supernatural keeps lurking around her room. This was great, even though it kind of felt like two completely different books squished into one. Would have loved more supernatural bits.

Anne Ursu is the only writer who could deliver us a MG grade re-telling of the yellow wallpaper! Spooky, lyrical, and beautifully written Not Quite A Ghost is storytelling and truth telling at its best. At once a story of empowerment and fighting to be heard, this is a book certain to win hearts and open minds.

Thank you to Balzer and Bray, and Netgalley for the E-Arc

I didn't expect that this book would take this turn and it was the best. I am so grateful to the author for writing this story. It made me cry at the end and this is why (without spoilers) I related to it more than I expected being an adult. I am grateful that children will read this story and get empowered to fight for their health. The author's note at the end says it all. And again, as a person who has been misdiagnosed for years, it made me cry, to have someone stand up for me even when the author will never know me. But she does. She knows what people like her, you, and me are going through when you are certain that something is wrong with your body and people dismiss it with an easy solution like hysteria, rough times, it's the age as in... being a teenager, or an older woman. Thank you again for writing this book. 

The story is inspired by a short story by American author Charlotte Perkins Gilman, who needs to get a lot of bed rest to cure her disease and goes mad by watching the hallucinations created by the wallpaper. I remember reading it in 1996 and it changed my way of thinking about writing and so many other things. 

Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu is not a retelling or modernization, it's inspired by the same concept of doctors dismissing us quickly. It still has a very middle-grade core and vibe where Violet is struggling with divorced parents, trying to fit and keep up with trends, moving to a new house, a new family structure, a new baby brother, middle school, new friends, old friends being bad friends, and making new friends with the same interests. Reconstructing the relationships in the family and in the community. I loved this book. 
Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this eARC.

This book was amazing. I couldn't put it down. Perfect spooky vibes, met with a strong female character struggling to find people who believe and support her. The characters were well developed and the story was strong and well paced. I absolutely loved it and will definitely recommend.

Oh my goodness. This book was so hard to put down for things like sleeping but also made me really glad we don’t have any wallpaper in the house! What a spooky story full of normal and not so normal things about growing up. While the main character is 11 and in 6th grade, this is definitely a book for middle school or older, very shiver inducing even for me as an adult! Great writing and a great horror story overall!