Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas by William Lashner is a middle grade novel currently scheduled for release on October 15 2019. Elizabeth Webster is happy to stay under the radar (and under her bangs) until middle school is dead and gone. But when star swimmer Henry Harrison asks Elizabeth to tutor him in math, it's not linear equations Henry really needs help with-it's a flower-scented, poodle-skirt-wearing, head-tossing ghost who's calling out Elizabeth's name. But why Elizabeth? Could it have something to do with her missing lawyer father? Maybe. Probably. If only she could find him. In her search, Elizabeth discovers more than she is looking for: a grandfather she never knew, a startling legacy, and the secret family law firm, Webster & Son, Attorneys for the Damned. Elizabeth and her friends soon land in court, where demons and ghosts take the witness stand and a red-eyed judge with a ratty white wig hands out sentences like sandwiches. Will Elizabeth's father arrive in time to save Henry Harrison-and is Henry the one who really needs saving?

Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas has a wonderful premise and I greatly enjoyed the character building. I liked Elizabeth, she had the blend of spunk and vulnerabilities that rang true for a middle school girl. Her family and friends were nicely rounded with much more depth than I usually see in novels for this age group. I liked the relationship between Elizabeth and Natalie, and how two girls celebrated their differences while keeping their friendship. I also enjoyed the relationship Elizabeth had with her mom and step father- that they clearly cared about her and let her be herself and express herself was wonderful. I was glad to see that there was some humor, and plenty of odd visuals sprinkled through the story. Although I have to admit that I sometimes found myself skimming some of the descriptions so that I could get back to the plot and action a little quicker. I liked the variety of twists and turns in the story- solving the mystery surrounding Beatrice's death, finding Elizabeth's father, and so on. I liked that it was not a simply solution, but at the same time it really felt like a long read. It also felt like it was clearly a set up for a series, and while I am intrigued by the secrets Elizabeth's mom might be keeping, I am not sure that all the build up was enough to really hook me. It was a good read, it just did not capture my attention the way I expected something with this blend of coming of age, mystery, and supernatural secrets to.

Elizabeth Webster and the Court of Uncommon Pleas is a a novel that the upper elementary and middle school set will enjoy. I liked the premise and the execution- but it was a book that I could easily put down when I needed to.

This was such a great MG fantasy! I loooooved our MC, Lizzie, and watching her navigate the horror that is Junior High. When swimming superstar Henry Harrison asks Lizzie with some help involving a ghost that goes by the name of Beatrice Long, Lizzie finds herself on a journey of discovery. Between discovering that ghosts are real, her dad is actually a lawyer to the damned, and Henry Harrison is not all who he appears to me be, Lizzie is in for a ride of a lifetime.

I really enjoyed all the characters in this (Natalie is soo funny) and the dialogue was so snarky and witty! The pace of the book moved so smoothly I zoomed through this pretty fast! You’ve got mystery, ghosts being sued, twists and turns, CReePy, and an ending that will leave you hanging! This had fun spooks and was just an all around read that’s going to be perfect for Halloween time. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.

A promising beginning to what I assume is only the first title in a series. I quite liked Elizabeth as a protagonist and her team of detectives and look forward to their future adventures. The ghostly topics they take on will be of interest to the 10-12 year old set.

This book was received as an ARC from Disney Book Group - Disney-Hyperion in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I loved this book from beginning to end. Such a cool concept that was well executed. This will be perfect for the Gothic wallflower teen that has a special gift and when the star swimmer needs your help, you get a message that your father's lawfirm is in danger and the star swimmer is at risk and needs your help! I also loved that through their adventure, they grow to know each other and find out that maybe things aren't what they seem and something completely outside the box was going on all along and then things take a new twist and the end is something that we least expect. A wonderful book that I know our young readers will be very pleased with and it will be highly popular at our library.

We will consider adding this title to our JFiction collection at the library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Elizabeth Webster is a character for the ages! Descended from the legendary orator Daniel Webster, this surly but whip-smart 7th grader brings the story to a higher level. We travel with Elizabeth from the awkward kids’ table in the lunchroom to the courtroom of the damned as she does her best to eject a ghost from a friends house and free her father from the otherworld, all in one fell swoop.

Lashner captures the middle-school characters skillfully, nailing the uncertainty and awkwardness alternately with flashes of brilliance and bravery. We have the privilege of traveling with Elizabeth, Natalie, and Henry as they all learn about themselves and the importance of friendship.

All the middle-school stuff aside, Lashner has delivered a cracking good, unusual story of a whole world of law governing the Otherworld of ghosts, giants, demons, and fallen angels. Looking forward to more of Webster & Spawn, Attorneys for the Damned.

Lizzie isn’t your typical seventh grader. Her dad is a supernatural lawyer for the damned, but she hasn’t seen him in a long time. When Henry Harrison, the new guy, moves into the notorious creepy house, the two become friends. Then the ghost haunting his house and keeping him up at night asks for Lizzie by name. Soon they find themselves pulled into the supernatural realm. Their adventures lead Lizzie to find that she is destined to inherit her father’s firm. Could Henry’s ghost have something to do with her father? What does all of this involve Lizzie and where is her father? The engaging, humorous plot has many twists and turns. The characters are affable and humorous. Fans of HECK and the Prosper Redding series will want to pick this one up.

A lot of info dumping in this book. While the premise sounded interesting, the pace of the plot and the direction it ended up going left me underwhelmed.

Elizabeth Webster is sick of middle school and her kind-of friends trying to get her to join the debate team. When the most popular boy in school asks her-- by name!-- for math help, she gets pulled into a decades-old mystery she knew nothing about, but which may have been waiting for her the whole time...

This was a fun read with a murder mystery, supernatural elements, family secrets, and unexpected friendships. Oh, and lawyers. All of which make it sound darker and more serious than the light, easy-to-read tone, although a few scenes were scary in either supernatural or real-world ways. I worry that it tried to tackle more kinds of stories and story elements than it could really hold, but I was still engaged and curious about what would come next. Like Elizabeth, I live with a lawyer, so the Court of Uncommon Pleas and the legal references made me chuckle, although I'm not sure how many kids know enough about practicing law to get them. Even though the mystery was solved in a satisfying way, Lashner left enough questions about Elizabeth's family unanswered that there's plenty of room for sequels. For middle grade readers who like ghosts but don't need to be super scared, or perhaps kids who like Theodore Boone but want more fantasy elements.