I love a good ghost story and GHOST GIRL did not disappoint. The mystery and the endearing friendships, coupled with the pacing and storytelling kept me turning the page well past midnight. The perfect time to read a spooky middle-grade novel. Frighteningly good debut novel!

I loved this story of 11 year old Zee who loves stories and has a combative relationship with the world. Her difficulties, and those of her friends, provide depth but are never intrusive in this exciting adventure about what comes to town after a storm hits peaceful Knobbs Ferry.
This is exactly the kind of book I loved as a child (and still love). It’s full of excitement and scares, the pre teen characters are relatable and realistic, it doesn’t shy away from the hardships in life while showing the good things at the same time, while overall it talks about the temptations and pitfalls of life, and links to a truth that makes the book deeper, richer and more meaningful because of it.
If I were to nitpick, I found the resolution a little disappointing, but with the stakes raised so high it was always going to be difficult for three 11 year olds to change the world in a way that wouldn’t be a little easy in some shape or form.
I look forward to reading more of this author’s work. A definite recommendation, especially for fans of Katherine Arden’s Small Spaces series.
Thank you to the author and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of the book. I am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

I absolutely adore this book! Filled with delightfully spooky elements, fierce friendships, and a complicated family life, Ghost Girl is a dark adventure perfect for middle grade readers. Zee is an outsider. Picked on by the class bully Nellie, Zee spends most of her time with her best friend Elijah. Together, the two of them can overcome anything, even the strange events that seem to coincide with the arrival of their new principal, Principal Scratch. People around town are acting strangely and suddenly, the rumors about Zee’s mother having the ability to speak to ghosts don’t seem so far-fetched. As tensions increase around town, Zee and Elijah must work together with an unlikely ally to save their town from the dark and sinister Principal Scratch.

This book is very relatable to young readers. There are many different types of families and living situations represented in Ghost Girl. Zee and her sister are living on their own after their father leaves town to look for work. Elijah has a mother who is battling mental illness and a father who is constantly criticizing him and desperately wants his son to live the same the childhood fueled by football that he had. Nellie, a spoiled bully, has parents who seem to be uninterested in her and pay her little attention, but do shower her in the latest clothes and tech.

I really enjoyed the creepy school principal elements. The author has imbued Principal Scratch with all the characteristics of a shady motivational speaker who is secretly trying to take over the town. Watching the principal quickly worm his way into the hearts and minds of the members of the town was eerie and disconcerting. The entire town is filled with a weirdness that is hard to put your finger on and helps to enhance the overall haunted feel of the story.

Ghost Girl is an excellent spine-chilling read for middle grade readers. It has the right amount of spookiness to draw readers in and a fast-paced plot that will keep them engage.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

I was so ready to read something a little spooky and Ghost Girl hit all the right notes. It's a very atmospheric kind of spooky, with the dark woods, mysterious enveloping fog, the cemetery and of course the dark stormy night. Not to mention the scary dogs and ghosts that appear to Zee. Yep all the elements for spooky. Zee (11 yo) is an interesting character, and I really liked her relationship with her older sister Abigail (21 yo), who is put in charge of caring for her while their dad looks for work in another town. I love how Zee likes reading Frankenstein over and over again, and loves telling scary stories. Then there's Elijah, Zee's best friend who was by far my favorite character, partly because I had a best friend who was also a boy growing up, but also because I felt for his family situation. Having a complicated home life with a mother who has a mental illness and a father that placed all these demands on him, belittling him because of his weight and his desire to have his son be an athlete. I felt for his situation and think other kids could too. Nellie even grew on me, even though she was bullying Zee in the beginning, her home life was also complicated. However, I couldn't seem to buy into Elijah's and Nellie's romance, it happened way too quick, and I don't believe he would forgive Nellie's past bullying or let it slide like that. I did like that Nellie redeemed herself by the end though.

In addition to the spookiness, my favorite parts of the story would have to be the messaging that people are more complex than their initial appearance, more nuanced, and therefore we should never make assumptions based on popularity, money or trivial things. It's important to see beneath the surface. I also really loved the messaging about how words have power for good or can be hurtful. How it's important not to stand by and watch someone be degraded or humiliated, to instead say something. Even if it's just grabbing a teacher's attention. Overall, this was a fun quick read with creepy and scary moments and a satisfying ending. I'm hopeful there will be more stories with these characters. Pair this with Nightbooks by J.A. White or perhaps The Turnkey of Highgate Cemetery by Allison Rushby.

"Ghost Girl" is a great pick for middle grade readers looking for a spooky story. Ally Malinenko's mystery-horror novel will thrill readers that enjoyed "Small Spaces," or "Nightbooks."

Ghost Girl is the perfect story for young readers; it will draw in readers of all ages with an excellent fast-paced story and diverse characters.

Not Just for Young Readers
t Malinenko has done with her storytelling. Malinenko opens her story on a dark and stormy night, establishing Zee as a purveyor of ghost stories.

What she gets is more than she bargained for when a strange man named Professor Scratch becomes the new school principal, and people’s wishes and dreams begin to come true. However, as a writer, Zee is observant and notices something sinister about Ol’ Scratch.

The storytelling is spectacular, giving off great tension combined with great characterization to keep the reader entertained. Moreover, the plot addresses mental illness, bullying and highlighting the incredible idealism that being different should be accepted, that intelligence should never be ignored, and that a child’s happiness is vital in building a strong relationship with parents and friends.

Excellent Characterization
Ghost Girl also has a diverse cast of characters. There is already Zee, the main protagonist with poliosis, meaning she was born with white hair. Not only that, but even at eleven, she has this guilt inside her. Survivors guilt because her mother died giving birth to her.

Now, no one in her family dislikes her; they all treasure her, they treasure her love of reading. Zee’s family treasures her ability to put together stories, and they treasure how she reminds them of her mother. Zee’s family is full of love, but her story is about overcoming her survivors’ guilt so that she can love herself as much as everyone else does.

Then there is her best friend Elijah, who is African-American and whose father tends to put him down about his weight. His father believes that sports are the answer, ignoring the fact that his son is the smartest kid in class and that his intelligence should be appreciated, not ignored. Without Elijah, Zee probably would not have been able to be a hero.

Finally, there is Nellie. Now, Nellie is the class bully, but the reader sees her humanity as the story progresses. Nellie bullies Zee because she is jealous of the love and support Zee has. Nellie may be rich and from a respected family, but money has not brought them happiness and instead has brought her misery. She is considered not good enough and often ignored by her family. This highlights something important about bullies in society.

First, bullying is never okay, and there is no justification behind it, ever. However, some people fail to realize that while some people are just bad, others who bully often bully because they seek the attention they do not get at home or are acting as a mirror to what they learn at home.

It makes the reader think.

Final Thoughts
Overall, Ghost Girl is an easy to read novel with a diverse cast of characters and an engaging, thoughtful plot.

Zee Puckett lives with her older sister in a "sleepy town" where nothing interesting happens. That is until a storm stirs up spirits and people go missing. An outcast in her class, people ridicule her for being odd, loving ghost stories, and the fact that her mom has passed and her father had to leave town to look for work. But she finds solace with her best friend Elijah and, surprisingly, her enemy-turned-friend, Nellie, especially as things in the town become weirder. The new principal, Principal Scratch, encourages positive visualization for the things townspeople want (a-la-The Secret), but he gives Zee the creeps. Zee, Elijah, and Nellie get together to figure out what the weird hounds are, why some of the townsfolk seem to be so off, and how all of this may have something to do with the enigmatic new principal.

This is a story told from Zee's perspective. It was a middle-grade novel that gave me a lot of Stephen King vibes especially with the inexplicable occurrences in town: a mix of his Doctor Sleep, It, and maybe Cujo. The main characters were spunky and I was able to empathize well with the characters, especially Abby, Zee's older sister, as she has to carry the responsibilities of caring for Zee. I did find it hard to get into the story and I'm not sure if it was the writing style, pacing, or if there were too many creepy variables that seemed to be a lot for a trio of kids to solve. The climax fell a bit flat for me and ended a bit too abruptly for the enormous build-up of the story. Overall, however, I did enjoy the premise and this would be a great book for young readers who enjoy a creepy tale.

Zee and her best friend Elijah are social outcasts. When Zee is caught talking to a ghost on their class trip to the library, her bully, Nellie, gives her the nickname Ghost Girl. As if dealing with her newfound ability weren't enough, the new school principal is proving to be extra creepy. When people in town start going missing and acting strange, Zee and Elijah are forced to team up with Nellie to find out what's going on.

This is such a heartwarming story. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of scary imagery, but I truly enjoyed the moral of the story: take care of one another. The message felt especially timely. Zee is spirited (pun intended) and very relatable. She's got a lot on her plate, which makes her a bit of a social outcast, but she's okay being her own person. I appreciated the dynamic between her and Elijah, who has his own troubles to tackle at home. The story moves quickly and the conflict is resolved in a flash, so I would have liked more of a struggle or plot twist, but it was still a satisfying ending. Overall, this story is enjoyable and I would recommend it to kiddos in upper elementary and middle school who are looking for a scary story or an enemies to friends trope.

This was a wonderfully fleshed out Middle Grade read. Zee is the outsider in school. Picked on and bullied, called “Ghost Girl” most of the time, especially by Nellie and her group of friends. Luckily, she does have one friend, Elijah. This story does have different kinds of families. Elijah’s mom has a mental illness and there’s time’s he’s raised by his dad. Zee is raised by her older sister while their dad has gone upstate to look for work, and Nellie’s family just really doesn’t seem to care that much. The story doesn’t show everyone with perfect families, which is great. Another great thing is that Zee and Elijah doesn’t have a perfect friendship either like some other stories show. Zee and Elijah have a real friendship, just like one that MG’s have today.
When the school gets a new principal, only Zee seems to be able to see through him. Everyone else in her small town loves him and he’s all the talk about. Maybe it’s because of her powers? Zee finally gets Elijah to help her find out what’s going on with the new principal, and surprise, Zee’s lead bully, the head mean girl Nellie has asked if she could help as well.
This story is MG dark, creepy, and scary. I wish they’d had stories like this when I was in school.
Definitely recommend this story for every Middle Grade child because in addition to the dark creepy, and scary, we also have friendship and family.
**I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and NetGalley and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the early release copy! This was a spooky Middle grade book that had me on the edge of my seat. I think it would be for higher middle grade readers (11-12 years old) and maybe not younger middle grade readers. It was a little scary at some points of the story.
I definitely enjoyed the friendship aspects of the book and thought that was a great aspect!

With Halloween not that far away, now is the perfect time to start getting into the ghostly groove with a chilling read like Ghost Girl that also manages to warm your heart. Zee Puckett is a sixth grader in the small town of Knobb’s Ferry, which the book mentions is near the fabled Sleepy Hollow. Ally Malinenko does a great job of establishing a setting where everybody knows everybody and their business, the type of place where a girl like Zee, with her white hair, unusual name (Zee is short for Zera), and love for telling scary stories, attracts unwanted attention from other kids. It’s a good thing Zee has her best friend Elijah, the only person in Knobb’s Ferry who really gets her. Their friendship is one of the book’s standout parts.

The paranormal aspect starts creeping in when a fierce storm rocks the town and little by little begins affecting its residents. Zee and Elijah quickly realize that something is very amiss and that they are central to whatever is going on. While the identity of the villain isn’t all that hard to figure out, there’s still a good amount of mystery surrounding what exactly is happening in Knobb’s Ferry. Malinenko builds just the right amount of suspense, punctuated by some wonderfully frightening moments.

Ghost Girl also focuses on some very human elements, such as standing up for yourself and not assuming that you know everything that another person may be going through based solely on outward appearances. Perhaps the most important point that the book addresses is that no one can take something away from you that is not given freely. Although these may sound like heavier themes for a middle grade read, Malinenko incorporates them in a manner that’s subtle yet powerful.

With an ominous atmosphere, deep character development, and ample thrills, Ghost Girl more than lives up to the expectations of its eerie title. I definitely hope to see more adventures featuring Zee and her friends.

This spooky middle grade book is perfect for the upcoming Halloween season!

I loved the strong characters. Zee is a headstrong, brave storyteller with a strong sense of justice who learns she can communicate with ghosts. I loved her relationship with her 21-year-old sister Abby who is raising her while their father is away for work. Zee’s best friend Elijah is smart and compassionate, but he has a tense relationship with his father because of his weight and interests. Nellie begins the book as a bully, but there is more to her than meets the eye.

I enjoyed Malinenko’s writing style, and I liked the way she included commentary on gender biases, body image issues, and identify for a middle grade audience.

While the spooky vibes started off strong, the paranormal aspects of the story overall fell flat to me. The writing could be a bit repetitive at times. The backstory and lore were underdeveloped, so there were a lot of pieces without clear connections to each other. While all the big things were resolved at the end, I was left with a lot of questions about things that happened throughout the book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC.

Spooky, creepy, and a large dose of evil is what you'll find in GHOST GIRL The story is both engaging and full of appealing themes for the MG audience. The characters are memorable and make the story shine.

The 21 chapters are just the right length and the action unfolds with visits to the town's ghostly cemetery and some nasty red-eyed hounds. I was glad to be reading this during the daylight hours.

Themes included bullying, body image, socio-economic status, and mental health. They don't overwhelm the plot but provide the extra glue to make the story even more interesting. Perfect for the Halloween season or any other time of the year. A very enticing and hopeful debut. Hopeful in that I hope to see more from this author.

FIVE MORE THINGS TO LIKE...
1. Zee's favorite book is Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. It's a loving nod to one of the great scary stories of all times.
2. Each of the characters face hurtful family problems. All are believable and readers may find some familiarity in the situations.
3. Many MG books have school principals who are mean. Principal Scratch takes the prize though for the most feared administrator ever portrayed. The author did a great job of making you despise this man.
4. The third person narrations stays close to Zee and it works. She's a flawed but likable character. You won't always agree with how she deals with her problems but will understand her thinking.
5. The relationship between Zee and Nellie had a nice unexpected twist.

What an absolutely lovely middle grades story. I had a great time reading Ghost Girl. I found the the story relatable, engaging, and entertaining. This is the kind of book I love recommending to not just my students but my own kids.

The plot pulled me in for the beginning and was paced wonderfully to keep me interested all the way through. It's a quick read full of emotion, mystery, and fun. I will definitely be adding it to my lending library.

Ghost Girl by Ally Malinenko is currently scheduled for release on August 10 2021. Zee Puckett loves ghost stories. She just never expected to be living one. It all starts with a dark and stormy night. When the skies clear, everything is different. People are missing. There’s a creepy new principal who seems to know everyone’s darkest dreams. And Zee is seeing frightening things: large, scary dogs that talk and maybe even a ghost. When she tells her classmates, only her best friend Elijah believes her. Worse, mean girl Nellie gives Zee a cruel nickname: Ghost Girl. But whatever the storm washed up isn’t going away. Everyone’s most selfish wishes start coming true in creepy ways. To fight for what’s right, Zee will have to embrace what makes her different and what makes her Ghost Girl. And all three of them—Zee, Elijah, and Nellie—will have to work together if they want to give their ghost story a happy ending.

Ghost Girl is a story that did a great job of showing the main character's growth with keeping readers on the edge of their seat. Zee is at that crossroads that just about everyone suffers through. They are not really little kids anymore, not quite a teen, and every thing feels huge and important. This is even harder when you, and others, perceive yourself as different. School, family, and peer relationships are hard even when things are typical, but when you are not it get even harder. Add in some disappearances, scary looking dogs, ghosts, and a odd new principal and things are really going to get worse. I liked the balance of the supernatural and coming of age aspects of the story. The character development and growth for Zee, Nellie, and Elijah is very well done and I loved the path that they took. I also thought most of the mystical aspects of the story were very well done, and I liked that there were some unexpected things included. I will say that I rather anticipated the big bad, and when they hit the page was even more clear that they were the root cause, but I enjoyed the path the story took us on and the lessons learned along the way.

Ghost Girl is a middle grade novel with a good blend of spooky and character growth. I will be looking for more from the author.

Zee is a girl who likes spooky and macabre things like telling ghost stories, reading Frankenstein, playing in cemeteries, but when creepy things start happening to her in real life, she's got to figure out the truth behind them. This mystery-filled ghost story has elements of Harry Potter mixed with Nightbooks that will leave you turning pages and wanting to turn the light on! There's also a sweet friendship story woven throughout with themes of self-discovery, dealing with loss, and navigating hard family relationships. I highly recommend this book to 4th-8th grade readers who like mystery, adventure, or scary books.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperKids for the advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a review. In this story we meet Zee who is an 11 year old who lives with her 21 year old sister. Her mom passed at Zee's birth and her dad is currently looking for work so it's just her and her sister. Zee has phenomenal story telling skills and is definitely the future of horror writing for sure. He has a super supportive friend in Elijah who also has a rough home life. Zee and Elijah are the types of kids who like to hang out in the cemetery and tell scary stories and mostly keep to themselves as the "weird kids." When people start disappearing and the new principal shows up in town and Zee discovers her "gift" of seeing and communicating with ghosts, things really get wild. Overall I thought this was a great spooky read for older middle grade readers. It does deal with death and mental illness so make sure your kids are ready for that before they read. #ghostgirl #netgalley

I was not expecting to fly through this one as fast as I did, but it was definitely a one sitting read. I really have a soft spot for Zee as she tries to navigate school, friendships, bullies, the death of her mother and absence of her father and more. Elijah was also a wonderfully crafted character as he dealt with the pressure he experienced at home and with expectations that are laid upon him. A lot of the characters in this story had clear voices and were able to be seen easily in the mind's eye as they went about their daily lives while also trying to figure out what was happening in their little town. There are a lot of real issues that kids deal with featured in this book and honestly I think a lot of people in the target audience would be able to see themselves in at least one of the characters.

Malinenko's writing is easy to read and flows really well, while there are clear breaks between chapters and scenes, everything flows together really well. I also felt that the three main characters she put together played off each other really well, even if they struggle to be friendly at times. This is definitely a great spooky middle grade that is fun for young readers while still having depth and real world issues woven in.

Ghost Girl is the book I would have eaten up as a kid. Part Goosebumps, part Scooby Doo, all a great read. Zee is a fantastic main character - she's rich with detail and has a distinct personality. Her family and school struggles are ones that young readers could easily identify with. She's a kid trying to make sense of a grown up world.
They storyline is very reminiscent of Coraline, mild horror that sounds like an adventure to a kid but to an adult is really terrifying in it's implications.
As an older reader, I wish the climax had some more meat to it, but I could see the way it is currently written to be easier for younger readers to read and digest. It's just very straight forward.
Hopefully, we get a Ghost Girl: Continuing Adventures because Zee and her world are great imagination fodder.

2.5 stars rounded up. Ghost Girl was pretty intense. On one hand, I sometimes have students who want scary stories. Ghost Girl delivers on scary, for sure. The head villain is fantastic and his story unfolds very nicely. The minions were very scary as well. Elijah is the best of friend of the main character, Zee. He is a great supporting character. But there is something just "off" about the rest of the story. In the beginning, the main character is angry to the point of being violent. It made it difficult for me to root for her. I'm not sure that anger was resolved in enough of a healthy manner for me to be comfortable recommending this story to my 5th graders. Also, there were some highly convenient solutions to some of the problems the characters faced. There were things I liked, but in the end, this story's not for me.