Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The book begins with Zee, a girl who loves horror and exploring creepy cemeteries with her best friend Elijah. She is picked on by popular girl, Nellie, for everything from her looks to the fact she is living with her sister and has no parents. But this beings to be the least of her worries when a storm comes into town, bring more than just a little bit of rain. Shadows and mysterious dogs begin following her everywhere. And things. take a turn when a mysterious principal comes into town. Zee, Elijah, and surprise ally will need to uncover the truth of these mysteries in order to restore peace in their small, sleepy town.

The atmosphere was really captured, especially in the first half of the book. At times I was reminded of Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Just that super creepy tension building book, but probably not as dark. There were a few scenes that creeped me out and made me feel like a kid reading scary stories under the sheets with a flashlight. The characters were very well written for a children/ middle grade horror book. I enjoyed Ally Malinenko's ability to capture the broken family aspects really well for a children audience. I think towards the end the story ended a little too quickly/abruptly especially considering how much build up there was for the ending. But I can see how the ending might appeal to younger audiences.

I really recommend this for 5-7th grade students or teachers looking for a creepy Halloween/stormy day read. I think this provides just enough goosebumps to get into the spooky mood, but not so scary it will deter non-horror fans. I can see this being a good introduction to horror for younger children.

I think this story will be fun for its intended audience. The biggest hurdle for me was the pacing of the plot. The beginning was difficult because the writing wasn't great. The dialogue and plot literally felt like someone completing a creative writing assignment. However, the quality of the writing got better towards the end and there were some genuinely creepy events and descriptions.
The story got a bit bogged down in the middle with the missing kindergarten teacher subplot and the ending was very rushed and a little too...perfect??

A delightful read! Fast-paced action and well-written characters; a book Middle Graders won't want to put down until the ending.
Malinenko's Zee and Elijah are characters we root for. They are underdogs with life conflicts and it is great to see girl and boy characters who are best friends. I can see both boy and girl tweens reaching for this book.

The secondary characters are also well-written- siblings, parents and the scary Principal Scratch. Although it is primarily a horror story, it is also a story of friendships and bullying. . It even touches on the delicate subject of fat shaming for kids.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to others by this author.

“Good for fans of Small Spaces and Nightbooks” — SOLD on that description — and after reading it, I’d fully agree!

I really enjoyed this book. There was just enough spooky business to be genuinely creepy (even to a horror-loving adult) without going too dark for its audience of older elementary/middle school kids. Friendship, school drama, family issues, grief, ghosts, demonic hounds — excellent.

My only complaint is the overly simplistic solution and an ending that felt much too tidy, but whatever. This book was great. Definitely recommending for purchase and as a possible Reading Olympics book.

I loved this book! It was so dynamic, so interesting, and I was hooked the whole time! I read it in one day. I just couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what was going on with the people in the town and the ghost!

Zee Puckett is a wonderful story teller. Unfortunately her grades and behavior are not so wonderful. She does have one friend Elijah who will go along with Zee and her hijinks. She also has a nemesis in Nellie. Zee knows she different but doesn't realize how different until a new principal shows up in town ready to make everyone's wishes come true. Knowingly, Zee sees through his charade and must use all her talents to save the town. This is a fun, fast paced, scary story sure to be a favorite with upper elementary and middle schoolers.

Ghost Girl is a delight! This is a perfect, spooky middle grade novel that all readers will love. Zee is a well-rounded, curious character. Her friend, Elijah and her bully, Nellie, are also dealing with family and personal issues that the writer, Ally, addresses tactfully. The plot is fast-paced and character-driven. The book is a quick read, with just the right amount of spook and mystery. I'd 100% recommend!