Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Thank you, NetGalley, for an e-ARC of Storm by Nicola Skinner.
Storm is a story about a girl killed in a tsunami that isn't able to go directly to the afterworld. Frankie goes back to her childhood home to wait for her family. The entire town is destroyed and many years later her house is turned into a museum. The story takes many twists that seem strangely odd. I was left wanting more.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an EARC of this novel. All opinions are my own.

This is not your average ghost story. This is so much more - a well thought out book full of humor and insight into the future, as well as featuring themes of neglect and parental pressure - and I enjoyed every part of it. The characters in the book were flawed and occasionally needed to take a step back and look at their life (or death!) and figure out what they needed to do in order to achieve their goals and move onto the next part of their journey. The only complaint I have was that the ending felt a little too rushed, but other than that the book was awesome. Overall, a humorous, smart, and fast paced book perfect for younger middle school readers.

Ages 9+

It's not often that we see a story from the ghost's perspective. That choice makes this story less spooky. Though the plot does take some pretty wild twists and turns It makes it sort of interesting but can also make it more challenging to read. The reality of the book's final chapters is confusing

I completely understand the allusions to Lemony Snicket in the description of this book... It is a similar twist of tragedy, dark humor, and ridiculous, but the ridiculous is in the best way. I enjoyed watching the drama of being a poltergeist unfold, as well as the journey to understand one's self, form friendships, and learn to give more to others. I also really appreciated the validation of strong emotions and the importance of letting them out healthily. It was a super fast read, because I couldn't put it down! Recommend.

This middle grade speculative fiction novel has a spunky, snarky narrator named Frankie, who is a poltergeist. She starts off as a regular middle school student, complaining about her family and wishing things were different, but when the entire family (including Frankie) is killed in a freak tsunami, Frankie wants to try to figure out how to get them back. It turns out, she's tied to her house and so she stays there for awhile, but things don't always stay the same and Frankie has to figure out why she's really stayed-To Do something or to make amends. It's fun read and I think the kids will like it.

I didn't quite finish this one before it was removed from my NG account but what I did read was really good, and I think the main character Frankie is a spunky gal.
After forcing her family to eat at a fancy restaurant in their coastal village, pre-teen Frankie and her family are killed in a sudden surge of ocean water as it comes from France, decimating the town.
Frankie wakes up in her home with no idea where her family is, or what happened to the lot of them. She soon discovers she is a soul left behind to pick up the pieces of why she can't find her family and why she can't go far from her home now that she is dead.
Frankie is a spitfire and extremely stubborn. She doesn't want to follow the rules of being dead, which includes getting on a bus with a cranky dead woman who's job it is to ferry ghost children around the world to Disneyland and other fun places that children like to go. Frankie doesn't want to join them. Will she find her family?

Readers who are a little stubborn or headstrong will find comradery in Frankie, and who doesn't love a good ghost story?

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Frances “Frankie” Ripley was born on an English beach during a storm and her parents would say that the storm stayed inside her. She has poor impulse control and a temper to match. One summer day she begs her family to go and meet some friends at a pricey restaurant in town. While there, disaster hits in the form of a tsunami, killing everyone. But Frankie is not gone – she is a ghost, waiting in her house for her family that will not return. She refuses to go with Jill, the ghost guardian, opting instead to take a sleeping potion. Frankie wakes 100 years later to her home being converted into a historical site. But the storm that was inside Frankie never left and when she lets it out, things change.
Although this is a ghost story, it is not scary. It is told from Frankie’s perspective and was humorous in parts. A very warm and moving story. I definitely would recommend for readers in grades 4 and up.
#Storm #NetGalley

I simply couldn't get into this title. The beginning turned me off from the rest of the story. I'm one of those people who love hearing baby stories! However, this sort of story would be great for readers who are getting interested in ghost stories and paranormal drama.

This was overall a cute story. I like how it started, it was an interesting concept. There were a few twists and a few times that I laughed as well.

A middle grade horror story with exhale by writing and decent storytelling. I personally did not enjoy this book because I am not much a fan of middle grade but even though I dislike middle grade I could see how good this books actually was. I will be happy to pick up another book from this author, this book specifically was just not for me.

This was a very different book. The beginning drew me in with how she was born in a storm. I stopped reading it a few times because it couldn’t keep my interest. Then, I just wasn’t able to get back into the story and left it unfinished. For now.

Frankie is a 12 year old who lives with her parents and younger sister. She was born in a storm, and her parents say that storm has defined her personality. Frankie and her family go to dinner with Frankie's friends. A storm hits while they are out. Frankie wakes up alone and in bad shape. She soon realizes she is actually a ghost. She has many adventures as a ghost while coming to the conclusion that she needs to bring back the storm to be able to free herself from her current existence. It is a light hearted ghost story for those who like creepy books, but don't like being scared down to their bones.

I really enjoyed the premise of this—the writing was engaging and entertaining, and I loved following Frankie as a character. I thought it was creative and I really enjoyed the message at its heart. I think it’s important for kids of that age to know that their anger can be healthy and valid and that the worst thing they can do for themselves is bottle it up.

The plot kind of dragged for me in the middle and I wasn’t super invested in any of the side characters, even Scanlon, so I think the story could have benefited from some consolidating in the middle and maybe a little more detail to supporting cast. But I really enjoyed the beginning and I loved the ending, so the book overall gets a 3.5/5, but I’ll round it up to a 4.

This was a very interesting story. The writing itself was beautiful and the story sucked me in immediately. I thought I had a feeling I knew where the plot was going but I was very wrong. I really loved as a reader what I came away with... living life to the fullest and not wasting my life. I think middle grade readers will enjoy this one.

At the core, this is a story of family and friendship. I enjoyed the cover. There was more humor than I expected. It started out strong, but there were some lulls as the story went on. The book, overall, seems a bit too long for a MG audience.

I LOVE the way this book (and even its plot description) focus on childhood/preteen anger and the ways it can be justified, not just something to be smothered or ignored. This was certainly funnier than I was expecting (I should have paid more attention and seen the Lemony Snicket comp, for sure), though it balanced our main character's snark with more serious topics and deeper emotions as well. This seems like a great book for middle grade readers who love horror but who also want something a bit quirky.

I don't know what I was expecting, but Storm by Nicola Skinner surpassed anything I might have THOUGHT to expect. Ghost stories are just pure imagination fodder - it's that endless question of "What's next". And this book feels like a right answer you weren't expecting.
Frankie is a great main character. Readers know who she is and what she thinks of her life right from the get-go. She's unapologetically loud and brash and daring - and that's within the first three chapters. She's so full of life it's ironic that she's dead. Readers see a bit of the mundane ins and outs of the daily life of a ghost lingering on, without the read being mundane itself, until something comes along to violently upset it all. Frankie's emotions that kept her on, made her a poltergeist, are also the key to her freedom.
If you're a fan of Mary Downing Hahn, try this one out!