The author and cover alone drew me to this book, but the characters are what really make it shine! Lila is feeling insecure and is afraid to be herself when her two closest friends ditch her for being overly dramatic. This is the state she is in when she learns her grandpa has died and her family has inherited a haunted hotel. Will Lila be able to regain her confidence as she tries to uncover the mysteries surrounding the hotel, and will she discover what it means to be a true friend? I think my middle schoolers will enjoy this book and I plan to purchase a copy for our library. Thank you to NegGalley for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

What worked:
Lila is the overly dramatic main character whose two best friends are tired of her exaggerated reactions to everything. She texts them an SOS that she’s being forced against her will to attend her grandfather’s funeral and is surprised they don’t share her angst. It’s perfectly normal to attend the funeral of a loved one who’s died. Lila’s parents and brother aren’t sympathetic to her constant emergencies either, so she’s reluctant to tell them she can see ghosts. She’s going to be a rock this time, unwavering with her emotions fully under control, although inside, she’s freaked out and scared.
Lila has an instant ally in Teddy, her grandfather’s young neighbor. Teddy has always had an interest in ghosts, and Grandpa Clem was willing to answer all of his questions. Grandpa was “high channel” (able to see and speak to ghosts), and it seems Lila is too. Teddy immediately accepts that Lila has seen her grandfather and offers to solve the mystery of how he died. Grandpa Clem doesn’t know who poisoned his tea, but he’s sure he was murdered. Readers will identify one character as the obvious, prime suspect, but the details surrounding the portal in the attic take longer to emerge.
This is a ghost story, and there are plenty of them to satisfy young readers. They range from an innocent four-year-old girl to a threatening sharpshooter from the Old West. Lila is confused when ghosts ask her questions she can’t answer, and others tell her to “step right up”. Grandpa Clem’s old business partner is willing to share information about the afterlife, but Lila isn’t sure she trusts him. She’s sure he’s not telling her the complete truth, and there are puzzling pictures on his walls. Other photos found at the library provide some answers but create new questions, too. Lila knows everything revolves around the portal mirror, and she knows she’ll eventually need to be intrepid enough to open the locked door at the top of the steep, narrow attic stairs.
What didn’t work as well:
I read an advanced copy of the book and didn’t get to experience the interactive aspect of it. The finished edition will allow readers to scan QR codes on certain pages to “talk” to ghost characters in the book. The plot builds to a climax that may not be as suspenseful as some readers would like. However, it comes to a satisfying resolution.
The final verdict:
Young readers will understand Lila’s severe anxiety, although she takes it to the extreme. She fits the term “drama queen”, but her long road to courage is eventful. This book will appeal to middle-grade ghost lovers, and I recommend you give it a shot.

Thank you to Scholastic and NetGalley for providing the e-arc for my honest review.

After an argument with her best friends, Lila is determined to spend summer break proving to them she isn’t dramatic. But her resolve is tested after her estranged grandfather dies, leaving behind a house filled with secrets and entirely too many ghosts.

With the help of her brother Caleb and new friend Teddy, Lila discovers there’s something suspicious about her grandfather’s death, and that someone is interfering with the ghosts’ ability to move on and causing dangerous nightmares in the living. Will she be able to find and stop who’s behind it before things get worse?

The Last Resort really shines when Lila responds to her situation with maturity and bravery. Further, I appreciate that Erin Entrada Kelly doesn’t shy away from representing the reality of difficult relationships with clear-eyed compassion. The scenes with Lila and her friends back home certainly reminded me the hurt and confusion as a kid when I felt my own friends pulling away. My only wish is that we had gotten to know the ghosts a bit more, even the scary ones.