This story was so charming and fun and dealt with a heavy topic in such a beautiful way! I loved Finn and going on this journey with him. I’m such a huge den of middle grade books and this didn’t disappoint!

I really enjoyed this book! The whole premise is built on children dying young, and that's a tricky place to start. I was curious whether Christine Virnig would handle that too flippantly or if it would fill the book with deep sadness, but Virnig walks that line absolutely beautifully. PHANTOM ACADEMY is an adventure--it's a group of kids joining up to navigate their new school and learn the rules and go on adventures. It's fun! But PHANTOM ACADEMY also handles death in a beautiful and deeply affecting way. From Finn's POV, he's desperate to get back to his parents and his little sister. I admit I shed a few tears when he realizes that he can't--and that staying away is the best way to honor and love them. This is a book for anyone, but I could see it being especially moving for a young reader struggling with loss and wondering why their loved one can't just return.

Thanks to Netgalley and Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing for this ARC!

Younger me would have loved this book. It's younger middle grade and while there are ghosts, I would say it's light on the spooky. Still,I think middle graders will love this book, because it has humor and a pretty good ghost school. I liked the characters for the age range of this book and think the plot was a good mystery adventure.

What a great book!! I love the mystery and the humor in this one, and the concept is definitely fun. It's not at all scary, so it's perfect for those kids who want something eerie and mysterious, but who do not want to be scared.

Another solid effort from Christine Virnig. This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025. I'll say it mostly lived up to the hype. It'd be really hard to butcher a concept this fun. I would've preferred more attention on Finn coming to terms with being dead/a ghost instead of so much focus on a missing painting, but the ending offers potential for a sequel so I expect that to be addressed should there be a book two. And I really hope there is because there's a lot of depth to Finn's character and his relationships with the other ghosts (students and teachers) that has yet to be explored.

I could've done without the bathroom humor, though. Even for a MG book, there's far too much of it in my opinion.

Welcome to a laugh-out-loud afterlife where a boy goes to ghost school and learns that family and friends are at the heart of being human. Kids are going to absolutely adore Finn, empathize with his quest to get back to the people he loves, and be on the edge of their seats as he and the other students solve the mystery of what the Phantom Academy is up to and how his gift of speaking to characters in paintings fits into it all. As a grownup reader, I bawled at the end. Finn your mom would absolutely be so proud of you!! Hope this is the start of a new spooky series that follows Finn and his friends on more paranormal adventures!