Ghost Squad

*Actual rating: 3.5 stars Ghost Squad gives me the Stranger Things vibes (from season 1) with a hint of cuteness in it and more Spanish words. I’ve tried listening to its audiobook version and the experience was more heightened. I love that the narrators emphasized each word and that the scenes became more lively. Story: For a middle grade book, the story is a bit predictable. This follows Lucely Luna and her best friend Syd in search of the missing page. Until all hells break loose and they unraveled some secrets they didn’t intended to. The story is a perfect read for middle grader readers who are looking for fantasy adventures while roaming in the darkness of the night. It also has that Harry Potter feels where the muggles’ memories are wiped out after a magical incident. Setting: In a small town of St. Augustine, where everyone knows one another. But do they, really? There might be monsters hiding underneath a bright exterior of one of town’s people, right? Oh, okay, that’s a spoiler in there. You can expect a lot of cemetery scenes because reader, these two kiddos love to go out there. Romance: It’s good that the author didn’t include a romantic scene in this book. Because what might happen? To be honest, the blend of familial love and friendship in this book is just in the right tone. Also, these kids are too young for that. I love that it centered more on their magical voyage in the cemeteries than in an infatuated love story between the kiddos. Feelings: It was fun! To mention that I’ve been listening to it on audio and each character’s feeling was emphasized. It was cute too and magical for a middle grade reader who is open to some Coco + Stranger Things + Ghostbusters feels. Characters: There will be unraveling of more than one character which will surely surprise readers. There’s more than one character hiding beneath a bright exterior, is what I’m saying. Don’t get me wrong but that’s a good thing and a little something to look forward to when the plot twists. Ending: Good ending. Everyone deserves this conclusion. For a middle grade reader, you’ll never regret diving into this book. There’s always a rainbow after the rain. Or should I say, there’ll always be someone who’ll shine a light in the dark cemetery? And all these, reader, is an adventure for you to find out. Rating it 3.5. Always love a good middle grade book.