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A Properly Unhaunted Place #2
A Festival of Ghosts
National Book Award winner William Alexander conjures up a spooky adventure full of excitement in this entertaining sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place.
Rosa Ramona Diaz, the ghost appeasing assistant librarian, has unleashed all the ghosts who were previously shut out of the small town of Ingot. Now ghosts are everywhere, and the town’s living residents are either learning to cope or trying to do the one thing no one can successfully do—banish the ghosts.
At school, something supernatural is stealing kids’ voices and leaving them speechless. And it’s Rosa’s job to solve the mystery and set things right. Meanwhile her best friend Jasper is dealing with what remains of the Renaissance Festival, where ghosts from Ingot’s past are now battling it out with the ghosts of the Renaissance reenactors. And Rosa is experiencing a haunting of her own—could her father’s ghost have followed her here?
Somehow Rosa and Jasper are going to have to find a way to bring Ingot back to normal—in a world where the living are now residing side-by-side with the dearly departed.
Rosa Ramona Diaz, the ghost appeasing assistant librarian, has unleashed all the ghosts who were previously shut out of the small town of Ingot. Now ghosts are everywhere, and the town’s living residents are either learning to cope or trying to do the one thing no one can successfully do—banish the ghosts.
At school, something supernatural is stealing kids’ voices and leaving them speechless. And it’s Rosa’s job to solve the mystery and set things right. Meanwhile her best friend Jasper is dealing with what remains of the Renaissance Festival, where ghosts from Ingot’s past are now battling it out with the ghosts of the Renaissance reenactors. And Rosa is experiencing a haunting of her own—could her father’s ghost have followed her here?
Somehow Rosa and Jasper are going to have to find a way to bring Ingot back to normal—in a world where the living are now residing side-by-side with the dearly departed.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published August 7, 2018
2 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
William Alexander
14 books124 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads data base.
William Alexander won the National Book Award in 2012 for his first book, Goblin Secrets, and the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. He has since written three more novels for Middle Grade audiences: Ghoulish Song, Ambassador, and Nomad.
Will is Cuban-American. He studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at the Clarion Workshop. He currently teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Source: William Alexander's website
William Alexander won the National Book Award in 2012 for his first book, Goblin Secrets, and the Earphones Award for his narration of the audiobook. He has since written three more novels for Middle Grade audiences: Ghoulish Song, Ambassador, and Nomad.
Will is Cuban-American. He studied theater and folklore at Oberlin College, English at the University of Vermont, and creative writing at the Clarion Workshop. He currently teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts program in Writing for Children and Young Adults.
Source: William Alexander's website
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 21, 2019
3.5 stars
November 21, 2020
I didn't realize "A Festival of Ghosts" was a sequel until a chapter or two in (that, plus a more careful reading of the book jacket!). Therefore, I suspect my overall impression of the novel may not be the same as someone who has read the first book in this series, "A Properly Unhaunted Place." However, "Festival" worked fairly well as a standalone story, even though I was clearly missing some character arc information and plot-relevant details (which "Festival" was usually kind enough to fill in as it went). Overall, I found it an interesting take on a small-town ghost story, with a plucky heroine and an interesting mythology.
"Festival" takes place in the town of Ingot, which (until the events of the first book) had been "unhaunted"...that is, the spirits of the departed had been banished entirely from the city. One problem: Spirits of the departed are ALWAYS around in normal circumstances, and EVERY community is "haunted" to some degree. Spirits are meant to coexist peacefully with their host community, virtually unnoticed. When they are forcibly held outside their "home space," a bunch of negative, hostile energy builds up, and disaster becomes inevitable.
Fortunately for Ingot, before things get out of control, Rosa Diaz and her mother move into town, ostensibly to work in the city library. However, the Diaz women have a second, more supernatural career: They are "appeasement specialists," or people whose job is calming and taming unruly spirits wherever they may be found. In the first novel, Rosa and her mother had to reintegrate the banished spirits into the town. In "Festival of Ghosts," the entire town has to cope with its sudden influx of ghosts, some of whom are pretty restless and agitated after being banished for so long. The reintegration causes a lot of (interrelated) problems: Children and teachers at the middle school have their voices stolen from them mysteriously; the mayor of the town hatches a plot to "re-banish" some of their own personal demons; Rosa's friend Jasper (whose family runs the Renaissance Festival, Ingot's main tourist attraction) has to cope with his family's livelihood being threatened by a pack of ghosts who have taken over the festival grounds and won't leave; and Rosa herself believes she is being haunted by a spirit with a very personal connection to her.
As you can tell, there are a LOT of plot threads for a book this size, and "Festival" struggles at times to give them all their proper due. To be fair, ALL the plot-lines are very interesting conceptually and most have really cool conclusions, so at least they stuck the landing for the most part! I thought the overall concept of the spirit world in this novel to be a fresh take on the much-written "ghost story" genre. The ghost "appeaser" concept itself is a nice subversion of the "ghost-chaser/ghost-buster" trope in media; instead of FIGHTING ghosts or standing in opposition to them, the appeasers seek to UNDERSTAND the ghosts and help them find peace and a way to peacefully coexist with the living. Rosa is a fun heroine: sassy, smart, and fearless, but with her own collection of real insecurities and fears that make her sympathetic. Sadly, the supporting cast isn't as memorable, but they aren't unpleasant to read at least. This is a "mystery" in which there are SEVERAL mysteries, each one overlapping the last. It can sometimes feel a bit overstuffed, but I give it credit for aiming high and remaining readable. Overall, I think "Festival" is a great mystery/ghost story for mid-grade readers.
"Festival" takes place in the town of Ingot, which (until the events of the first book) had been "unhaunted"...that is, the spirits of the departed had been banished entirely from the city. One problem: Spirits of the departed are ALWAYS around in normal circumstances, and EVERY community is "haunted" to some degree. Spirits are meant to coexist peacefully with their host community, virtually unnoticed. When they are forcibly held outside their "home space," a bunch of negative, hostile energy builds up, and disaster becomes inevitable.
Fortunately for Ingot, before things get out of control, Rosa Diaz and her mother move into town, ostensibly to work in the city library. However, the Diaz women have a second, more supernatural career: They are "appeasement specialists," or people whose job is calming and taming unruly spirits wherever they may be found. In the first novel, Rosa and her mother had to reintegrate the banished spirits into the town. In "Festival of Ghosts," the entire town has to cope with its sudden influx of ghosts, some of whom are pretty restless and agitated after being banished for so long. The reintegration causes a lot of (interrelated) problems: Children and teachers at the middle school have their voices stolen from them mysteriously; the mayor of the town hatches a plot to "re-banish" some of their own personal demons; Rosa's friend Jasper (whose family runs the Renaissance Festival, Ingot's main tourist attraction) has to cope with his family's livelihood being threatened by a pack of ghosts who have taken over the festival grounds and won't leave; and Rosa herself believes she is being haunted by a spirit with a very personal connection to her.
As you can tell, there are a LOT of plot threads for a book this size, and "Festival" struggles at times to give them all their proper due. To be fair, ALL the plot-lines are very interesting conceptually and most have really cool conclusions, so at least they stuck the landing for the most part! I thought the overall concept of the spirit world in this novel to be a fresh take on the much-written "ghost story" genre. The ghost "appeaser" concept itself is a nice subversion of the "ghost-chaser/ghost-buster" trope in media; instead of FIGHTING ghosts or standing in opposition to them, the appeasers seek to UNDERSTAND the ghosts and help them find peace and a way to peacefully coexist with the living. Rosa is a fun heroine: sassy, smart, and fearless, but with her own collection of real insecurities and fears that make her sympathetic. Sadly, the supporting cast isn't as memorable, but they aren't unpleasant to read at least. This is a "mystery" in which there are SEVERAL mysteries, each one overlapping the last. It can sometimes feel a bit overstuffed, but I give it credit for aiming high and remaining readable. Overall, I think "Festival" is a great mystery/ghost story for mid-grade readers.
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February 23, 2019I loved this--reminds me why I love kid lit so much! Beautiful, yet clean-cut prose, spooky mystery, and haunting themes about the nature of remembrance for things living and dead.
November 5, 2018
Review originally published 31 October 2018 at Falling Letters.
After allowing ghosts back into Ingot in A Properly Unhaunted Place , Rosa (Latinx) and Jasper (African-American) now have to navigate the consequences of living in a newly haunted town as they return to school in A Festival of Ghosts. The ghosts here aren’t too frightening – appeasement librarians like Rosa and her mother know how to keep them satisfied. Yet some ghosts at school are stealing students’ voices, which might be related to the mystery of whether Rosa is being haunted by her father’s ghost.
Rosa’s confident personality shines while Jasper grows as he learns the art of appeasement. Instead of having Rosa rehash the rules of appeasement for the reader, we have Jasper showing us what he’s learned. Rosa’s bold attitude and witty comments had me wishing I was more like her at times. She’s not without fears and concerns, though. What I love about Rosa is that she doesn’t let those stop her. She acknowledges the challenges and works through them.
I also enjoyed that we get to dive into the family mystery hinted at in the first book. I don’t want to give anything way, so suffice to say A Festival of Ghosts digs deeper into the characters and family dynamics.
In contrast to The Island of Monsters , I think may actually have enjoyed this more than the first book! I preferred the plot in this book (more than a few things I didn’t seem coming – I gasped once or twice), I adored Rosa even more, and I think the prose has improved – there were some great lines and little stories that said a lot with few words.
After allowing ghosts back into Ingot in A Properly Unhaunted Place , Rosa (Latinx) and Jasper (African-American) now have to navigate the consequences of living in a newly haunted town as they return to school in A Festival of Ghosts. The ghosts here aren’t too frightening – appeasement librarians like Rosa and her mother know how to keep them satisfied. Yet some ghosts at school are stealing students’ voices, which might be related to the mystery of whether Rosa is being haunted by her father’s ghost.
Rosa’s confident personality shines while Jasper grows as he learns the art of appeasement. Instead of having Rosa rehash the rules of appeasement for the reader, we have Jasper showing us what he’s learned. Rosa’s bold attitude and witty comments had me wishing I was more like her at times. She’s not without fears and concerns, though. What I love about Rosa is that she doesn’t let those stop her. She acknowledges the challenges and works through them.
I also enjoyed that we get to dive into the family mystery hinted at in the first book. I don’t want to give anything way, so suffice to say A Festival of Ghosts digs deeper into the characters and family dynamics.
In contrast to The Island of Monsters , I think may actually have enjoyed this more than the first book! I preferred the plot in this book (more than a few things I didn’t seem coming – I gasped once or twice), I adored Rosa even more, and I think the prose has improved – there were some great lines and little stories that said a lot with few words.
Speak to danger in its own language, or offer it your own. That was a quote from Catalina de Erauso, Rosa’s patron librarian and a great duelist of the sixteenth century. She killed so many of her enemies that she took up the arts of appeasement to calm their vengeful ghosts. (p. 9)
July 7, 2022
On the second page of this book, hero girl Rosa looks down from a great height (and she hates heights), and the author tells us, "Her heart grabbed both lungs to steady itself." It was just about the fastest a book has gotten a belly laugh out of me, and I think it's also a good example of the type of writing William Alexander does – always keen to find an original and colorful way to say something when the average author would probably settle for the same-old, same-old. I noticed it in a previous book in which Rosa was repeatedly described as saying nothing, loudly. Part of it goes toward vividly depicting his main character with her offbeat charisma. Rosa is a disruptive character, in a sense that some people (like her friend Jasper) recognize her as having a positive influence on her community, but others (like the hostile Talcott family) blame her for everything that has gone wrong since Rosa and her mother moved to the town of Ingot.
Before the Diazes arrived, Ingot was widely known as the least haunted place in the country. Athena Diaz is a librarian, which is to say, an appeasement specialist, dedicated to quieting the unquiet dead and the restless memories that cling to places, books, people and things. But there's another school of thought about how to deal with ghosts, called banishment – only, it doesn't work long-term, and when it backfires, the fallout can be deadly. This is what almost happened to Ingot soon after the Diazes arrived, and although Rosa and Jasper managed to save everyone's lives, things haven't settled down since then, and now both the living and the dead are restless.
One of the issues at stake is the fate of the town's Renaissance festival, which gave a purpose and a made-up sort of history to the town when it didn't seem to have one of its own. But the festival grounds have become a battleground now, with memories of the reenactors taking ghostly form (even when the people in question are still alive) on one side, and the long-banished spirits of the town's copper miners taking the other. Meanwhile, at the town school, spiritual disturbances somehow connected to Ingot's tragic, early history are stealing the voices from students and teachers alike. These problems add a weight of responsibility to Jasper and Rosa that no kid their age should have to bear, but it's specially theirs because, in the first place, Jasper has quickly grown to become the town's first-ever ghost horse whisperer and, in the second place, the root of much of the evil going on in town has a personal connection to Rosa.
It isn't all spookiness and horror, though. I mean, there's plenty of that, despite the fact that Rosa and Athena's worldview makes ghostly hauntings a lot less scary than you'd expect. Except when they aren't, which is what makes it a story. Some of these ghosts are understandably pissed, and at least one of them is sickeningly mean, but dealing with them isn't about slaying them or banishing them; it's more about negotiating with them and giving them something they want. And when you dig down to the root of Ingot's problem's, naturally, there's somebody very much alive behind it all, and what they're doing is the most chilling thing in the whole book. But again, let me stress that there's also whimsical magic, lighthearted fun and wamrth in this book, with characters who grow, surprises and thought-provoking solutions to mind-blowing problems.
This is a sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place. William Alexander either teaches in the Twin Cities or at the University of Vermont. I've been given conflicting information about this, although I've sensed a certain influence of the Twin Cities on his writing (such as the weather term "snizzle," which was coined by a local TV meteorologist there). Anyway, he is also the author of Goblin Secrets, Ghoulish Song, Ambassador and Nomad.
Before the Diazes arrived, Ingot was widely known as the least haunted place in the country. Athena Diaz is a librarian, which is to say, an appeasement specialist, dedicated to quieting the unquiet dead and the restless memories that cling to places, books, people and things. But there's another school of thought about how to deal with ghosts, called banishment – only, it doesn't work long-term, and when it backfires, the fallout can be deadly. This is what almost happened to Ingot soon after the Diazes arrived, and although Rosa and Jasper managed to save everyone's lives, things haven't settled down since then, and now both the living and the dead are restless.
One of the issues at stake is the fate of the town's Renaissance festival, which gave a purpose and a made-up sort of history to the town when it didn't seem to have one of its own. But the festival grounds have become a battleground now, with memories of the reenactors taking ghostly form (even when the people in question are still alive) on one side, and the long-banished spirits of the town's copper miners taking the other. Meanwhile, at the town school, spiritual disturbances somehow connected to Ingot's tragic, early history are stealing the voices from students and teachers alike. These problems add a weight of responsibility to Jasper and Rosa that no kid their age should have to bear, but it's specially theirs because, in the first place, Jasper has quickly grown to become the town's first-ever ghost horse whisperer and, in the second place, the root of much of the evil going on in town has a personal connection to Rosa.
It isn't all spookiness and horror, though. I mean, there's plenty of that, despite the fact that Rosa and Athena's worldview makes ghostly hauntings a lot less scary than you'd expect. Except when they aren't, which is what makes it a story. Some of these ghosts are understandably pissed, and at least one of them is sickeningly mean, but dealing with them isn't about slaying them or banishing them; it's more about negotiating with them and giving them something they want. And when you dig down to the root of Ingot's problem's, naturally, there's somebody very much alive behind it all, and what they're doing is the most chilling thing in the whole book. But again, let me stress that there's also whimsical magic, lighthearted fun and wamrth in this book, with characters who grow, surprises and thought-provoking solutions to mind-blowing problems.
This is a sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place. William Alexander either teaches in the Twin Cities or at the University of Vermont. I've been given conflicting information about this, although I've sensed a certain influence of the Twin Cities on his writing (such as the weather term "snizzle," which was coined by a local TV meteorologist there). Anyway, he is also the author of Goblin Secrets, Ghoulish Song, Ambassador and Nomad.
August 31, 2018
Note: This is the sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place, which I did not read in advance. While A Festival of Ghosts can be read as a stand alone (and wasn't difficult to follow right away), I did find that some information later on was missing. I can only assume this was found in the first book, and would, therefore, recommend reading this as a series.
Ghosts and haunts abound in these pages, but they hold a perfect balance on the line before creepy, making this an adventurous and mysterious read with an ample amount of fun.
Like her mother, Rosa is a ghost appeaser. She's spent most of her life growing up in a library...after all, that's a center for a haunts. Now, she's supposed to attend a real school to help appease the ghosts which keep popping up all around the building. But ghosts are easier to deal with and more predictable than living peers. Somehow, Rosa needs to figure out how to handle both while getting to the root of a mysterious haunting.
In a way, this reminded me a tinsy bit of The Sixth Sense but only very slightly. The ghosts in these pages might be a little spooky, at times, but there's enough quirkiness to keep nightmarish moments at bay (like a possessed scarf which knows how to attack). Rosa and Jasper are quite the team, not always agreeing with each other and completely opposites in many ways, but they balance each other and have each other's backs every step of the way. Even in the school scenes, the differences between them are clear but their friendship and loyalty is inspirational.
Rosa is a very self-assured character. She knows who she is and what has to be done. She doesn't ever stray from this no matter how much those around her try to taunt her, tease her or convince her that she's odd. This was a refreshing take on school bullying and brought a message without ever steering away from the main plot. Rosa doesn't fit in, and the kids make her feel this. But she lets it bounce off and keeps her sights on the real goal. It makes her easy to root for and demonstrates how important it is to like yourself no matter what others think.
While the first pages start out with a grabbing scene, it took quite a while before a clear story line and mystery settled in. The read is never boring as Rosa meets various 'little' hauntings and interacts with various other characters, but it comes across a little like wandering without a true goal. When the story finally took off much later and a clear problem came to light...or several...the story hooks and it's impossible to put the book down. These mysteries are well woven and hold several surprises, making it unsure how Rosa and Jasper will handle everything. The entire situation with Rosa's father was a little foggy but for the most part, pulls through. I'm assuming this might have been more clear after having read the first book.
Summed up, this is an entertaining read with a bit of spook, snorts, mystery, bullies to be fought and even some action scenes built in.
I received a complimentary copy and found Rosa to be such a fun character that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
Ghosts and haunts abound in these pages, but they hold a perfect balance on the line before creepy, making this an adventurous and mysterious read with an ample amount of fun.
Like her mother, Rosa is a ghost appeaser. She's spent most of her life growing up in a library...after all, that's a center for a haunts. Now, she's supposed to attend a real school to help appease the ghosts which keep popping up all around the building. But ghosts are easier to deal with and more predictable than living peers. Somehow, Rosa needs to figure out how to handle both while getting to the root of a mysterious haunting.
In a way, this reminded me a tinsy bit of The Sixth Sense but only very slightly. The ghosts in these pages might be a little spooky, at times, but there's enough quirkiness to keep nightmarish moments at bay (like a possessed scarf which knows how to attack). Rosa and Jasper are quite the team, not always agreeing with each other and completely opposites in many ways, but they balance each other and have each other's backs every step of the way. Even in the school scenes, the differences between them are clear but their friendship and loyalty is inspirational.
Rosa is a very self-assured character. She knows who she is and what has to be done. She doesn't ever stray from this no matter how much those around her try to taunt her, tease her or convince her that she's odd. This was a refreshing take on school bullying and brought a message without ever steering away from the main plot. Rosa doesn't fit in, and the kids make her feel this. But she lets it bounce off and keeps her sights on the real goal. It makes her easy to root for and demonstrates how important it is to like yourself no matter what others think.
While the first pages start out with a grabbing scene, it took quite a while before a clear story line and mystery settled in. The read is never boring as Rosa meets various 'little' hauntings and interacts with various other characters, but it comes across a little like wandering without a true goal. When the story finally took off much later and a clear problem came to light...or several...the story hooks and it's impossible to put the book down. These mysteries are well woven and hold several surprises, making it unsure how Rosa and Jasper will handle everything. The entire situation with Rosa's father was a little foggy but for the most part, pulls through. I'm assuming this might have been more clear after having read the first book.
Summed up, this is an entertaining read with a bit of spook, snorts, mystery, bullies to be fought and even some action scenes built in.
I received a complimentary copy and found Rosa to be such a fun character that I wanted to leave my honest thoughts.
October 27, 2018
"Mom described aletheia as the world's memory of hidden things, but Rosa thought of it as a way to shout Don't you DARE forget about this to the wide and entire world. It also said We remember to all hidden things nearby." (6)
Nell and Sir Dad are completely awesome side characters.
Rosa and Jasper are doing their best to soothe a town completely unequipped to process the past. The fake history of the Renaissance festival is clashing with ghosts of the town's real history. No one wants to talk about or remember mean, abusive family members, but their ghosts won't go away. The school is so haunted classes can barely resume. Ghosts whose voices have been silenced are taking other people's. Jasper's parents are unemployed, and Rosa's dad might have finally caught up with them.
"Time is made by motion. Make your own. Do not allow your opponent to take it from you."
Things I liked: Once again, Rosa as a character is allowed to feel all her feelings. Also, she is trained and treated as a professional. Librarians can be kids in this universe.
I appreciated that losing an abusive family member still means you have to process things and acknowledge that they existed, but that is all the room they get--nothing else.
The posters on the walls at school with real quotes about history were fun.
Interesting element of perceptions of history vs real history duking it out.
College level vocab and little known history weaved seamlessly into the story.
Need more: Resolution with the Ren Faire ghosts. Are they going to disrupt the festival still during summer? If not, why not?
Jasper is an awesome friend and talented appeasement specialist in training, but not a lot of thoughts and feelings from him this book. More Jasper!
The dad storyline wasn't bad, but unconvincing in places.
Nell and Sir Dad are completely awesome side characters.
Rosa and Jasper are doing their best to soothe a town completely unequipped to process the past. The fake history of the Renaissance festival is clashing with ghosts of the town's real history. No one wants to talk about or remember mean, abusive family members, but their ghosts won't go away. The school is so haunted classes can barely resume. Ghosts whose voices have been silenced are taking other people's. Jasper's parents are unemployed, and Rosa's dad might have finally caught up with them.
"Time is made by motion. Make your own. Do not allow your opponent to take it from you."
Things I liked: Once again, Rosa as a character is allowed to feel all her feelings. Also, she is trained and treated as a professional. Librarians can be kids in this universe.
I appreciated that losing an abusive family member still means you have to process things and acknowledge that they existed, but that is all the room they get--nothing else.
The posters on the walls at school with real quotes about history were fun.
Interesting element of perceptions of history vs real history duking it out.
College level vocab and little known history weaved seamlessly into the story.
Need more: Resolution with the Ren Faire ghosts. Are they going to disrupt the festival still during summer? If not, why not?
Jasper is an awesome friend and talented appeasement specialist in training, but not a lot of thoughts and feelings from him this book. More Jasper!
The dad storyline wasn't bad, but unconvincing in places.
January 30, 2019
Rosa Díaz is heading into the most dreaded environment of children—middle school. Yikes! However, she’s got a level head on her shoulders and she’s spent most of her time communing with the dead rather than living people. So being shunned by the other children as being weird doesn’t faze her. She’s got one friend, Jasper, and she thinks that’s enough.
The book explores Rosa’s navigation of the world of school, what with its cliques and inner circles, which only serve to baffle her. Yet it remains firmly rooted in the supernatural as Rosa must deal with different sets of ghosts haunting the town of Ingot. The novel fleshes out some of the characters and Rosa becomes more than just a distant figure who can’t relate to living people.
The ghosts are…well, even though they mostly appear en masse with few individual personalities, they are sufficiently quirky enough to merit interest. Forming themselves out of dust, leaves, snow, paper, whatever they can find to hand, they are definitely some of the more original specters you’ll read in fiction.
Yes, Rosa’s behavior is at times odd. But she’s intrepid, smart, blunt spoken, skilled with a sword and good at what she does: appeasement. Jasper also is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to dealing with his family’s problems. I found myself liking both of them because of their separate gifts and appreciating Rosa’s growing understanding of human beings. While the first novel left me unmoved, this one leaves me slightly warmer in my feelings.
The book explores Rosa’s navigation of the world of school, what with its cliques and inner circles, which only serve to baffle her. Yet it remains firmly rooted in the supernatural as Rosa must deal with different sets of ghosts haunting the town of Ingot. The novel fleshes out some of the characters and Rosa becomes more than just a distant figure who can’t relate to living people.
The ghosts are…well, even though they mostly appear en masse with few individual personalities, they are sufficiently quirky enough to merit interest. Forming themselves out of dust, leaves, snow, paper, whatever they can find to hand, they are definitely some of the more original specters you’ll read in fiction.
Yes, Rosa’s behavior is at times odd. But she’s intrepid, smart, blunt spoken, skilled with a sword and good at what she does: appeasement. Jasper also is a force to be reckoned with, especially when it comes to dealing with his family’s problems. I found myself liking both of them because of their separate gifts and appreciating Rosa’s growing understanding of human beings. While the first novel left me unmoved, this one leaves me slightly warmer in my feelings.
August 26, 2018
Rosa's ghostly world remains as interesting as ever in this follow up to A Properly Unhaunted Place. The town of Ingott is trying (and mostly failing) to learn how to live with the very much active remnants of its past. While Jasper is consumed with trying to find a way to save the Renaissance Festival, Rosa finds herself struggling to contain paranormal chaos in the classrooms of her new school.
I loved many things about this book. The scene where Rosa and her mother sort unhappy Interlibrary Loans was just delightful - appeasing books pulled because of misinformation, books that remember being trees, books that remember their first drafts, books that "pushed subtext too close to the surface." Ha!
I think what made this a 3 star review for me was really not liking the direction the author took the plot with Rosa's dad. In a world full of free-flying ghosts and supernatural steeds, that was the only thing I found unbelievable. It makes me wonder if Alexander had the idea all along and just didn't sow the seeds well enough in the first book, or if it occurred later as a way to spin a sequel.
I loved many things about this book. The scene where Rosa and her mother sort unhappy Interlibrary Loans was just delightful - appeasing books pulled because of misinformation, books that remember being trees, books that remember their first drafts, books that "pushed subtext too close to the surface." Ha!
I think what made this a 3 star review for me was really not liking the direction the author took the plot with Rosa's dad. In a world full of free-flying ghosts and supernatural steeds, that was the only thing I found unbelievable. It makes me wonder if Alexander had the idea all along and just didn't sow the seeds well enough in the first book, or if it occurred later as a way to spin a sequel.
September 18, 2018
This is the sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place, and I am afraid that it will be the last book about this compelling world. I've notice that Alexander has a horrible habit of writing about REALLY fascinating worlds/people and then ABANDONING them after 2 books! HORRIBLE.
Stop it, Alexander. Stop making me care about these worlds and characters and then leaving them! I want more!
With all that being said, we find out more about Rosa and Jasper and all the repercussions of what happened at the end of book one and how the town is coping/not coping with it. Also, we get more information about what Rosa's mom is scared of and what exactly happened when her dad died! (Ominous music: Duh duh dum!)
I love this series because it's about a library and a librarian of a most unusual sort. Let the geeking out commence. Also because Rosa has to deal with bullies, and I love her attitude.
Stop it, Alexander. Stop making me care about these worlds and characters and then leaving them! I want more!
With all that being said, we find out more about Rosa and Jasper and all the repercussions of what happened at the end of book one and how the town is coping/not coping with it. Also, we get more information about what Rosa's mom is scared of and what exactly happened when her dad died! (Ominous music: Duh duh dum!)
I love this series because it's about a library and a librarian of a most unusual sort. Let the geeking out commence. Also because Rosa has to deal with bullies, and I love her attitude.
June 25, 2018
I received this as an eARC through Edelweiss.
This is a sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place.
After the events of the previous novel, Rosa’s new town is full of ghosts and many are up to no good. Rosa is forced to attend real school, so that she can keep the ghosts there in check. In addition to the spooky things happening at school, Jasper’s parents work at the local medieval faire grounds, which is too haunted to be repaired. The two will need to team up to get the town back in working order.
This is a sequel to A Properly Unhaunted Place.
After the events of the previous novel, Rosa’s new town is full of ghosts and many are up to no good. Rosa is forced to attend real school, so that she can keep the ghosts there in check. In addition to the spooky things happening at school, Jasper’s parents work at the local medieval faire grounds, which is too haunted to be repaired. The two will need to team up to get the town back in working order.
February 25, 2019
In the previous book, Rosa and her friend Jasper, as well as her mother, librarian/ghost appeasement specialist, were involved with the return of ghosts to Ingott, making it just as haunted as any other town in this world. But because the town was ghostless for 100 years, the town, and the school, and the schoolkids, are struggling with their new environment, and some of them are blaming Rosa for the change. When ghosts appear to start taking action en masse (stealing kids' voices), what will Elsa do to survive? Will Jasper's parents' famous RenFair survive, now that traces of the original miners and traces of the fair are fighting it out on the property?
I love Rosa & her mom. I love her friend Jasper, and his parents. I really enjoy the worldbuilding in this series, and the atmosphere. Mostly, I really enjoyed this volume too, though the plot twist bugged me. Even the struggles of the townsfolk of Ingott to come to terms with their now-haunted town didn't bug me as much (though I loved Rosa as a volunteer ghost appeaser!).
There is something of a moral in this series, and I am somewhat torn about it: that sorrow and grief can't be kept out buried or 'banished', that secrets will out, though they can sometimes be appeased and/or limited. It's a good subtext, but it's pretty obvious, and obvious subtexts are sometimes annoying.
I love Rosa & her mom. I love her friend Jasper, and his parents. I really enjoy the worldbuilding in this series, and the atmosphere. Mostly, I really enjoyed this volume too, though the plot twist bugged me. Even the struggles of the townsfolk of Ingott to come to terms with their now-haunted town didn't bug me as much (though I loved Rosa as a volunteer ghost appeaser!).
There is something of a moral in this series, and I am somewhat torn about it: that sorrow and grief can't be kept out buried or 'banished', that secrets will out, though they can sometimes be appeased and/or limited. It's a good subtext, but it's pretty obvious, and obvious subtexts are sometimes annoying.
December 20, 2018
Great tone balancing humor and real emotion as two kids deal with ghosts and petty schoolkids whose bullying sometimes rises to the level of real harm (both the ghosts and the kids). And an extra twist of a secret about her dead dad raises the emotional stakes. Lots of fun even though I haven't read the first book.
December 31, 2018
I'm happy I went through and finished this one, because I liked it more than its prequel. Still wasn't the most amazing series I've ever read, but the concept is pretty interesting, and this book did a better job overall of engaging me.
April 13, 2021
Another good story, but I did prefer the first book. I didn’t feel this story was as strong as the first. Elements seemed disjointed and the characters weren’t as easy to relate to; there was a lot going on. I still enjoy the ghost world in this book and think it is a fun read.
October 11, 2018
A slow start but I eventually got hooked! If ghosts and hauntings are your thing, this is a great book!
December 31, 2018
Great read. Wasn't aware another book preceded it though, still enjoyed it.
February 9, 2019
Good, exciting, slightly scary. I didn't initially realize this was the second in a series and would have enjoyed it more had I read the first one.
August 4, 2019
Interesting sequel about a world where ghosts are everywhere and must be "appeased" instead of "banished." The psychological implications are interesting.
October 20, 2020
I really loved this. Such smart writing and storytelling
April 15, 2021
חמוד מאוד, אפילו יותר מוצלח מקודמו.
January 5, 2023
Would have been a great audiobook for the kids, expect the 9-year old doesn't like ghost stories. Alas.
November 5, 2022
I liked this better than the first one, by a lot. Though the twist about Rosa’s dad was sad and now I’m just upsetti spaghetti about how that had to play out. 😔
FAVOURITE QUOTES
"Her heart grabbed both lungs to steady itself."
"Her old library, back in the city, was full of massive wooden bookshelves. They towered like the trees that they used to be."
FAVOURITE QUOTES
"Her heart grabbed both lungs to steady itself."
"Her old library, back in the city, was full of massive wooden bookshelves. They towered like the trees that they used to be."
May 3, 2021
We enjoyed reading this second book. The ghosts have to duke it out -- the medieval ones vs. the town's miners, who died in droves mining the copper that held them out for so long. Again, the Renaissance Festival is key -- but I won't spoil how.
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Visit my blog for more book reviews, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
June 28, 2018
A Festival of Ghosts is an engaging story with clever illustrations that brought to mind Ray Bradbury's The Halloween Tree. This is a well-written book that would easily makes its way into the ready hands of young readers. As an adult reader, I also enjoyed the text.
I can see this book being a quality reading choice for personal libraries or school bookshelves. As a former middle grades teacher, I would gladly use this book with that age group, or readers who are slightly younger. The book is accessible and William Alexander writes that dialogue that keeps the story moving and captures the imagination.
The book is due in August and my unbiased review is based on an advance reader copy.
I can see this book being a quality reading choice for personal libraries or school bookshelves. As a former middle grades teacher, I would gladly use this book with that age group, or readers who are slightly younger. The book is accessible and William Alexander writes that dialogue that keeps the story moving and captures the imagination.
The book is due in August and my unbiased review is based on an advance reader copy.
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