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Das unsichtbare Mädchen
In 1960s Toronto, two girls retreat to their attics to escape the loneliness and isolation of their lives. Polly lives in a house bursting at the seams with people, while Rose is often left alone by her busy parents. Polly is a down-to-earth dreamer with a wild imagination and an obsession with ghosts; Rose is a quiet, ethereal waif with a sharp tongue. Despite their differences, both girls spend their days feeling invisible and seek solace in books and the cozy confines of their respective attics. But soon they discover they aren't alone--they're actually neighbors, sharing a wall. They develop an unlikely friendship, and Polly is ecstatic to learn that Rose can actually see and talk to ghosts. Maybe she will finally see one too! But is there more to Rose than it seems? Why does no one ever talk to her? And why does she look so... ghostly? When the girls find a tombstone with Rose's name on it in the cemetery and encounter an angry spirit in her house who seems intent on hurting Polly, they have to unravel the mystery of Rose and her strange family... before it's too late.
Paperback
First published September 9, 2014
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About the author
Charis Cotter
13 books145 followersCharis Cotter is a writer, editor and storyteller living in Newfoundland. She grew up in Cabbagetown and Parkdale in downtown Toronto. After taking a degree in English at Glendon College, York University, she went on to study acting at The Drama Studio in London, England. After several years as an actor, she moved into publishing, where she has been working as a freelance editor and writer for more than 20 years.
In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.
Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.
In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.
Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.
*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.
In 2005 Charis won the Heritage Toronto Award of Excellence for her book, Toronto Between the Wars: Life in the City 1919–1939. Since then she has written several critically acclaimed children’s books, including a series of biographies about extraordinary children and an illustrated book about international ghosts. Born to Write: The Remarkable Lives of Six Famous Authors was a finalist for the 2010 Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Non-fiction.
Charis first toured schools as an actor in a Young People’s Theatre production of W. O. Mitchell’s "Jake and the Kid." Her favourite part of the show was interacting with the students during the question period after the play. Today Charis is known for her lively school presentations, based on her books. She has toured Canada from coast to coast, entertaining children with her alter egos: Queen Elizabeth II (complete with gown, crown and royal attitude) and the Scottish Silky Ghost, who dusts everything in sight, including children. Her fascination with ghosts has led her to many far corners of Newfoundland, looking for ghost stories.
In 2013 Charis founded her own publishing company, Baccalieu Books, to publish The Ghosts of Baccalieu. She created this book with the students from Tricon Elementary School in Bay de Verde, with funding from ArtsSmarts.* Students contributed drawings and traditional ghost stories collected from the community. Charis has sold The Ghosts of Baccalieu to libraries, bookstores and the general public, with a portion of the revenue going back to Tricon Elementary.
Charis continues to do ghost storytelling workshops at schools, community centres and book festivals. She reviews children’s books for the National Reading Campaign, Quill and Quire and The Canadian Children’s Book News.
The Swallow: A Ghost Story, was published by Tundra Books (Random House) in September 2014. This spooky gothic novel, set in Cabbagetown, Toronto, in the 1960s, is partially based on Charis’s childhood experiences living behind a cemetery. The German translation rights have been purchased by cbjVerlag/Random House Germany, who will publish it as Das Unsichtbare Mädchen (The Invisible Girl). The school presentation for The Swallow features a theatrical performance of an excerpt from the book and a ghost-story writing workshop.
*ArtsSmarts is sponsored by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Education through the Cultural Connections Strategy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 335 reviews
December 3, 2018
It’s best going into this book knowing nothing. Unfortunately, I knew too much going in, and almost waited years to read it so I’d forget. Actually, I did sort of forget, or rather I couldn’t remember which of three specific scenarios was part of the reveal. I’m grateful that I had to figure out some of the mystery as I was reading.
I don’t normally like ghost stories but I really liked this one. I also liked the two main girl characters and their friendship story and I appreciated that they were readers. I enjoyed the scenes in the library and the references to stories the girls were reading.
This story is both sad and fun. I’d probably have loved it when I was about 10 years old or so. Figuring out what’s going on is entertaining. All of the characters are interesting.
I do think the ending felt rushed. I longed for one more specific scene, but maybe that was the point? I was left feeling a tad melancholy but in a way it was a comforting book, an almost joyful book.
I don’t normally like ghost stories but I really liked this one. I also liked the two main girl characters and their friendship story and I appreciated that they were readers. I enjoyed the scenes in the library and the references to stories the girls were reading.
This story is both sad and fun. I’d probably have loved it when I was about 10 years old or so. Figuring out what’s going on is entertaining. All of the characters are interesting.
I do think the ending felt rushed. I longed for one more specific scene, but maybe that was the point? I was left feeling a tad melancholy but in a way it was a comforting book, an almost joyful book.
August 6, 2020
Set in Toronto's Cabbbagetown in 1963 (with a wonderful sense of place but perhaps at times a trifle too non specific a sense of time and popular culture), Charis Cotter's The Swallow: A Ghost Story features as double protagonists two young girls who although they both initially believe the other to be a ghost soon become best friends (and indeed, one of the two girls actually does end up really being a bona fide departed spirit and I for one have most certainly been much surprised not only that one of the two main characters actually was a ghost, actually was deceased throughout the entire storyline of The Swallow: A Ghost Story, but also who of the two girls the departed spirit has ended up in fact Nd actually being). Now the two main characters of The Swallow: A Ghost Story (Polly and Rose) are presented and depicted by Charis Cotter as being kindred spirits (and no pun is intended here) but also as hailing from very different types of families. Polly's family (her father is a United Church minister) is large and boisterous, with both biological and foster siblings for Polly, who tends to feel invisible and sometimes even cast aside, and actually, her greatest wish and desire is to meet and talk to a real ghost (or to encounter someone who has experienced meeting and talking to a spirit), whereas Rose is the only and generally very lonely child of busy and business oriented parents and who has in fact and indeed spent her entire life trying to ignore the many ghosts she regularly does see (and who also always seem to want her help and support in some way). However, even though Polly and Rose are from different backgrounds, they both do equally share feelings of intense loneliness (to the point of feeling that they are nobodies, that nobody really cares for them or seemingly wants them).
The Swallow: A Ghost Story alternates between Rose's and Polly's first person narratives, and while the chapters are for the most part short and concise, Charis Cotter has always and fortunately, appreciatively managed to create right from the onset of The Swallow: A Ghost Story two very distinct main protagonists with equally distinct and personal voices (in other words, one is always entirely sure that when Polly is narrating, she is herself and when Rose is narrating, she is herself, with no wishy-washiness and no confusion as to who might be speaking). And while from a realism point of departure, I should probably find Polly more believable and more personally relatable than Rose with her gift (or curse) of being able to see and talk to ghosts (and her many family secrets), if truth be told, Rose actually feels a bit more like me spiritually, a bit more akin to me than Polly (and no indeed, I do not and have never seen ghosts, I just feel that on an emotional level, Rose feels just a wee bit closer to me and my way of seeing the world, although Polly is also a beautifully depicted and intensely likeable, very much lovable character).
While The Swallow: A Ghost Story most definitely does feature and show more than a goodly number of departed spirits and is often genuinely spooky and a creepy (and with some very much angry ghosts who are in sad circumstances but still of course dangerous), this novel is also and importantly not just some tale of gratuitous horror and mayhem, but basically a lovely and often sweetly tender family story of friendship, of loneliness, of finding one's voice and of how long buried family secrets can have a devastating effect on future generations. And albeit that the ending of The Swallow: A Ghost Story has definitely been rather a major surprise and not what I was at all expecting in many ways, it has also been both satisfying and emotional, although I do personally wish that Rose and Polly's friendship had been shown as enduring not only as fond remembrances but with the two girls remaining real flesh and blood friends forever even though one of them has turned out to be a departed spirit (but I am not going to tell who, as that would love indeed be too much of a spoiler).
The Swallow: A Ghost Story alternates between Rose's and Polly's first person narratives, and while the chapters are for the most part short and concise, Charis Cotter has always and fortunately, appreciatively managed to create right from the onset of The Swallow: A Ghost Story two very distinct main protagonists with equally distinct and personal voices (in other words, one is always entirely sure that when Polly is narrating, she is herself and when Rose is narrating, she is herself, with no wishy-washiness and no confusion as to who might be speaking). And while from a realism point of departure, I should probably find Polly more believable and more personally relatable than Rose with her gift (or curse) of being able to see and talk to ghosts (and her many family secrets), if truth be told, Rose actually feels a bit more like me spiritually, a bit more akin to me than Polly (and no indeed, I do not and have never seen ghosts, I just feel that on an emotional level, Rose feels just a wee bit closer to me and my way of seeing the world, although Polly is also a beautifully depicted and intensely likeable, very much lovable character).
While The Swallow: A Ghost Story most definitely does feature and show more than a goodly number of departed spirits and is often genuinely spooky and a creepy (and with some very much angry ghosts who are in sad circumstances but still of course dangerous), this novel is also and importantly not just some tale of gratuitous horror and mayhem, but basically a lovely and often sweetly tender family story of friendship, of loneliness, of finding one's voice and of how long buried family secrets can have a devastating effect on future generations. And albeit that the ending of The Swallow: A Ghost Story has definitely been rather a major surprise and not what I was at all expecting in many ways, it has also been both satisfying and emotional, although I do personally wish that Rose and Polly's friendship had been shown as enduring not only as fond remembrances but with the two girls remaining real flesh and blood friends forever even though one of them has turned out to be a departed spirit (but I am not going to tell who, as that would love indeed be too much of a spoiler).
May 9, 2020
This was a very enjoyable ghost story. I read this as a read aloud and we both agreed we found it much more enjoyable than Ghost Road also by this author.
This is a book best read not knowing anything about the story. There's a lot of things to guess about and it was fun to speculate what was happening. We guessed early on but it wasn't obvious what was going to happen and the way it was revealed was an interesting part of the story. When you know what has happened certain details then make sense.
The friendships in this story were lovely, the two girls relationships and some examples of touching sibling affection. Some parts were quite humorous, some parts quite melancholy but all of the book was enjoyable and interesting and really kept us guessing.
We loved the parts describing the girls making reading corners in their attics, what a lovely idea, having a secret place that you can escape to, to read in peace. I want one! There's something really attractive about attics, especially in stories, it makes me think of the Magician's Nephew, The Little Princess and probably many more. An attic is a great setting for a story and this one is no exception.
This is a book best read not knowing anything about the story. There's a lot of things to guess about and it was fun to speculate what was happening. We guessed early on but it wasn't obvious what was going to happen and the way it was revealed was an interesting part of the story. When you know what has happened certain details then make sense.
The friendships in this story were lovely, the two girls relationships and some examples of touching sibling affection. Some parts were quite humorous, some parts quite melancholy but all of the book was enjoyable and interesting and really kept us guessing.
We loved the parts describing the girls making reading corners in their attics, what a lovely idea, having a secret place that you can escape to, to read in peace. I want one! There's something really attractive about attics, especially in stories, it makes me think of the Magician's Nephew, The Little Princess and probably many more. An attic is a great setting for a story and this one is no exception.
October 2, 2020
I loved this book! Thank you to Lisa for the recommendation and Gundula for seconding it!
This is such a beautiful story about friendship and family with elements of the supernatural and mystery. The friendship that develops between two girls, Rose and Polly, who are so different in temperament and come from such different families (one is an only child and one has six siblings) is a lovely story on its own. The girls each have their adolescent worries, stress and loneliness and their friendship blossoms as they attempt to solve a mystery, a mystery that concerns an angry ghost. The ghostly elements can be hair-raising, but never over-the-top frightening.
I loved the lovely cover illustration of the two girls and it is evident that the illustrator read the book and absorbed the details of the story which takes place in the 1960s. Each of the five parts is prefaced by a poem, the first by Ella Wheeler Wilcox entitled "The Ghosts" and the other four by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, including the last one entitled "O Swallow, Swallow," the swallow being significant in the story.
Rose's story is one of loneliness as her parents ignore her and she thinks no one else can see her - except the ghosts. Polly, on the other hand, has too much activity in her home and she feels alternately ignored or picked on. Rose and Polly both need and become close friends.
I was engrossed in the mystery and absorbed in the stories of two very different families, families that each expressed their love in different ways. Polly's younger twin brothers whom she labels "the Horrors" become a heartfelt and tender part of the story toward the end. I was unprepared for the ending which was both heartbreaking and life affirming. Have a hanky ready!
Do I believe in ghosts? Yes, I do, although I have never seen one. I have felt the presence of my loved ones when I think of them or say their names and I believe that bonds exist between this world and whatever comes next. Even though sad, this book is ultimately a comforting and lovely read for ages ten and up. This is a book I wish I would have read when I was ten.
This is such a beautiful story about friendship and family with elements of the supernatural and mystery. The friendship that develops between two girls, Rose and Polly, who are so different in temperament and come from such different families (one is an only child and one has six siblings) is a lovely story on its own. The girls each have their adolescent worries, stress and loneliness and their friendship blossoms as they attempt to solve a mystery, a mystery that concerns an angry ghost. The ghostly elements can be hair-raising, but never over-the-top frightening.
I loved the lovely cover illustration of the two girls and it is evident that the illustrator read the book and absorbed the details of the story which takes place in the 1960s. Each of the five parts is prefaced by a poem, the first by Ella Wheeler Wilcox entitled "The Ghosts" and the other four by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, including the last one entitled "O Swallow, Swallow," the swallow being significant in the story.
Rose's story is one of loneliness as her parents ignore her and she thinks no one else can see her - except the ghosts. Polly, on the other hand, has too much activity in her home and she feels alternately ignored or picked on. Rose and Polly both need and become close friends.
I was engrossed in the mystery and absorbed in the stories of two very different families, families that each expressed their love in different ways. Polly's younger twin brothers whom she labels "the Horrors" become a heartfelt and tender part of the story toward the end. I was unprepared for the ending which was both heartbreaking and life affirming. Have a hanky ready!
Do I believe in ghosts? Yes, I do, although I have never seen one. I have felt the presence of my loved ones when I think of them or say their names and I believe that bonds exist between this world and whatever comes next. Even though sad, this book is ultimately a comforting and lovely read for ages ten and up. This is a book I wish I would have read when I was ten.
March 14, 2020
Like every book that I drag ass on to read, this was pretty amazing. I always have books that I'm dying to read and then leave them hanging for a good 6 months.
The Swallow is a middle grade paranormal book about two little girls. I think they are 12 or so. One girl is named Polly the other is Rose.
Polly is a feisty girl. Out of 7 kids she is the one that feels left out. She always feels invisible. You would think in a household the size of hers there would be people to talk to. Her older sisters are obnoxious, her twin brothers Matthew and Mark, (she calls the Horrors) never leave her alone... and then there is Susie the baby.
She is a contradiction. She wants her parents to pay attention to her, but she doesn't want attention from her siblings. She wants peace and quiet. One day she finds out that inside her closet is the trapdoor to the attic. She crawls up there to hide from her terrible 8 year old brothers and hears singing.
Rose is practically the complete opposite of Polly. She is an only child. Home alone the majority of the time. Everyone...teachers, kids at school, even her parents ignore her. She IS invisible. She tends to hide in the attic when she feels sad and lonely. One day while she is up there...she hears a ghost. Not a ghost she can see...because she always sees ghosts, ever since she can remember, but a invisible ghost.
The two girls get to talking and realize they are both not ghosts and that they share a wall in between their attics.
This is their story. Rose telling Polly how seeing ghosts is miserable and Polly being super excited that Rose can see ghosts.
This book is split up into two POV's so you get a chance to hear both girls stories almost simultaneously. The story goes in one POV say Polly's and then it switches to Rose so you hear her inner thoughts and what she thinks about what Polly is saying. I've never read a story like that and loved it. Everything gets covered that way and we know exactly how each girl is feeling at all times.
This book could be considered slow in the fact you don't find out the truth until the very end. But I loved the pacing. I only barely figured it out a few chapters before the reveal. I even got misty eyed toward the end.
I great middle grade about friendship, courage and ghosts :D
The Swallow is a middle grade paranormal book about two little girls. I think they are 12 or so. One girl is named Polly the other is Rose.
Polly is a feisty girl. Out of 7 kids she is the one that feels left out. She always feels invisible. You would think in a household the size of hers there would be people to talk to. Her older sisters are obnoxious, her twin brothers Matthew and Mark, (she calls the Horrors) never leave her alone... and then there is Susie the baby.
She is a contradiction. She wants her parents to pay attention to her, but she doesn't want attention from her siblings. She wants peace and quiet. One day she finds out that inside her closet is the trapdoor to the attic. She crawls up there to hide from her terrible 8 year old brothers and hears singing.
Rose is practically the complete opposite of Polly. She is an only child. Home alone the majority of the time. Everyone...teachers, kids at school, even her parents ignore her. She IS invisible. She tends to hide in the attic when she feels sad and lonely. One day while she is up there...she hears a ghost. Not a ghost she can see...because she always sees ghosts, ever since she can remember, but a invisible ghost.
The two girls get to talking and realize they are both not ghosts and that they share a wall in between their attics.
This is their story. Rose telling Polly how seeing ghosts is miserable and Polly being super excited that Rose can see ghosts.
This book is split up into two POV's so you get a chance to hear both girls stories almost simultaneously. The story goes in one POV say Polly's and then it switches to Rose so you hear her inner thoughts and what she thinks about what Polly is saying. I've never read a story like that and loved it. Everything gets covered that way and we know exactly how each girl is feeling at all times.
This book could be considered slow in the fact you don't find out the truth until the very end. But I loved the pacing. I only barely figured it out a few chapters before the reveal. I even got misty eyed toward the end.
I great middle grade about friendship, courage and ghosts :D
December 22, 2014
4.5 stars
Release Date: September, 9th
Arc provided by Tundra Books through Netgalley
Things you should know about this story:
Incredibly addictive , once you start it, I dare you to stop reading it.
The beginning is pretty much perfect.
We are given a plot that starts with a very likeable heroine, and a small insight into her less than "perfect life". Polly is a young girl on the verge of teenagehood , and it shows :)
There’s no place for me. I’m getting squeezed out of my own house. My parents want to save the world, and they’re doing it one unwanted kid at a time.
Told in dual points of view, "The Swallow" is a story about two girls that live next door to each other, each of them with their own very different lives...
Rose is the quiet girl, the one that feels abandoned by her parents, and basically ignored by the rest of the world. If only the ghosts that she sees would behave in the same fashion, her life would be much more bearable.
Polly is a force of nature. She is lively, with a large _ and what she feels as imposed _ family, and unlike Rose she would love to see a ghost...
This a story about friendship and how friendship can make you stronger.
Once these two find one another, their lives will never be the same.
The writing
I can't help but recurring to a cliché to define it: Engaging, witty, and concise.
With its first phase _ see phrase copy/pasted above _ we are immediately thrown into the story! The author knows what she's doing, and she caught the story's tone perfectly!
If this were a song, Adele would be singing it.
By having two very different heroines, the author was able to _lets say _ lift the story's "natural" bleakness.
Rose who has been haunted all her life by ghosts, carries this unbearable weight and this dark cloud with her. She feels as if they want to drain her of her life force. And we feel this, while reading it.
The atmosphere of the setting is just right.
But then comes Polly, curious Polly who would love nothing more than to see ghosts, and someone that in the end is able to change the way Rose feels about her "gift" or "curse". Polly with her red coat, and her enthusiasm for life, someone who _despite all that takes place _in the end is able to keep the narrative more grounded in the everyday life.
The mystery
Very well done! I take my hat to the author! ;)
Of course I am not going to reveal it!! lol So you can keep on reading this review:)
I am just going to say that I kept "piling all the clues" in my head, and trying to figure it out.
I knew that most probably I was being "directed" in the wrong direction _seeing the movie The Sixth Sense did wonders for my investigative skills! lol _ and something kept telling me that "the egg incident"_read the book!_ was important, but I just couldn't figure it out.
Hmppf, who am I kidding?
I couldn't figure it out, until it was almost spelled out to me!
First I thought it was the obvious one...then I thought it was both of them...then the least likely of them...but the twins DECEIVED ME!! o_O
Arghhh!
So, yes, as you can read, I loved this story!
So why not five star rating?
Because I can't help feeling that the girls pov's, should have been longer. They kept changing too often, and there was a moment in which I couldn't help feeling that they were disrupting the story's flow.
Besides that, I will say it again, I loved reading this story. And I am really happy that I requested, and most importantly that I was granted access to read it.
Thank you....I've just added another book to my to "buy list". o_O
September is going to be a disaster :/
Meanwhile I will try to restrain myself from doing...this..to my friends! ;)
Release Date: September, 9th
Arc provided by Tundra Books through Netgalley
Things you should know about this story:
Incredibly addictive , once you start it, I dare you to stop reading it.
The beginning is pretty much perfect.
We are given a plot that starts with a very likeable heroine, and a small insight into her less than "perfect life". Polly is a young girl on the verge of teenagehood , and it shows :)
There’s no place for me. I’m getting squeezed out of my own house. My parents want to save the world, and they’re doing it one unwanted kid at a time.
Told in dual points of view, "The Swallow" is a story about two girls that live next door to each other, each of them with their own very different lives...
Rose is the quiet girl, the one that feels abandoned by her parents, and basically ignored by the rest of the world. If only the ghosts that she sees would behave in the same fashion, her life would be much more bearable.
Polly is a force of nature. She is lively, with a large _ and what she feels as imposed _ family, and unlike Rose she would love to see a ghost...
This a story about friendship and how friendship can make you stronger.
Once these two find one another, their lives will never be the same.
The writing
I can't help but recurring to a cliché to define it: Engaging, witty, and concise.
With its first phase _ see phrase copy/pasted above _ we are immediately thrown into the story! The author knows what she's doing, and she caught the story's tone perfectly!
If this were a song, Adele would be singing it.
By having two very different heroines, the author was able to _lets say _ lift the story's "natural" bleakness.
Rose who has been haunted all her life by ghosts, carries this unbearable weight and this dark cloud with her. She feels as if they want to drain her of her life force. And we feel this, while reading it.
The atmosphere of the setting is just right.
But then comes Polly, curious Polly who would love nothing more than to see ghosts, and someone that in the end is able to change the way Rose feels about her "gift" or "curse". Polly with her red coat, and her enthusiasm for life, someone who _despite all that takes place _in the end is able to keep the narrative more grounded in the everyday life.
The mystery
Very well done! I take my hat to the author! ;)
Of course I am not going to reveal it!! lol So you can keep on reading this review:)
I am just going to say that I kept "piling all the clues" in my head, and trying to figure it out.
I knew that most probably I was being "directed" in the wrong direction _seeing the movie The Sixth Sense did wonders for my investigative skills! lol _ and something kept telling me that "the egg incident"_read the book!_ was important, but I just couldn't figure it out.
Hmppf, who am I kidding?
I couldn't figure it out, until it was almost spelled out to me!
First I thought it was the obvious one...then I thought it was both of them...then the least likely of them...but the twins DECEIVED ME!! o_O
Arghhh!
So, yes, as you can read, I loved this story!
So why not five star rating?
Because I can't help feeling that the girls pov's, should have been longer. They kept changing too often, and there was a moment in which I couldn't help feeling that they were disrupting the story's flow.
Besides that, I will say it again, I loved reading this story. And I am really happy that I requested, and most importantly that I was granted access to read it.
Thank you....I've just added another book to my to "buy list". o_O
September is going to be a disaster :/
Meanwhile I will try to restrain myself from doing...this..to my friends! ;)
December 27, 2017
This review and others posted over at
my blog.
Set in Canada in the 1960s, Polly and Rose meet after Rose’s parents move to the other side of the two-family home. Rose attends private school, where she’s largely unnoticed by classmates and teachers alike. Her parents are almost never home, working hard for the sock company that her grandfather founded. Rose deals mostly with the housekeeper, Kendrick, who barely speaks to her, leaving Rose feeling (justifiably) isolated and alone, seldom speaking or even eating.
Polly, on the other hand, can’t get a moment alone in her house. She has an older sister and two younger twin brothers, as well as three foster sisters. Her parents seem to have no time for her, as they’re busy working and keeping up with the rest of the family. Polly escapes to a room in the attic, desperate for some time to herself (though her little brothers know just where she’s hiding) when she hears singing coming from the other side of the attic. After constantly wishing for an adventure like she reads about in books, Polly believes that the voice she hears is coming from a ghost.
The girls form an unlikely friendship, after much resistance on Rose’s part. Polly, while obnoxious in her persistence in believing Rose is a ghost, is utterly charming. I enjoyed how each girl’s life delved into how loneliness can manifest and affect us all differently. It added emotional depth to the fantasy plot and a quote I found especially moving comes from Polly, in reference to her mother always being busy with the other children:
“She always thinks I can manage, but sometimes I need her and she just isn’t there.”
There’s a bit of mystery involving Rose’s family history (nice little rhyme there) and an actual ghost in the story as well. The story is told in short little chapters (one or two pages or so) from each girl’s point of view. They often pick up where the other’s narration leaves off and it kept the plot moving forward, while the two perspectives kept me trying to figure out what was actually going on.
The end was somewhat predictable, yet as the story moved towards its close, it began to have a bigger impact on me. The more I thought about everything that had happened, the more moved I was, and this book definitely made me cry. There’s certainly a somewhat uplifting message contained in this ghost story, but I’ll be honest, this book made me depressed. But that’s a good thing! I’m always going on about books that get me going emotionally and I love anything that has such a deep impact on me.
I 100% recommend this story and I’m excited about Cotter’s next release in 2018. If you like your middle-grade with a darker tone, but emotional depth, I think you’ll enjoy The Swallow.
I received this book for free from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions in this post are my own.
Set in Canada in the 1960s, Polly and Rose meet after Rose’s parents move to the other side of the two-family home. Rose attends private school, where she’s largely unnoticed by classmates and teachers alike. Her parents are almost never home, working hard for the sock company that her grandfather founded. Rose deals mostly with the housekeeper, Kendrick, who barely speaks to her, leaving Rose feeling (justifiably) isolated and alone, seldom speaking or even eating.
Polly, on the other hand, can’t get a moment alone in her house. She has an older sister and two younger twin brothers, as well as three foster sisters. Her parents seem to have no time for her, as they’re busy working and keeping up with the rest of the family. Polly escapes to a room in the attic, desperate for some time to herself (though her little brothers know just where she’s hiding) when she hears singing coming from the other side of the attic. After constantly wishing for an adventure like she reads about in books, Polly believes that the voice she hears is coming from a ghost.
The girls form an unlikely friendship, after much resistance on Rose’s part. Polly, while obnoxious in her persistence in believing Rose is a ghost, is utterly charming. I enjoyed how each girl’s life delved into how loneliness can manifest and affect us all differently. It added emotional depth to the fantasy plot and a quote I found especially moving comes from Polly, in reference to her mother always being busy with the other children:
“She always thinks I can manage, but sometimes I need her and she just isn’t there.”
There’s a bit of mystery involving Rose’s family history (nice little rhyme there) and an actual ghost in the story as well. The story is told in short little chapters (one or two pages or so) from each girl’s point of view. They often pick up where the other’s narration leaves off and it kept the plot moving forward, while the two perspectives kept me trying to figure out what was actually going on.
The end was somewhat predictable, yet as the story moved towards its close, it began to have a bigger impact on me. The more I thought about everything that had happened, the more moved I was, and this book definitely made me cry. There’s certainly a somewhat uplifting message contained in this ghost story, but I’ll be honest, this book made me depressed. But that’s a good thing! I’m always going on about books that get me going emotionally and I love anything that has such a deep impact on me.
I 100% recommend this story and I’m excited about Cotter’s next release in 2018. If you like your middle-grade with a darker tone, but emotional depth, I think you’ll enjoy The Swallow.
I received this book for free from LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. All opinions in this post are my own.
August 8, 2020
I really needed this book. It was the one to break me out of a book slump. It grabbed my attention and had a twist that I didn't see coming. I cared about all of the characters and I enjoyed the storyline.
I didn't quite get a feel for the time and place, the setting of the book, but since it was more than strong in the characters and story of the book, it didn't bother me too much.
That being said, I think that there were some very unnatural lacks of communication and some scenes that didn't make sense in real life, but that had to happen to keep the twist from being too obvious too soon. Also, at least one vivid scene seems to be out of place in the timeline of the twist.
Other than those quibbles, I did enjoy the book. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 because while I did really enjoy it and it was the book that broke me out of my slump, it didn't knock it out of the park for me. I do think middle readers will enjoy this book, especially if they like ghost stories and mysteries. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House of Canada Limited/Tundra Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
I didn't quite get a feel for the time and place, the setting of the book, but since it was more than strong in the characters and story of the book, it didn't bother me too much.
That being said, I think that there were some very unnatural lacks of communication and some scenes that didn't make sense in real life, but that had to happen to keep the twist from being too obvious too soon. Also, at least one vivid scene seems to be out of place in the timeline of the twist.
Other than those quibbles, I did enjoy the book. 3.5 stars, rounded down to 3 because while I did really enjoy it and it was the book that broke me out of my slump, it didn't knock it out of the park for me. I do think middle readers will enjoy this book, especially if they like ghost stories and mysteries. I would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.
My thanks to NetGalley and Random House of Canada Limited/Tundra Books for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.
May 21, 2016
I loved The Swallow: A Ghost Story. It ticks a lot of my personal boxes. I grew up adoring ghost stories, so I identified with the plucky Polly who wants nothing more than to see a wandering spirit. On the other hand, I was a rather morose child, so I also identified with the sombre Rose, who feels like a ghost because no one in her family seems to talk to her anymore. I normally don't read children's fiction but this one drew me in right away. It's set in Toronto, my home town, so I recognized many of the settings (the eerie Necropolis cemetery, the Bloor viaduct, many of the street names). I love how the author weaves this tale and the reader is never quite sure if Rose is alive or dead. The ending was perfect, or at least, it felt perfect to me. This book delivers on sweetness and the friendship factor and I loved these two girls. Happy ending? Well, that depends on your perspective but from the beginning the reader knows something is amiss between Polly and Rose and the spirits haunting Rose's home. I found it a satisfying conclusion and I'd be pleased to read more of Charis Cotter's work.
August 5, 2020
If you like upper middle-grade books, read this. You don't have to like ghost stories, or be into historical fiction (it takes place mostly in autumn 1963); it has more universal appeal. Do not reread blurbs or reviews, just take our words for it and read the lovely & entertaining story about friendship, family, grief, and hope.
If your library doesn't have it, don't buy it yourself. Instead, ask for them to buy it so other children & families get a chance to read it, too.
If your library doesn't have it, don't buy it yourself. Instead, ask for them to buy it so other children & families get a chance to read it, too.
January 3, 2015
4,5 Sterne *_*
December 17, 2014
Set in Toronto in the sixties, this book is about two lonely girls living in homes that attach to one another. Polly has a huge family with foster siblings too. She feels ignored by all of them, though she can’t get away from her twin brothers and their noise. That’s how she finds her way into the attic as a safe place away from the bustle of her family. Polly has always wanted to meet a ghost, which is why she thinks that Rose is a ghost the first time she hears her singing in her neighboring attic. But Rose turns out to be a real girl, who just happens to look very ghostlike too. Rose has always been able to see ghosts, and she hates it since they never leave her alone. Rose spends a lot of her days alone, no one at school talks to her, her parents are very busy business people, and the housekeeper ignores her. So the two girls quickly form a close friendship, made even closer by the frightening ghost that looks just like Rose and who threatens Polly’s life. Can the two girls figure out who this ghost is and what she wants?
I seem to be on a roll with Canadian children’s book authors lately, and this is another wonderful Canadian read. Cotter creates a mystery inside a ghost story that twists and turns delightfully along the way. Readers will think they have it all figured out and then the story will change. Yet somehow Cotter makes it all work and in the end the entire novel makes great sense, enough that readers will want to start again to see the clues they may have missed.
The writing here is exceptional. Cotter writes with a confident voice, one that allows each of these girls to be entire unique. The two of them are quite different from one another, each clearly resulting from their very divergent upbringings. The friendship also reads as real with small arguments happening regularly and the two girls having to repair these small issues. Through the entire book there is a wonderful ghostly presence, a feeling of being in a real place but one unseen by others. It’s a place that is a delight to visit.
Perfect for reading under the covers with a flashlight, this strong ghost story is both entertaining and riveting. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
I seem to be on a roll with Canadian children’s book authors lately, and this is another wonderful Canadian read. Cotter creates a mystery inside a ghost story that twists and turns delightfully along the way. Readers will think they have it all figured out and then the story will change. Yet somehow Cotter makes it all work and in the end the entire novel makes great sense, enough that readers will want to start again to see the clues they may have missed.
The writing here is exceptional. Cotter writes with a confident voice, one that allows each of these girls to be entire unique. The two of them are quite different from one another, each clearly resulting from their very divergent upbringings. The friendship also reads as real with small arguments happening regularly and the two girls having to repair these small issues. Through the entire book there is a wonderful ghostly presence, a feeling of being in a real place but one unseen by others. It’s a place that is a delight to visit.
Perfect for reading under the covers with a flashlight, this strong ghost story is both entertaining and riveting. Appropriate for ages 9-12.
September 17, 2014
Several books that I’ve read recently promised ghostly content, but ultimately disappointed me. I’m happy to say that The Swallow is a satisfying ghost story that really delivers.
The Swallow is the engaging tale of Rose and Polly, two girls growing up in Canada in 1963, sharing a preoccupation with ghosts. The ghosts are creepy, and these girls are really brave as they try to resolve the spooky mysteries in their lives, whilst also exploring their new friendship.
But while I adore the story, there are some frustrating weak points in The Swallow. Each chapter includes alternating viewpoints between Polly and Rose, and while these girls are distinct characters, their narrative voices are very similar. When the two interact with each other, I occasionally mixed up whose perspective I was reading from. I also feel as though I wasn’t deeply immersed in these characters’ lives. There isn’t enough detail, and I didn’t really get to know any of the secondary characters. Of course, Rose and Polly are at the center of the story, but that doesn’t mean that the background should be casually glossed over.
However, despite its flaws, I loved reading The Swallow. I expected the story to be very predictable, but it’s definitely not - the mystery kept me wondering for quite a long time. The plot is creepy and unexpected, and quite heartfelt as well. A perfect read for getting your yearly fix of autumn spookiness!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
The Swallow is the engaging tale of Rose and Polly, two girls growing up in Canada in 1963, sharing a preoccupation with ghosts. The ghosts are creepy, and these girls are really brave as they try to resolve the spooky mysteries in their lives, whilst also exploring their new friendship.
But while I adore the story, there are some frustrating weak points in The Swallow. Each chapter includes alternating viewpoints between Polly and Rose, and while these girls are distinct characters, their narrative voices are very similar. When the two interact with each other, I occasionally mixed up whose perspective I was reading from. I also feel as though I wasn’t deeply immersed in these characters’ lives. There isn’t enough detail, and I didn’t really get to know any of the secondary characters. Of course, Rose and Polly are at the center of the story, but that doesn’t mean that the background should be casually glossed over.
However, despite its flaws, I loved reading The Swallow. I expected the story to be very predictable, but it’s definitely not - the mystery kept me wondering for quite a long time. The plot is creepy and unexpected, and quite heartfelt as well. A perfect read for getting your yearly fix of autumn spookiness!
Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for providing me with a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
February 11, 2015
Polly and Rose live next door to each other. Polly's house is too full of people and her macabre tastes make her long to see a different kind of person, one who is no longer alive, ie, a ghost. Rose's house is the opposite of Polly's and is always empty and Rose has the dubious ability to see ghosts. The two soon strike up an unlikely friendship and Polly is right jealous of Rose's "gift." Yet maybe there's a reason she can see ghosts? There's a tombstone behind their houses with Rose's name on it... perhaps Rose herself is a ghost? One thing is clear, there is something strange going on and Polly thinks that the two of them need to get to the bottom of the spooky goings on; because one of them might be a ghost.
If you've ever thought, wow there really needs to be a middle grade version of The Sixth Sense set in 1960s Toronto, then I have good news for you! If on the other hand you're looking for a story that isn't predictable like, oh, anything ever done by M. Night Shyamalan, look elsewhere. The main problem with The Swallow is that everything is so obvious. It's not like there was one of two things that surprised me. Oh no. Every. Single. Thing. Was. Expected. It's like Cotter has no ability to dissemble. She can't hide her story structure, and she certainly can't hide her big reveals. From the second Polly went into her attic I knew that there'd be a secret passage, because I'd read C. S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew. Yeah, you didn't do a good job of hiding where that attic came from Cotter, much like everything else.
But as to each reveal, they were delivered exactly when you'd expect it. There was no flow to this story, no chance for surprises. It felt as if Cotter sat down and wrote the most rigid structure she could to tell her story, with each reveal carefully placed, and when she went from outline to prose not one thing was allowed to vary from that outline. I felt at times as if the book was more a rigid structure of steal that had words around it then an actual narrative. You could feel the story gripping the spine trying to be a real book. A good author transports us and makes us not see the craft behind the work. Cotter pulled back the curtain on the wizard and showed us that writing isn't magic, it's labor intensive, and not just for her, but for us as readers as well. The only positive that can be said for this book is that it was a short read so the pain was quickly over.
Though what is most aggravating to me is that this could have been a unique story! We have the 1960s, we have the ghostly aunt/doppelganger, vintage shoes, creepy pictures of Rose and Winifred dressed alike, and yet it felt like it could be happening right now because none of these interesting aspects are delved into or exploited for the benefit of the story! Instead we get two girls, Polly and Rose, who are just as annoying and whiny as any kid today with no sense given to us readers of how they fit into their time to better explore the sixties. They are completely unlikable in the beginning, and even if you grudgingly like them a little later, the jeopardy they get placed in is so badly contrived that they are never able to rise up and save the book. In a true sign that shows how utterly commonplace everything about the book is, the girl's voices are basically the same. If it weren't for their different situations and the little label saying who's head we're in, I doubt you could tell which girl was which.
As for the ghosts. Well, I have problems with them. First, let's take the ghosts as a whole, and I won't talk about how thick Rose is, we'll just accept that as a given. The ghosts seem to have been given stupid characteristics, like the ability to eat and touch so that we wouldn't know that Polly was dead all along. Oops, I hope you hadn't planned on reading this book, because yeah, spoilers! Though with Cotter's writing if she'd been allowed to write the book's blurb, well, she would have signaled you into that twist in just those few short sentences. Since when can ghosts eat? Like seriously, I think this would be the number one thing on my "things ghosts can't do list." Haunt, yeah, move objects, yeah, give me nightmares, yeah, eat my food, NO! Also more specifically, Winifred is like the worst developed ghost ever. She's angry and crazy and remorseful and a loving sister? Yes, people can be a cornucopia of different personality traits, but, you know what? It has to be explained. Just having her go from crazy to contrite, it doesn't work.
But what I really want to know is was this book a teaching moment? So many of the reviews and blurbs talk about how this book will help kids with concepts like grief and acceptance. If this book was written to tell a rigidly plotted story and it just happened to help with grief and acceptance, well, I'm ok with that. On the other hand, if this book was written just to teach kids about these concepts? NO! I am not a fan of the "teaching moment." I want learning to be a byproduct of reading not the be all end all. Plus, when did everything have to be made "improving" for children? All literature had to teach them lessons. All toys had to be educational. WTF people! How about literature is there to teach kids the joy of reading? And how about toys being there to grow their imagination? I loved toys but I was slow to books. If I had read this book as a kid, it would have put me even more off reading, it's middle grade meh.
The Last Word: "Skylark"
If you've ever thought, wow there really needs to be a middle grade version of The Sixth Sense set in 1960s Toronto, then I have good news for you! If on the other hand you're looking for a story that isn't predictable like, oh, anything ever done by M. Night Shyamalan, look elsewhere. The main problem with The Swallow is that everything is so obvious. It's not like there was one of two things that surprised me. Oh no. Every. Single. Thing. Was. Expected. It's like Cotter has no ability to dissemble. She can't hide her story structure, and she certainly can't hide her big reveals. From the second Polly went into her attic I knew that there'd be a secret passage, because I'd read C. S. Lewis's The Magician's Nephew. Yeah, you didn't do a good job of hiding where that attic came from Cotter, much like everything else.
But as to each reveal, they were delivered exactly when you'd expect it. There was no flow to this story, no chance for surprises. It felt as if Cotter sat down and wrote the most rigid structure she could to tell her story, with each reveal carefully placed, and when she went from outline to prose not one thing was allowed to vary from that outline. I felt at times as if the book was more a rigid structure of steal that had words around it then an actual narrative. You could feel the story gripping the spine trying to be a real book. A good author transports us and makes us not see the craft behind the work. Cotter pulled back the curtain on the wizard and showed us that writing isn't magic, it's labor intensive, and not just for her, but for us as readers as well. The only positive that can be said for this book is that it was a short read so the pain was quickly over.
Though what is most aggravating to me is that this could have been a unique story! We have the 1960s, we have the ghostly aunt/doppelganger, vintage shoes, creepy pictures of Rose and Winifred dressed alike, and yet it felt like it could be happening right now because none of these interesting aspects are delved into or exploited for the benefit of the story! Instead we get two girls, Polly and Rose, who are just as annoying and whiny as any kid today with no sense given to us readers of how they fit into their time to better explore the sixties. They are completely unlikable in the beginning, and even if you grudgingly like them a little later, the jeopardy they get placed in is so badly contrived that they are never able to rise up and save the book. In a true sign that shows how utterly commonplace everything about the book is, the girl's voices are basically the same. If it weren't for their different situations and the little label saying who's head we're in, I doubt you could tell which girl was which.
As for the ghosts. Well, I have problems with them. First, let's take the ghosts as a whole, and I won't talk about how thick Rose is, we'll just accept that as a given. The ghosts seem to have been given stupid characteristics, like the ability to eat and touch so that we wouldn't know that Polly was dead all along. Oops, I hope you hadn't planned on reading this book, because yeah, spoilers! Though with Cotter's writing if she'd been allowed to write the book's blurb, well, she would have signaled you into that twist in just those few short sentences. Since when can ghosts eat? Like seriously, I think this would be the number one thing on my "things ghosts can't do list." Haunt, yeah, move objects, yeah, give me nightmares, yeah, eat my food, NO! Also more specifically, Winifred is like the worst developed ghost ever. She's angry and crazy and remorseful and a loving sister? Yes, people can be a cornucopia of different personality traits, but, you know what? It has to be explained. Just having her go from crazy to contrite, it doesn't work.
But what I really want to know is was this book a teaching moment? So many of the reviews and blurbs talk about how this book will help kids with concepts like grief and acceptance. If this book was written to tell a rigidly plotted story and it just happened to help with grief and acceptance, well, I'm ok with that. On the other hand, if this book was written just to teach kids about these concepts? NO! I am not a fan of the "teaching moment." I want learning to be a byproduct of reading not the be all end all. Plus, when did everything have to be made "improving" for children? All literature had to teach them lessons. All toys had to be educational. WTF people! How about literature is there to teach kids the joy of reading? And how about toys being there to grow their imagination? I loved toys but I was slow to books. If I had read this book as a kid, it would have put me even more off reading, it's middle grade meh.
The Last Word: "Skylark"
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 30, 2020
Three stars because after all, it is well written if you are not the sort of person who is annoyed by constant switching in POV. Unfortunately that had me grinding my teeth by the last third of the book because it became too obviously a device the author was using to obfuscate the story.
The real message, if there is one, is about the lack of communication between parents and children, about how young girls feel invisible around age 13 unless given positive reinforcement.
If I had found this book in my teens it would have been a favourite. As it is, it's not for me. As I say, it's well written and a fast read, but it's not for the person I am today. A certain stripe of young girls will love it, and become obsessed with seeing/communicating with ghosts, and I'm not sure that's a good thing.
In fact, I'm sure it's not a good thing. Obsessions never are.
The real message, if there is one, is about the lack of communication between parents and children, about how young girls feel invisible around age 13 unless given positive reinforcement.
If I had found this book in my teens it would have been a favourite. As it is, it's not for me. As I say, it's well written and a fast read, but it's not for the person I am today. A certain stripe of young girls will love it, and become obsessed with seeing/communicating with ghosts, and I'm not sure that's a good thing.
In fact, I'm sure it's not a good thing. Obsessions never are.
September 30, 2017
"The Swallow" was the second book that I had read by the middle-grade author, Charis Cotter. I was very eager to begin this novel after reading her "The Painting". Both premises of each book intrigued me as a twenty-one year old, because these were eerie and creepy stories that I would have loved as a middle-grade reader if they were around when I was that young. I was explaining to someone yesterday that, of course I still love middle-grade fiction, because I loved it years ago.
"The Swallow" follows (ha, rhyme) Polly and Rose, who become friends as they sit in their neighboring attics, only connected by a secret passageway. Polly has the uncomfortable and worrying fear that Rose is dead and is a ghost, while Rose is absolutely fed up with seeing ghosts all of the time. She knows she's alive, but why does she see them at breakfast, at school, everywhere she goes?
A few fascinating and heartbreaking twists and turns occur, and we leave Rose understanding her true purpose as a girl who can see ghosts, that she is to help them move on. This is a very sad, very beautiful book. This novel is more about friendship, while "The Painting" is more about family, but they are both very relative to middle-grade readers. I sincerely enjoyed "The Swallow" more than "The Painting", but these are both excellent novels that I've had the pleasure to receive and review. The dialogue is believable, the sadness is easily felt and sympathetic, the love is palpable between Polly and Rose. I thoroughly recommend this.
Naturally, every book does come without faults. Who would I be as a reviewer if I didn't mention the not so wonderful aspects? To be honest, there really weren't that many. I think that the plot twists were excellent and very fitting for the story, but they were a bit WOW RIGHT NOW IN YOUR FACE AHHH HERE YOU ARE BE SAD NOW. I wish they unfolded a little more naturally rather than the last third of the book. I felt I needed a little more time to recover than I received. I usually am not a fan of excessive resolution, but I would have liked a little bit more in the last two chapters or so. After a massive plot twist as it was, I needed a little time to nurse the booboos.
Additionally, perhaps the plot twist could have been a little predictable? I in no way predicted it, but it was a very distracting day with my lunatic dog, so I could have been reading this more intently than I was. So maybe some of you could predict, but not me! Lastly, the only last thing I dislike was that there were a few moments of confusion where I had to re-read passages, because the way the sentences were worded. This is definitely one of those books where each chapter ends dramatically like "And then, I found a hidden door." "Then, I saw a shadow behind me." It's a bit cliffhanger-y, and that kind of confuses me occasionally as to what I read rriiiiight before the cliffhanger. I think if you end up reading this, you'll understand what I mean when we reach the point where the girls find a secret box.
In conclusion, I absolutely loved this. Charis Cotter is a fantastic middle-grade writer, and I cannot wait to continue to read her books.
*I received this book as a complementary review copy*.
P.S. I mentioned this in my review of "The Painting", but my goodness, I absolutely love the cover art. Beautiful selections as always.
"The Swallow" follows (ha, rhyme) Polly and Rose, who become friends as they sit in their neighboring attics, only connected by a secret passageway. Polly has the uncomfortable and worrying fear that Rose is dead and is a ghost, while Rose is absolutely fed up with seeing ghosts all of the time. She knows she's alive, but why does she see them at breakfast, at school, everywhere she goes?
A few fascinating and heartbreaking twists and turns occur, and we leave Rose understanding her true purpose as a girl who can see ghosts, that she is to help them move on. This is a very sad, very beautiful book. This novel is more about friendship, while "The Painting" is more about family, but they are both very relative to middle-grade readers. I sincerely enjoyed "The Swallow" more than "The Painting", but these are both excellent novels that I've had the pleasure to receive and review. The dialogue is believable, the sadness is easily felt and sympathetic, the love is palpable between Polly and Rose. I thoroughly recommend this.
Naturally, every book does come without faults. Who would I be as a reviewer if I didn't mention the not so wonderful aspects? To be honest, there really weren't that many. I think that the plot twists were excellent and very fitting for the story, but they were a bit WOW RIGHT NOW IN YOUR FACE AHHH HERE YOU ARE BE SAD NOW. I wish they unfolded a little more naturally rather than the last third of the book. I felt I needed a little more time to recover than I received. I usually am not a fan of excessive resolution, but I would have liked a little bit more in the last two chapters or so. After a massive plot twist as it was, I needed a little time to nurse the booboos.
Additionally, perhaps the plot twist could have been a little predictable? I in no way predicted it, but it was a very distracting day with my lunatic dog, so I could have been reading this more intently than I was. So maybe some of you could predict, but not me! Lastly, the only last thing I dislike was that there were a few moments of confusion where I had to re-read passages, because the way the sentences were worded. This is definitely one of those books where each chapter ends dramatically like "And then, I found a hidden door." "Then, I saw a shadow behind me." It's a bit cliffhanger-y, and that kind of confuses me occasionally as to what I read rriiiiight before the cliffhanger. I think if you end up reading this, you'll understand what I mean when we reach the point where the girls find a secret box.
In conclusion, I absolutely loved this. Charis Cotter is a fantastic middle-grade writer, and I cannot wait to continue to read her books.
*I received this book as a complementary review copy*.
P.S. I mentioned this in my review of "The Painting", but my goodness, I absolutely love the cover art. Beautiful selections as always.
August 28, 2025
You might also enjoy:
✱ Spirit's Key
✱ Chime
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January 28, 2015
I purchased this book with the intent of donating it to the local library but decided to give it a quick read before doing so and I'm so glad I did. A great story about friendship, family, and acceptance. Polly and Rose are both likable characters which most children (pre teens) will be able to find common ground. Filled with fun, mystery, and a little spookyness too. Hopefully a few young library goers will enjoy it as much as I did.
March 21, 2022
I was not prepared for how heartbreaking this book is. I've often said that all ghost stories are inherently sad, but this one still blew me away, to the point where after I figured out what the twist was I was also actively trying not to believe it. Beautifully written and much more sweet than bitter, I think this is a book that will haunt me for a long time.
October 5, 2021
I remember reading this in middle/elementary school and it fucked me up, my entire world shifted with this plot twist. Such a nostalgic read for me and will always have a special place in my heart. It also kind of gave me Coraline vibes.
May 21, 2022
It’s a little odd to call something delightfully sad, especially a middle-grade ghost story, but this is where I’m at with this book. It’s better to go into this book with as little information as possible because even if you guess the outcome, you’ll still get that emotional oomph because, at the end of it all, this story is not just about ghosts but about family and how easily it all go south if no one talks to each other.
All stories are extreme in some capacity and some can even argue “convenient plot points” but without certain extremes, we wouldn’t have a story at all. It’s essential to understand this because middle-grade stories, especially, are criticized for not having the adults “do anything” when the focus should be on the kids. And I think this is a good example of utilizing that point of view from a neglected child’s perspective.
One thing this book already does right is to show how different both Polly and Rose are neglected – just because one parent is at home all the time (with a bunch of other kids as well) doesn’t mean they’re there for all of the kids. And then the stereotypical neglected child because the parents are too busy at work or bundled up with their own lives to really communicate with the kid. And whether you, the reader, have an even emotion reacting to being neglected, those familiar feelings are there.
This book is told through dual points of view in the same chapter (but marked) and though it’s not traditionally chaptered, it works. We do meet important characters along the way though I do wish Polly’s siblings were all introduced, I understand why there needs to be a focus on the Horrors. I also appreciate that they share the same point of view in the same scene they share – it really adds to the story and I feel that it better completes it. Though because of how limited certain things are, it does make it easier to read and does make it quick – but it’s still very informative. Some readers might be frustrated by the lack of parents showing up and their own characterization but again - that’s sort of the point in this type of story. It keeps you locked in to see what happens to these kids.
For me, this story makes it hard to read even though I did read it in a day because the question of “who’s the ghost” made me scared to turn the page to see the truth. And when I did read the truth, it hurt all the same. And it kept hurting as the ghosts are revealed to be who they are and what they truly wanted from the characters.
But at least everyone gets the closure they need.
Though this story takes place in 1960s Toronto, my mind kept wanting to give the characters English accents. This isn’t the fault of the author – it’s my automatic response to seeing “mum” and other English colloquials that I’m slowly becoming familiar with the more I keep accidentally consuming UK media. It’s not a bad thing but I’m always caught off-guard only to keep doing it. However, I attribute it to the fact that the writing is reminiscent of English writers and even fairy tales based on them.
I’d consider this historical fiction with a bittersweet touch; a beautiful and delightful sad book. Read this as blindly as possible to get the full emotional damage.
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All stories are extreme in some capacity and some can even argue “convenient plot points” but without certain extremes, we wouldn’t have a story at all. It’s essential to understand this because middle-grade stories, especially, are criticized for not having the adults “do anything” when the focus should be on the kids. And I think this is a good example of utilizing that point of view from a neglected child’s perspective.
One thing this book already does right is to show how different both Polly and Rose are neglected – just because one parent is at home all the time (with a bunch of other kids as well) doesn’t mean they’re there for all of the kids. And then the stereotypical neglected child because the parents are too busy at work or bundled up with their own lives to really communicate with the kid. And whether you, the reader, have an even emotion reacting to being neglected, those familiar feelings are there.
This book is told through dual points of view in the same chapter (but marked) and though it’s not traditionally chaptered, it works. We do meet important characters along the way though I do wish Polly’s siblings were all introduced, I understand why there needs to be a focus on the Horrors. I also appreciate that they share the same point of view in the same scene they share – it really adds to the story and I feel that it better completes it. Though because of how limited certain things are, it does make it easier to read and does make it quick – but it’s still very informative. Some readers might be frustrated by the lack of parents showing up and their own characterization but again - that’s sort of the point in this type of story. It keeps you locked in to see what happens to these kids.
For me, this story makes it hard to read even though I did read it in a day because the question of “who’s the ghost” made me scared to turn the page to see the truth. And when I did read the truth, it hurt all the same. And it kept hurting as the ghosts are revealed to be who they are and what they truly wanted from the characters.
But at least everyone gets the closure they need.
Though this story takes place in 1960s Toronto, my mind kept wanting to give the characters English accents. This isn’t the fault of the author – it’s my automatic response to seeing “mum” and other English colloquials that I’m slowly becoming familiar with the more I keep accidentally consuming UK media. It’s not a bad thing but I’m always caught off-guard only to keep doing it. However, I attribute it to the fact that the writing is reminiscent of English writers and even fairy tales based on them.
I’d consider this historical fiction with a bittersweet touch; a beautiful and delightful sad book. Read this as blindly as possible to get the full emotional damage.
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September 30, 2018
First of all I absolutely love this cover!
Second of all I absolutely adored this book! I loved the characters, especially Rose and Polly and the twin brothers! I loved the friendship that formed between Rose and Polly! The story it's self was fantastic and written really well. And the writing is beautiful! Overall I just loved this book so much!
Second of all I absolutely adored this book! I loved the characters, especially Rose and Polly and the twin brothers! I loved the friendship that formed between Rose and Polly! The story it's self was fantastic and written really well. And the writing is beautiful! Overall I just loved this book so much!
August 19, 2014
Friendship, Mysteries, and Lots of Ghosts
You know, there is quite a range of experiences out there if you like ghost stories. At one extreme you can have gore and horror. At the other end of the scale, especially if you're in a British manor house, you get mood, suggestion and something odd moving the teapot in the old study. This book, aimed at middle graders and younger YA's but interesting as well for older readers, falls in the happy medium. Even then, though, the book is mostly a friendship tale, and I mean that in the best possible way.
Polly is invisible because she is a small part of a large, raucous family. She deeply wishes she could see ghosts. Rose is invisible because she is the only child of distant and inattentive parents. She deeply wishes she could stop seeing all of the ghosts that have surrounded her her entire life. The two girls end up neighbors, meeting for the first time from either side of an attic wall separating their homes.
From that first meeting springs a friendship borne of their loneliness and their fascination, (from opposite perspectives), with ghosts. We follow both girls in alternating first person chapters, with their versions sometimes overlapping so that we get two views of most of the important developments. There are a number of mysteries to be addressed and resolved, and some unfriendly spirits to be confronted. There are multiple plots twining through each other and lots of satisfying twists and turns.
Be forewarned. The opening chapters consist of a lot of kvetching and whinging, with each girl expressing an angsty funk that starts to get old. I confess I was almost tempted to stop reading, but this tween drama doesn't last very long, is there just to set up the girls' lonely situations, and disappears as soon as the girls meet. At that point the story takes off, and never looks back.
It's very interesting to have a ghost story in which there is more at stake than just dealing with the ghosts. This is the story of a friendship. This would be a decent book if you dropped all of the ghosts and just made it into a coming of age novella. The two girls are distinct and endearing in their own ways. Their emotions, reactions, conversations, bonding, and loyalty to each other feels authentic and would, I think, appeal to a young reader. As a consequence of that, and because the ghosty parts are also quite good, this really strikes me as a happy and satisfying find.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
You know, there is quite a range of experiences out there if you like ghost stories. At one extreme you can have gore and horror. At the other end of the scale, especially if you're in a British manor house, you get mood, suggestion and something odd moving the teapot in the old study. This book, aimed at middle graders and younger YA's but interesting as well for older readers, falls in the happy medium. Even then, though, the book is mostly a friendship tale, and I mean that in the best possible way.
Polly is invisible because she is a small part of a large, raucous family. She deeply wishes she could see ghosts. Rose is invisible because she is the only child of distant and inattentive parents. She deeply wishes she could stop seeing all of the ghosts that have surrounded her her entire life. The two girls end up neighbors, meeting for the first time from either side of an attic wall separating their homes.
From that first meeting springs a friendship borne of their loneliness and their fascination, (from opposite perspectives), with ghosts. We follow both girls in alternating first person chapters, with their versions sometimes overlapping so that we get two views of most of the important developments. There are a number of mysteries to be addressed and resolved, and some unfriendly spirits to be confronted. There are multiple plots twining through each other and lots of satisfying twists and turns.
Be forewarned. The opening chapters consist of a lot of kvetching and whinging, with each girl expressing an angsty funk that starts to get old. I confess I was almost tempted to stop reading, but this tween drama doesn't last very long, is there just to set up the girls' lonely situations, and disappears as soon as the girls meet. At that point the story takes off, and never looks back.
It's very interesting to have a ghost story in which there is more at stake than just dealing with the ghosts. This is the story of a friendship. This would be a decent book if you dropped all of the ghosts and just made it into a coming of age novella. The two girls are distinct and endearing in their own ways. Their emotions, reactions, conversations, bonding, and loyalty to each other feels authentic and would, I think, appeal to a young reader. As a consequence of that, and because the ghosty parts are also quite good, this really strikes me as a happy and satisfying find.
Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book in exchange for a candid review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.
September 17, 2014
'Twas a bad case of cover love that drew me to this book. In a world packed to the brim with covers that blend together, the beautiful simplicity of The Swallow: A Ghost Story called to me. Once I'd read that it was set in the 1960's, and rife with ghostly happenings, I was sold. I love Middle Grade reads anyway, but this one in particular seemed something I'd all but devour.
Things started out well enough. Although I wasn't completely in sync with Polly or Rose, I was fascinated by their shared ability to see ghostly apparitions. From the first moment that Polly mentioned seeing the specters, the book had this slight air of menace. I know, that sounds odd. It's just that Cotter does a wonderful job of helping the reader understand that Polly's particular ghost isn't quite nice. Not nice at all, in fact. That being said, for the age group that this is aimed to, I'd be a bit wary. There are mentions of ghostly attacks that, while they didn't bother me one bit, might spook a younger reader.
What I couldn't get enough of during this read, truth be told, was the setting. I don't want to say too much and risk spoiling anything, but I would so have loved to live in Polly's or Rose's homes. They spoke of times gone past. Of hidden secrets, and musty attics. Even now, as an adult, I can't help but fall in love with places like these. When I was a child I would have loved to explore a place like this, ghosts or not. I suppose things never change, do they?
I wish I knew what exactly kept me from really enjoying this story. It truly has all the markings of a journey I'd normally fall in love with. Cotter writes of friendship and mystery, all with an undercurrent of deep uncertainty. I didn't dislike Polly or Rose, and the writing was smooth enough. Somehow it just lacked that bit of extra. The piece that keeps me glued to the page, and wanting to come back for more. That's all I can offer up to you. The Swallow: A Ghost Story is a fine read. It'll appeal to many a bookworm. It just wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
Things started out well enough. Although I wasn't completely in sync with Polly or Rose, I was fascinated by their shared ability to see ghostly apparitions. From the first moment that Polly mentioned seeing the specters, the book had this slight air of menace. I know, that sounds odd. It's just that Cotter does a wonderful job of helping the reader understand that Polly's particular ghost isn't quite nice. Not nice at all, in fact. That being said, for the age group that this is aimed to, I'd be a bit wary. There are mentions of ghostly attacks that, while they didn't bother me one bit, might spook a younger reader.
What I couldn't get enough of during this read, truth be told, was the setting. I don't want to say too much and risk spoiling anything, but I would so have loved to live in Polly's or Rose's homes. They spoke of times gone past. Of hidden secrets, and musty attics. Even now, as an adult, I can't help but fall in love with places like these. When I was a child I would have loved to explore a place like this, ghosts or not. I suppose things never change, do they?
I wish I knew what exactly kept me from really enjoying this story. It truly has all the markings of a journey I'd normally fall in love with. Cotter writes of friendship and mystery, all with an undercurrent of deep uncertainty. I didn't dislike Polly or Rose, and the writing was smooth enough. Somehow it just lacked that bit of extra. The piece that keeps me glued to the page, and wanting to come back for more. That's all I can offer up to you. The Swallow: A Ghost Story is a fine read. It'll appeal to many a bookworm. It just wasn't exactly what I was looking for.
March 24, 2015
Though I enjoyed it, there are quite a few problems with this book--the biggest being the way the 1st person narration switches between the two girls. The POV change occurs way too frequently, jerking back and forth with intervals of a few paragraphs or even sentences; the story would have flowed better, without losing any of the personal touch the author seems to be going for, had they stuck to chapter-length intervals.
However.
Despite my frustration with the structure, my eye-rolling at the amateurish prose, I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. It's been a while since a book so gripped me that I actually pushed myself to stay awake late at night, just to read one more chapter; this one did so. The constant shifting voice was a nuisance, but the book still manages to maintain a steadily building tension all the way through to the climax. The "twist" is a good one--some may see it coming, but I didn't, and thought it was effective in how it was delivered and how the characters reacted.
Not by any means the best Juv book I've read, but I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to readers who like a good ghost story.
However.
Despite my frustration with the structure, my eye-rolling at the amateurish prose, I COULD NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. It's been a while since a book so gripped me that I actually pushed myself to stay awake late at night, just to read one more chapter; this one did so. The constant shifting voice was a nuisance, but the book still manages to maintain a steadily building tension all the way through to the climax. The "twist" is a good one--some may see it coming, but I didn't, and thought it was effective in how it was delivered and how the characters reacted.
Not by any means the best Juv book I've read, but I enjoyed it, and would recommend it to readers who like a good ghost story.
October 2, 2014
If you've read Summer Days, Starry Nights you know I love the sixties. This period in Toronto is evocatively portrayed in this moody, unsettling ghost story by Canadian author Charis Cotter. The atmosphere reminded me of Janet Lunn's old-school storey Double Spell, peopled with well-rounded Kit Pearson-esque characters.It's hard to talk about this book without giving too much away. The stuffy, cloying house was particularly vivid, as was Polly's large, rambunctious extended family. I will say that as an avid reader of ghost stories, this was a refreshing take on the genre. It is just as much a friendship story between two lonely girls as it is a spooky read. Cotter captures the anxieties and frustrations of tweens very well. Fans of Janet Lunn, Kit Pearson and Jonathan Auxier will appreciate this well-crafted story.
May 27, 2020
3.5 stars.
This book has a complex and well thought story. The pacing was fast and the friendship between Rose and Polly was heartwarming, specially at the end of the novel.
Unfortunately, the big central question of the narrative didn’t work for me . And the two POV made the story too repetitive at times. I did appreciate the effort that the unraveling of the mystery took. When you think that you know everything about what is going on, the author proves you wrong.
The quality of the writing was not as good as The Ghost Road , another book by the same author. But I enjoyed the story of The Swallow better, I will continue reading books by this author because I think she has great potential.
This book has a complex and well thought story. The pacing was fast and the friendship between Rose and Polly was heartwarming, specially at the end of the novel.
Unfortunately, the big central question of the narrative didn’t work for me . And the two POV made the story too repetitive at times. I did appreciate the effort that the unraveling of the mystery took. When you think that you know everything about what is going on, the author proves you wrong.
The quality of the writing was not as good as The Ghost Road , another book by the same author. But I enjoyed the story of The Swallow better, I will continue reading books by this author because I think she has great potential.
June 3, 2025
An adorable, beautiful ghost story about friendship. A middle-grade book, it's an easy read and keeps the reader spellbound. It's a gentle story but the reveal is slow, lasting over a few chapters which had me turning the pages quickly. An unusual ghost story and recommended for those wanting a wholesome story
December 21, 2021
middle school me loved this book
October 22, 2023
4 1/2 stars
This is the perfect cozy autumnal ghost story.
I’m always on the lookout for good ghost books and I loved this one.
This is the perfect cozy autumnal ghost story.
I’m always on the lookout for good ghost books and I loved this one.
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