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The Spirits Up
A contemporary ghost story about a family in need of a Christmas miracle.
Benedict is an inventor whose life's work is a clean energy machine. It has just made him an overnight sensation and his family is suddenly wealthy. Benedict's wife, Karen, and his teenage daughters, Charlotte and Poppy, are proud of him. But there are problems Benedict is too busy to see: Karen is deeply unhappy in the marriage and contemplating an affair, Charlotte, who is dealing with a chronic illness, is growing more and more distant, and Poppy is cracking under the pressures of her social circle. And there's another problem. Benedict holds a rather terrible secret about his clean energy machine.
Then, on Halloween night, an accident threatens to make everything far worse for the family. The accident kicks off a series of hauntings in their beautiful, historic home in affluent Belgravia, and the ghost makes it ever clearer that it wants something from them. Karen has to save her daughters -- and herself. Meanwhile, Benedict is consumed by the knowledge that he has to achieve the impossible by Christmas. As time ticks ever closer to the revelation of his secret, he spirals further into despair . . .
The Sprits Up is the story of a family haunted by the charmlessness of middle age and the cruelties of modern teenage life. Part social satire and part contemporary ghost story (with a hint of Dickens's A Christmas Carol), it is an exploration of a timeless question: what happens when there's nothing to believe?
Benedict is an inventor whose life's work is a clean energy machine. It has just made him an overnight sensation and his family is suddenly wealthy. Benedict's wife, Karen, and his teenage daughters, Charlotte and Poppy, are proud of him. But there are problems Benedict is too busy to see: Karen is deeply unhappy in the marriage and contemplating an affair, Charlotte, who is dealing with a chronic illness, is growing more and more distant, and Poppy is cracking under the pressures of her social circle. And there's another problem. Benedict holds a rather terrible secret about his clean energy machine.
Then, on Halloween night, an accident threatens to make everything far worse for the family. The accident kicks off a series of hauntings in their beautiful, historic home in affluent Belgravia, and the ghost makes it ever clearer that it wants something from them. Karen has to save her daughters -- and herself. Meanwhile, Benedict is consumed by the knowledge that he has to achieve the impossible by Christmas. As time ticks ever closer to the revelation of his secret, he spirals further into despair . . .
The Sprits Up is the story of a family haunted by the charmlessness of middle age and the cruelties of modern teenage life. Part social satire and part contemporary ghost story (with a hint of Dickens's A Christmas Carol), it is an exploration of a timeless question: what happens when there's nothing to believe?
287 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 26, 2021
15 people are currently reading
371 people want to read
About the author
Todd Babiak
13 books77 followersWhen I think no one else is around, I conduct pretend orchestras.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
July 6, 2023
It is important to note that the majority of the themes explored in this book deal with sensitive subject matters. My review, therefore, touches on these topics as well. Many people might find the subject matters of the book as well as those detailed in my review overwhelming. I would suggest you steer clear of both if this is the case. Please note that from this point forward I will be writing about matters which contain reflections on parental neglect, white saviours, disordered eating, distorted body image, & others.
This book will not be for everyone, it’s very polarizing. It’s the type of literature that you read & are able to immediately gauge whether or not it is worth your time. I personally, really wanted to like this story. I wanted to enjoy the characters, the plot & the ghosts but, once I reached the final 80 pages I was tired & nearing annoyance with the remaining parts of the story left to be told. I felt that way because this is a story that centres around a family drama that takes place during a 2.5-month period of time revolving around a set of characters who are (unfortunately) all very unlikeable & yet, perhaps that was the goal—to have a story riddled with antagonists, though, I cannot say for certain.
We are introduced to a family of four (4): Benedict, Karen, Charlotte & Poppy. The plot takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic in a small town in Alberta, Canada where the family has been living luxuriously amongst oil tycoons. I struggle with finding the appropriate way to introduce these characters because I struggled to appreciate reading about them. They are the kind of people some of us have met & some of us have heard about—the ones that still purchase brand-name organic-based groceries, rolling into the parking lot in the cozy leather seats that their sports-model cars afford them. All while complaining about struggling monetarily while they observe actual homeless people scrounging for change.
It is a difficult feat to feel any level of sympathy/empathy towards these types of people, at least I find that is the case for myself. Therefore, it did take some effort for me to read about Karen droning on about her credit cards nearing their limit while she loaded up her cart with items that she did not need. If you are hungry, there are (thankfully) stores in Canada which offer no-name & discounted items for those who need the break. Should Babiak’s intention have been to leave me with a sentiment of distaste towards Karen for her obvious inability to gauge her rich/poor versus actual poor/poor people then, he succeeded.
I often wondered how either Charlotte or Poppy was able to thrive in a home where both of their parents were so far out to lunch that they weren’t able to make any sort of logical critical decisions. We read about Karen fearing ‘poverty’ only for her to spend an exuberant amount when Benedict’s company lands a funding contract for his invention. Perhaps, I have lived too much of my life behind the eight ball to have understood how she could have been so careless with her money or perhaps, I’m just not rich/rich. Regardless, the moment there is confirmed money in the bank she blows it on expensive wines, trips & the prospect of upgrading their already very large family home.
Then we read about Poppy who, for me, was arguably the most annoying character in this story. She is said to be about thirteen (13) yet teeters between child-like dialogue & being charged with adult decisions. We read about her being unable to understand how a digestive system works only for her to be the one to make the decision that they will be ‘gifting’ their family home to two people whom they have just met.
I want to touch on Poppy’s relationship with her body & subsequently with food. As someone who is in recovery from the realm which haunts Poppy in her young life, I found it very difficult to pinpoint where Babiak was headed with the subject matter & found the conclusion inappropriate. Firstly, we read about Karen constantly bashing Poppy for her weight in her internal monologues. She highlights how guilty she feels for thinking negatively about her daughter’s body but, Poppy is ‘obviously’ fat & getting fatter & that she as a parent needs to intervene. Then, flashing to the end of the book, Poppy watches "Love Actually" (2003) & we see her compare her physique to that of Nathalie, the secretary to the Prime Minister, a character who was tormented for being ‘pudgy’ but who was not in the least bit fat. So, which is it? This type of inconsistency only reinforces the dialogue that both Nathalie & Poppy are not who or what they are, they are only the sum of what other people deem them to be.
It is not the worst thing in the world to be fat. If Nathalie & Poppy had had very different body types that’s great, but the fact is we are comparing two people who are not fat, by the obvious example given to us through visual representation in a film that takes place in our non-book lives, to then read 280 pages about a child who is constantly belittled for being fat, when in reality, they are not. Therefore, the issue of her developing an eating disorder is distressing because her parents' obvious neglect & terrible style of mentorship have caused so much horrific damage to them that they feel the need to starve themselves & begin visually hallucinating when they are alone, all because their parents did not step up to the plate when it mattered for their child to feel comforted & for them to know that their body was okay the way that it was.
Why was the message never that your digestive system works wonders every time you consume food? Why was there no science riddled with the torment that this poor child was drowning in? Her father was a man of science & math, where was he when it mattered? Why did the book not touch on the terror which is felt by those who experience eating disorders, especially at such a very very young age? We’re meant to believe that Poppy is peachy after spending months starving herself because she met a poor person? No, I’m sorry but this was poorly handled.
My main qualm is that mental health (illness) is touched on so briefly as to be a piece of background information that might realistically explain the night terrors that Poppy is experiencing. I was left feeling as though Poppy’s eating disorder was a quirk; here she is baking Christmas cookies but, oops, she won’t be eating her organic soup for lunch because people around her treat her like shit. I would have preferred that this character aspect be removed as I didn’t feel as though it brought anything of substance to the character.
The aspects of the ghosts in the story were what really kept me reading until the end. I wanted the reason for their apparitions to be something gruelling & creepy but, the way that Babiak ends the story felt like a cheat. You’re telling me that these random ghosts came around because this family was rich & sometimes felt guilty because they acted like villains? What’s stopping them from doing the exact same thing in their new house? Why was giving a house that, to their knowledge was riddled with paranormal activity, to homeless people their idea of redemption? What really changed for them at the end of the story? What was the moral?
Did any of what they went through matter? The fact that Charlotte waltz' into the company & fixes the unfixable machine was absurd. What was the point of spending all that time reading about how she was being poisoned by something else (her dead grandfather’s ghost) & that her Crohn’s was getting progressively worse to the point that she was physically withering away? None of that impacted her in the least because, in the end, the family is rich, she fixed the problem & everyone continues living happily ever after as though none of what we read about ever happened. Also, you’re telling me no one thought to go to the company to check for Charlotte in the days since her disappearance?
The fact that Benedict & Karen left this young person, Emma, for dead after accidentally forcing a stab wound by running into her in the dark; only for them to gift her all of their old stuff as though that was supposed to be a grand gesture is pathetic. You giving someone something you don’t want because it’s infested with negativity, dirt, grime & everything that you poisoned it with, is not a nice thing to do for someone. Just because they’re homeless does not mean that they deserve crap.
I want to believe that Babiak knew & felt this way too & that maybe writing a conclusion wherein the main cast of characters learn absolutely sweet diddly squat was meant to pose a reflection onto the reader. Though it’s frustrating to read about a family of overly privileged folks avoiding the perils that beseech those to whom they cause harm; this is not unlike what happens in real life. I felt bad for Emma & her mother. This kid was trying to get her life together after having had a really difficult time & Poppy thinks that her demon-infested house is a cool gift, not because it would give them a nice place to live but because it would keep the monsters that haunted them at bay so that they might go about their newly rejuvenated rich lives in peace.
Perhaps, all of my comments (save the middle) were meant to be taken as I did. Perhaps the purpose was to read about a haunting that didn’t alter, which didn’t scare beyond recognition. Perhaps we are meant to see a family simply step to the left & leave their fears & troubles in the hands (or home) of new residents. Maybe this was but a glimpse into some form of reality for a percentage of people who are truly lucky to have no real hardships—I genuinely wish them on no one.
My takeaway is: that maybe it’s not the house that rots, but the families who do not know how to tend to the structure, who ruin a home.
This book will not be for everyone, it’s very polarizing. It’s the type of literature that you read & are able to immediately gauge whether or not it is worth your time. I personally, really wanted to like this story. I wanted to enjoy the characters, the plot & the ghosts but, once I reached the final 80 pages I was tired & nearing annoyance with the remaining parts of the story left to be told. I felt that way because this is a story that centres around a family drama that takes place during a 2.5-month period of time revolving around a set of characters who are (unfortunately) all very unlikeable & yet, perhaps that was the goal—to have a story riddled with antagonists, though, I cannot say for certain.
We are introduced to a family of four (4): Benedict, Karen, Charlotte & Poppy. The plot takes place during the COVID-19 pandemic in a small town in Alberta, Canada where the family has been living luxuriously amongst oil tycoons. I struggle with finding the appropriate way to introduce these characters because I struggled to appreciate reading about them. They are the kind of people some of us have met & some of us have heard about—the ones that still purchase brand-name organic-based groceries, rolling into the parking lot in the cozy leather seats that their sports-model cars afford them. All while complaining about struggling monetarily while they observe actual homeless people scrounging for change.
It is a difficult feat to feel any level of sympathy/empathy towards these types of people, at least I find that is the case for myself. Therefore, it did take some effort for me to read about Karen droning on about her credit cards nearing their limit while she loaded up her cart with items that she did not need. If you are hungry, there are (thankfully) stores in Canada which offer no-name & discounted items for those who need the break. Should Babiak’s intention have been to leave me with a sentiment of distaste towards Karen for her obvious inability to gauge her rich/poor versus actual poor/poor people then, he succeeded.
I often wondered how either Charlotte or Poppy was able to thrive in a home where both of their parents were so far out to lunch that they weren’t able to make any sort of logical critical decisions. We read about Karen fearing ‘poverty’ only for her to spend an exuberant amount when Benedict’s company lands a funding contract for his invention. Perhaps, I have lived too much of my life behind the eight ball to have understood how she could have been so careless with her money or perhaps, I’m just not rich/rich. Regardless, the moment there is confirmed money in the bank she blows it on expensive wines, trips & the prospect of upgrading their already very large family home.
Then we read about Poppy who, for me, was arguably the most annoying character in this story. She is said to be about thirteen (13) yet teeters between child-like dialogue & being charged with adult decisions. We read about her being unable to understand how a digestive system works only for her to be the one to make the decision that they will be ‘gifting’ their family home to two people whom they have just met.
I want to touch on Poppy’s relationship with her body & subsequently with food. As someone who is in recovery from the realm which haunts Poppy in her young life, I found it very difficult to pinpoint where Babiak was headed with the subject matter & found the conclusion inappropriate. Firstly, we read about Karen constantly bashing Poppy for her weight in her internal monologues. She highlights how guilty she feels for thinking negatively about her daughter’s body but, Poppy is ‘obviously’ fat & getting fatter & that she as a parent needs to intervene. Then, flashing to the end of the book, Poppy watches "Love Actually" (2003) & we see her compare her physique to that of Nathalie, the secretary to the Prime Minister, a character who was tormented for being ‘pudgy’ but who was not in the least bit fat. So, which is it? This type of inconsistency only reinforces the dialogue that both Nathalie & Poppy are not who or what they are, they are only the sum of what other people deem them to be.
It is not the worst thing in the world to be fat. If Nathalie & Poppy had had very different body types that’s great, but the fact is we are comparing two people who are not fat, by the obvious example given to us through visual representation in a film that takes place in our non-book lives, to then read 280 pages about a child who is constantly belittled for being fat, when in reality, they are not. Therefore, the issue of her developing an eating disorder is distressing because her parents' obvious neglect & terrible style of mentorship have caused so much horrific damage to them that they feel the need to starve themselves & begin visually hallucinating when they are alone, all because their parents did not step up to the plate when it mattered for their child to feel comforted & for them to know that their body was okay the way that it was.
Why was the message never that your digestive system works wonders every time you consume food? Why was there no science riddled with the torment that this poor child was drowning in? Her father was a man of science & math, where was he when it mattered? Why did the book not touch on the terror which is felt by those who experience eating disorders, especially at such a very very young age? We’re meant to believe that Poppy is peachy after spending months starving herself because she met a poor person? No, I’m sorry but this was poorly handled.
My main qualm is that mental health (illness) is touched on so briefly as to be a piece of background information that might realistically explain the night terrors that Poppy is experiencing. I was left feeling as though Poppy’s eating disorder was a quirk; here she is baking Christmas cookies but, oops, she won’t be eating her organic soup for lunch because people around her treat her like shit. I would have preferred that this character aspect be removed as I didn’t feel as though it brought anything of substance to the character.
The aspects of the ghosts in the story were what really kept me reading until the end. I wanted the reason for their apparitions to be something gruelling & creepy but, the way that Babiak ends the story felt like a cheat. You’re telling me that these random ghosts came around because this family was rich & sometimes felt guilty because they acted like villains? What’s stopping them from doing the exact same thing in their new house? Why was giving a house that, to their knowledge was riddled with paranormal activity, to homeless people their idea of redemption? What really changed for them at the end of the story? What was the moral?
Did any of what they went through matter? The fact that Charlotte waltz' into the company & fixes the unfixable machine was absurd. What was the point of spending all that time reading about how she was being poisoned by something else (her dead grandfather’s ghost) & that her Crohn’s was getting progressively worse to the point that she was physically withering away? None of that impacted her in the least because, in the end, the family is rich, she fixed the problem & everyone continues living happily ever after as though none of what we read about ever happened. Also, you’re telling me no one thought to go to the company to check for Charlotte in the days since her disappearance?
The fact that Benedict & Karen left this young person, Emma, for dead after accidentally forcing a stab wound by running into her in the dark; only for them to gift her all of their old stuff as though that was supposed to be a grand gesture is pathetic. You giving someone something you don’t want because it’s infested with negativity, dirt, grime & everything that you poisoned it with, is not a nice thing to do for someone. Just because they’re homeless does not mean that they deserve crap.
I want to believe that Babiak knew & felt this way too & that maybe writing a conclusion wherein the main cast of characters learn absolutely sweet diddly squat was meant to pose a reflection onto the reader. Though it’s frustrating to read about a family of overly privileged folks avoiding the perils that beseech those to whom they cause harm; this is not unlike what happens in real life. I felt bad for Emma & her mother. This kid was trying to get her life together after having had a really difficult time & Poppy thinks that her demon-infested house is a cool gift, not because it would give them a nice place to live but because it would keep the monsters that haunted them at bay so that they might go about their newly rejuvenated rich lives in peace.
Perhaps, all of my comments (save the middle) were meant to be taken as I did. Perhaps the purpose was to read about a haunting that didn’t alter, which didn’t scare beyond recognition. Perhaps we are meant to see a family simply step to the left & leave their fears & troubles in the hands (or home) of new residents. Maybe this was but a glimpse into some form of reality for a percentage of people who are truly lucky to have no real hardships—I genuinely wish them on no one.
My takeaway is: that maybe it’s not the house that rots, but the families who do not know how to tend to the structure, who ruin a home.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 17, 2022
Holy moly hockey goalie, this is a new Canadian Christmas classic. Yay good Canadian writers and Canadian settings! This was a well-written treat, and totally unexpected as I'd never heard of the author. I loved all the female characters and enjoyed the "ghost" infestation, and the plot solutions and ending were so far over the top it's all just crying out to be filmed. The Schitt's Creek crowd will eat this one up. I'm off now in search of this author's other work. 4 1/2 stars pending a re-read at Christmas.
October 19, 2021
I guess this book was made for me. I love Christmas stories but I don't love the treacly Hallmark-ishy romantic comedies where you know exactly what's going to happen in the first 20 pages (or five minutes, in the movies).
This is about a pretty unusual family at a really stressful time (Xmas) navigating some godawful things. And they're all haunted. It's got those callbacks to Dickens and even Love Actually. It's a bit messy, in a good way, and awkward. There are some genuinely cringe-y bits, where you don't know whether to laugh or scream. I really liked Poppy, the youngest daughter, who sees things the clearest and has to endure a lot.
Maybe I shouldn't say this part but I feel like a Christmas novel ought to end well. This ends well. I like this author! (Reviewed from a giveaway)
This is about a pretty unusual family at a really stressful time (Xmas) navigating some godawful things. And they're all haunted. It's got those callbacks to Dickens and even Love Actually. It's a bit messy, in a good way, and awkward. There are some genuinely cringe-y bits, where you don't know whether to laugh or scream. I really liked Poppy, the youngest daughter, who sees things the clearest and has to endure a lot.
Maybe I shouldn't say this part but I feel like a Christmas novel ought to end well. This ends well. I like this author! (Reviewed from a giveaway)
October 17, 2021
If you're looking for an unusual ghost story, then this book is for you!
This is the second book I've read by Todd Babiak and I think it is now safe to say that I enjoy his writing very much and will read any book that he writes.
The Spirits Up is about a family of characters that are struggling to see the big picture in life. There's Benedict, the brilliant inventor who is under a lot of pressure working on a clean-energy machine; Karen, his unhappy wife who is struggling in the marriage and with her past; and their two teenage daughters: Poppy who has body-image issues; and Charlotte, who shares Benedict's exceptional intellectual power and manages a serious chronic illness.
After a strange event occurs on Halloween, the family members each start experiencing bizarre hauntings in their home. They each must figure out what is going on and the meaning of it all.
This is the first book I've read that is set during the pandemic which I much appreciated. I also loved that the book is set in Edmonton, where I live, so it's extra special reading about all the local landmarks and places where I spend a lot of time. It's rare to find books set in our lovely city.
I was also grateful that Todd included a character suffering from a chronic illness. Charlotte suffers from Crohn's disease, as do I. It's the first time I've read about a character having this disease and I very much appreciated the realistic representation of the condition. Invisible illnesses and disabilities are often misunderstood and not often discussed so it was really great to see it included in the story.
Finally, I loved the themes of family, money and wealth, losing everything and finding perspective that were in the book -- actually it reminded me a little bit of Schitt;s Creek in that way.
So the moral is if you are into ghost stories, social satire/commentary, Schitt's Creek and/or books that are set around the Halloween/Christmas holiday seasons, I think you may like this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and McClelland & Stewart for the advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is the second book I've read by Todd Babiak and I think it is now safe to say that I enjoy his writing very much and will read any book that he writes.
The Spirits Up is about a family of characters that are struggling to see the big picture in life. There's Benedict, the brilliant inventor who is under a lot of pressure working on a clean-energy machine; Karen, his unhappy wife who is struggling in the marriage and with her past; and their two teenage daughters: Poppy who has body-image issues; and Charlotte, who shares Benedict's exceptional intellectual power and manages a serious chronic illness.
After a strange event occurs on Halloween, the family members each start experiencing bizarre hauntings in their home. They each must figure out what is going on and the meaning of it all.
This is the first book I've read that is set during the pandemic which I much appreciated. I also loved that the book is set in Edmonton, where I live, so it's extra special reading about all the local landmarks and places where I spend a lot of time. It's rare to find books set in our lovely city.
I was also grateful that Todd included a character suffering from a chronic illness. Charlotte suffers from Crohn's disease, as do I. It's the first time I've read about a character having this disease and I very much appreciated the realistic representation of the condition. Invisible illnesses and disabilities are often misunderstood and not often discussed so it was really great to see it included in the story.
Finally, I loved the themes of family, money and wealth, losing everything and finding perspective that were in the book -- actually it reminded me a little bit of Schitt;s Creek in that way.
So the moral is if you are into ghost stories, social satire/commentary, Schitt's Creek and/or books that are set around the Halloween/Christmas holiday seasons, I think you may like this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Canada and McClelland & Stewart for the advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 12, 2021
This was a very disappointing read. At the start I get it had promise and I was hopeful was a book that takes place in my city, penned by a popular local author. Before too long it was clear that this book had no direction, no identity and defied its own advertised summary.
The characters were dull, the story made little to nonsense and it was all over the place. Rarely have I read anything so scattered.
I have also never read the word “warty” so often and it is too bad that that is what I remember about this book. There were so many holes in the plot and the character’s experience that it seemed like even the author himself had lost sight of what this book was about. Our Book Club had a unanimous feeling of disappointment and confusion about it. We were all grateful to know that it wasn’t just one person’s opinion, but a shared one.
The characters were dull, the story made little to nonsense and it was all over the place. Rarely have I read anything so scattered.
I have also never read the word “warty” so often and it is too bad that that is what I remember about this book. There were so many holes in the plot and the character’s experience that it seemed like even the author himself had lost sight of what this book was about. Our Book Club had a unanimous feeling of disappointment and confusion about it. We were all grateful to know that it wasn’t just one person’s opinion, but a shared one.
October 23, 2021
I guess I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from The Spirits Up, and at times although it was a bit weird and definitely not the type of book I would usually pick up, I’m glad I pushed through. The description of “part social satire and part contemporary ghost story (with a hint of Dickens’s A Christmas Carol)” is very accurate and if that even slightly peaks your interest, I would recommend it.
There were so many great Canadian references I really enjoyed. Definitely contains many timely themes, with heavy emphasis on COVID. I also really liked the book cover on this one- the title and design definitely caught my eye.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC!
There were so many great Canadian references I really enjoyed. Definitely contains many timely themes, with heavy emphasis on COVID. I also really liked the book cover on this one- the title and design definitely caught my eye.
Big thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for an ARC!
October 19, 2021
I was not a fan. The cover is AMAZING but this Canadian pandemic story about a Vancouver family and their domestic issues just could not keep me interested. A few relatable things but these characters did not make me invested in the story - there was way too much white privilege 'jokes'/commentary and it just wasn't what I was expecting or hoping for. I definitely would not have finished this without having a free ALC from Libro.fm.
December 5, 2021
I wanted to like this one, but my generally feeling after finishing is that it lacked substance; it ended up being rather plain and predictable. The characters felt like caricatures, and the main device was muddled. Set in Edmonton, I recognized many locations mentioned and I have to say the novelty of a story in my hometown is the only thing that drove me to finish this one. The cover is beautiful and the premise drew me in but it didn't deliver. More time needed to be invested in this one to achieve a more meaningful experience.
January 4, 2022
Very enjoyable Christmas ghost story...not sure what was really going on! But entertaining nonetheless.
January 5, 2023
Somehow there was 10 different things going on and none of them made any sense.
November 12, 2021
I should have dropped this earlier, but I kept thinking it'd get better with an interesting twist. But no, my lingering memory of this book shall be the warty feet. The big deal toward the end was predictable though it felt like the author thought they were going to surprise us. the ending was contrived to make sense of the ghosts and messaging, but it felt, well, contrived.
December 26, 2021
The narrator of the audiobook was amazing. The story is good, a little funny, sad, gently scary, and weird. It’s a little uneven, and takes some time to find it’s stride. I enjoyed it, though. It’s not your typical Christmas story.
December 19, 2022
An overall enjoyable read. The characters were dreadfully human, which, I loved and hated.
It could have been shorter. I felt that it went in too many directions.
It could have been shorter. I felt that it went in too many directions.
April 7, 2022
(2.5) A really intriguing and fresh take on a ghost story....but bogged down by minutiae, pandemic anecdotes and buzz words, and soon-to-be stale cultural references. I enjoyed the characters and the overarching concept but just felt it suffered from -trying- to feel fresh.
January 24, 2022
i feel like there’s no better way to describe this book than wonderfully intimate. i feel like i’ve just intruded on the most private of family stories and secrets i shouldn’t have known. merry freakin christmas, take a bunch of ghosts and deep complex issues and topics, all rolled into an easy-to-digest book.
October 14, 2021
The Spirits Up by Todd Babiak is about Karen and Benedict and their two teenage daughters Poppy and Charlotte who are living in a house with ghosts. Benedict has built what he is promoting as a clean energy machine to investors.
The story begins on Halloween night, during which Karen and Benedict, are alerted to a noise outside. As a result of this incident the couple are haunted by what they believe happened. Over the next couple of months the ghosts are revealed and lead to both some scary and some hilarious outcomes.
As for the character, one of the daughters is envious of her sister’s beauty and brains but not by her oddness. Both Benedict and Charlotte are on the spectrum and look at things more analytically and with almost no emotion. Charlotte tinkers in her room much like her father does at his office. Karen tries to avoid being a “‘Karen.”
The author has done a great job of showing people’s true colours where money is involved. When everything is going well and you can boost social status then you are the popular family but if that goes away one finds out who their true friends are.
There is some teen angst and body image issues discussed here. The result however still views thinness as the ideal. I would have like to have this tackled a little more substantially.
Now, the ghosts. I don’t read spooky stories or stories that have ghosts often so I don’t know what to expect. I found them confusing here and didn’t understand how they lent themselves to the message of the book. There was a change to the characters due to the ghosts but it seemed a bit too perfect for me. If you enjoy ghostly books then this might work perfectly for you, it just fell flat for me.
This is the fourth book I’ve read by this author and will continue to read what he writes but I think I will stick to the natural realm.
Thank you to @netgalley and @mcclellandstewart for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. The Spirits Up comes out October 26, 2021.
The story begins on Halloween night, during which Karen and Benedict, are alerted to a noise outside. As a result of this incident the couple are haunted by what they believe happened. Over the next couple of months the ghosts are revealed and lead to both some scary and some hilarious outcomes.
As for the character, one of the daughters is envious of her sister’s beauty and brains but not by her oddness. Both Benedict and Charlotte are on the spectrum and look at things more analytically and with almost no emotion. Charlotte tinkers in her room much like her father does at his office. Karen tries to avoid being a “‘Karen.”
The author has done a great job of showing people’s true colours where money is involved. When everything is going well and you can boost social status then you are the popular family but if that goes away one finds out who their true friends are.
There is some teen angst and body image issues discussed here. The result however still views thinness as the ideal. I would have like to have this tackled a little more substantially.
Now, the ghosts. I don’t read spooky stories or stories that have ghosts often so I don’t know what to expect. I found them confusing here and didn’t understand how they lent themselves to the message of the book. There was a change to the characters due to the ghosts but it seemed a bit too perfect for me. If you enjoy ghostly books then this might work perfectly for you, it just fell flat for me.
This is the fourth book I’ve read by this author and will continue to read what he writes but I think I will stick to the natural realm.
Thank you to @netgalley and @mcclellandstewart for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions. The Spirits Up comes out October 26, 2021.
December 31, 2021
It’s a Christmas miracle, Timmy!! Who knew that all you need to be happy at Christmas is to give your house and goods to a homeless mother and teenager.!! Even Ebenezer Scrooge didn’t go that far! The mother was a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, covetous old sinner who loved money and what it gave her with no thought to tomorrow. The father a liar and cheat and he didn’t mind money either. The ghosts helped everyone see the future and remind them of the recent past. Thank heavens for Charlotte, she saved everyone’s bacon. The ghost thing was neat, harking back to a Christmas Carol.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2022
I normally really like Babiak's books.
This has been my least favorite.
Spoilers ahead
How will the formerly homeless Emma and her mom pay the property taxes, utilities, and other expenses for a million plus dollar house? Just sell it for money?
Karen was a Karen to be sure. They have no money yet she spends extravagantly.
Maybe Charlotte's future-self ghost teaches her how to ease her Crohn's disease as she helps her make little the unworkable nuclear boxes.
As the the boxes, I want one. I wish they existed.
This has been my least favorite.
Spoilers ahead
How will the formerly homeless Emma and her mom pay the property taxes, utilities, and other expenses for a million plus dollar house? Just sell it for money?
Karen was a Karen to be sure. They have no money yet she spends extravagantly.
Maybe Charlotte's future-self ghost teaches her how to ease her Crohn's disease as she helps her make little the unworkable nuclear boxes.
As the the boxes, I want one. I wish they existed.
December 14, 2021
This was an interesting book. I thought the story was unique and not like something I have ever read before. However, I found the writing a little confusing… sometimes I wasn’t sure what was happening and had to re-read a few times to try and figure it out. Overall I enjoyed it!
February 19, 2023
A book that effectively conveys the modern anxiety it wants to convey, but really messes up the landing.
The basic gist is that a family, each member having their own particular anxieties, has these anxieties manifest as a ghost. The ghost isn't even an active intruder in their lives, but generally is a clear projection of the families own actions and concerns. Through this ghost and a series of events, the family learns how to be happier and healthier as individuals.
I was pretty stressed out reading this book, because a lot of the anxieties have been relatable at one time or another. I appreciated how many of the main cast were on the spectrum (I'll get back to this later.). I'm not going to pretend the characters were likeable. A lot of them weren't. This is likely the point; these are characters conveying a lot of the flaws that affluent [admittedly white] Canadians would feel, in a possibly exaggerated way but not one so out of reach. This likely makes them unrelatable in particualrs, but I felt their general anxiety of affluence is relatable enough.
My major complaints are as follows:
As a snapshot of Canadian affluent life in the 202Xs, this book potentially does rub some of our faces into our own vomit. But its sledgehammer-reductionist approach to getting out of it removes much of its potential of authenticity.
The basic gist is that a family, each member having their own particular anxieties, has these anxieties manifest as a ghost. The ghost isn't even an active intruder in their lives, but generally is a clear projection of the families own actions and concerns. Through this ghost and a series of events, the family learns how to be happier and healthier as individuals.
I was pretty stressed out reading this book, because a lot of the anxieties have been relatable at one time or another. I appreciated how many of the main cast were on the spectrum (I'll get back to this later.). I'm not going to pretend the characters were likeable. A lot of them weren't. This is likely the point; these are characters conveying a lot of the flaws that affluent [admittedly white] Canadians would feel, in a possibly exaggerated way but not one so out of reach. This likely makes them unrelatable in particualrs, but I felt their general anxiety of affluence is relatable enough.
My major complaints are as follows:
As a snapshot of Canadian affluent life in the 202Xs, this book potentially does rub some of our faces into our own vomit. But its sledgehammer-reductionist approach to getting out of it removes much of its potential of authenticity.
October 7, 2022
Very chaotic and not in good way. I literally never figured out whether the break-in at the beginning of the book happened on Halloween or November 30 because characters refer to both dates at different times throughout the book and I couldn’t figure if I was dumb and didn’t understand what two events were being referred to, or if the editors had made a glaring mistake. The references on each page to what Christmas songs were playing in the background was nearly as irritating as having to actually listen to all of those songs.
The final chapters were rushed and chaotic, characters said and did things that felt so disjointed from how they had been portrayed just a few pages earlier. The resolution was so contrived as to be meaningless. What exactly was the message that was being imparted here, exactly?? I’m really skeptical of the idea that being a good person revolves around giving things away and the implication that the flashier and more expensive your donations, the better a person you can consider yourself to be?? The book builds to a conclusion I’m even MORE skeptical of, which is that each of us can and will receive our moral desserts, without really ever having to change or grow at all. That’s a yikes all around from me.
I could go on, I have so many more complaints, like Charlotte’s deus ex machina rescue of her family, made worse by the fact that she didn’t get to be a POV character herself, only held up as some kind of tragic and one dimensional saviour figure for her family?
+1 star for managing to create a great sense of place, I did enjoy feeling like I was spending a little slice of time back in Edmonton, a city I love and would love to visit more in literature.
The final chapters were rushed and chaotic, characters said and did things that felt so disjointed from how they had been portrayed just a few pages earlier. The resolution was so contrived as to be meaningless. What exactly was the message that was being imparted here, exactly?? I’m really skeptical of the idea that being a good person revolves around giving things away and the implication that the flashier and more expensive your donations, the better a person you can consider yourself to be?? The book builds to a conclusion I’m even MORE skeptical of, which is that each of us can and will receive our moral desserts, without really ever having to change or grow at all. That’s a yikes all around from me.
I could go on, I have so many more complaints, like Charlotte’s deus ex machina rescue of her family, made worse by the fact that she didn’t get to be a POV character herself, only held up as some kind of tragic and one dimensional saviour figure for her family?
+1 star for managing to create a great sense of place, I did enjoy feeling like I was spending a little slice of time back in Edmonton, a city I love and would love to visit more in literature.
December 20, 2022
The premise of this novel really piqued my interest. Moreover, I was excited it was written by a Canadian author, and it took place in Edmonton, a city I really enjoyed visiting. The author does a great job of describing the societal pressures the family at the centre of the story feels. None of its members are truly happy because they always seem to "fall short" of what is expected of them. The supernatural component of the book is unique, especially since it alludes to Charles Dickens and A Christmas Carol. Unfortunately, there are too many loopholes for me in order to achieve the "feel good" ending. Unlike Scrooge, I'm not convinced the family really learned any valuable life-changing lessons. In addition, I'm unsure why Charlotte's point of view is never explored. We only get to "learn" about her from other characters' thoughts and descriptions, and the few words she exchanges with other family members. The story also references another Christmas classic, It's A Wonderful Life, but the ending here comes off as convenient and undeserved. While the nucleus of the book is clever, I simply never became attached to the family like I did to Scrooge or George Bailey whose lives I revisit often.
September 5, 2022
The book was a quick read for me. I was super interested about what happened the Halloween night and if they were going to get away with it which really hooked me. I also wanted to know what would happen with the invention that went sideways. I wasn’t thrilled that it took me the entire book to get the answers I wanted however, the family dynamic and love was felt throughout the book. I liked that the “ghosts” were more of a metaphor which was a nice touch. It wasn’t scary at all like I had hoped. I also liked the happy ending BUT I did go through a stage in the book were I didn’t like the wife at all and I still think at the end of it she is a meh character. I really think she was the character that kind of ruined the experience of the book for me because she seemed like a spoiled selfish woman.
It wasn’t bad and it kept me hooked so 4 stars is suitable. I do like the authors writing style.
It wasn’t bad and it kept me hooked so 4 stars is suitable. I do like the authors writing style.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2022
Although this is not normally the type of ghost story I would gravitate towards, this offside contemporary ghost approach worked. Christmas added to the mix, and well , it became its own type of Canadiana Christmas classic.
Quirky at times, and unsure how to react in some of the scenes, I did find myself a little unsure how to respond. When reading this book, the reader must be ready for the satire and some subjects that aren’t quite for everyone.
The characters are difficult to like, but that is the intention of the writer, so that we feel for the children Charlotte and Poppy. I liked this book, but think people sometimes struggle to see a book when it is presented in an untraditional way.
Quirky at times, and unsure how to react in some of the scenes, I did find myself a little unsure how to respond. When reading this book, the reader must be ready for the satire and some subjects that aren’t quite for everyone.
The characters are difficult to like, but that is the intention of the writer, so that we feel for the children Charlotte and Poppy. I liked this book, but think people sometimes struggle to see a book when it is presented in an untraditional way.
January 26, 2023
while i could empathize, a bit, with some of the feedback from people not resonating with the story... i definitely did not find it lacking in the way some did. in fact, while there were moments where i wondered if a certain character was missing something, still developing, or if Babiak could wrap them up well... i really found it successful. many moving themes. many layers and personal struggles. and, where some might consider them trite or thin... i found many moments where i was pleasantly surprised with where he took us. agree or not with his character or their struggles, there was a lot explored and, in my opinion, many worthwhile reflections and emotions to be considered. enjoyed this odd, dark, humorous, chaotic roller coaster. would enjoy a tv/screen adaptation :)
February 13, 2022
Babiuk is an interesting writer but I just don't think this book was for me.
Following what felt like the theme of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas carol" but the characters never really learnt their lessons in the end didn't flow for me. The off shoot of character thoughts that would last a few pages felt a bit disjointed. Constantly bring up the dead dog through out the whole book, not sure what the purpose was .. insert shrug. Drunk, entitled Karen just irritated me, I think that was her purpose.
I did enjoy the Edmontonian theme and locations.
Following what felt like the theme of Charles Dicken's "A Christmas carol" but the characters never really learnt their lessons in the end didn't flow for me. The off shoot of character thoughts that would last a few pages felt a bit disjointed. Constantly bring up the dead dog through out the whole book, not sure what the purpose was .. insert shrug. Drunk, entitled Karen just irritated me, I think that was her purpose.
I did enjoy the Edmontonian theme and locations.
January 4, 2023
I entered the realm of this strangely uniquely human family with some reservations. Nothing made the slightest bit of sense and yet at the same time it was all so totally real.
Truths built on lies and success built on material gain and the ghosts of Christmas denying anyone any happiness or comfort.
It just happened that I was reading this work in the interval between Christmas and New Years which made it that much more meaningful.
Well done!
Truths built on lies and success built on material gain and the ghosts of Christmas denying anyone any happiness or comfort.
It just happened that I was reading this work in the interval between Christmas and New Years which made it that much more meaningful.
Well done!
January 2, 2022
I started reading this because I thought it would be a fun, ghostly Christmas story for the holidays…However where I am sure this book has been well received by some, I found myself quite bored through the majority of this tale. The elements of satire did not escape me while reading, but this book was not for me.
August 9, 2022
I had to give up on this one. I totally lost interest and there was really no reason for me to keep going. I didn’t like Karen for treating Poppy the way she did and I also didn’t like how they infantilized Charlotte. Ben and Karen are bad parents and maybe it’s because there parents were also bad, but either way I don’t like them.
December 2, 2022
This book might become a repeat read around the holidays. In a vastly non-cliche way, this book explores the struggles people can go through at the holidays and you can really see yourself in the characters. You really feel their guilt and celebrate their successes. Plus it had really scary moments which I really enjoy. It takes an amazing writer to scare a horror movie fan.
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