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Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm
Ghosts, pirates and family secrets — Stephen gets more than he bargained for when he seeks out adventure in the ghostly realm, for fans of When You Trap a Tiger.
Stephen loves pirates. What he doesn’t love is his Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll. He believes when his Korean mother and Irish father gave him this name, that it was just one cruel setup for being teased. Giving things the proper name is important, which is why Stephen thinks that it’s time to update the definition of "pirate." They've got a bad rep, and maybe they deserve some of it, but Stephen still likes a few pirate traditions, like bandannas and eyepatches — he’s just not that into stealing things from people. He has the perfect new piventurate. A sailor who passionately seeks adventure. That's what he wants to be.
When he gets suspended from school for doing proper piventurate-in-training things (using sticks to practice sword fighting), his mother doesn’t let him sit around doing nothing, instead she takes him to a museum. At the museum everything changes. Stephen finds himself in a strange new place, face-to-face with a real pirate. A pirate ghost.
Captain Sapperton needs Stephen's help to cross to the other side, and his former ghost crew are intent on making sure Stephen follows through, whatever it takes. Stephen is about to discover the true meaning of piventurate, and much to his surprise, his adventure will not only take him farther into the ghostly realm, but also closer to home, where long-held family secrets reveal surprising ties to the spirit world.
Stephen loves pirates. What he doesn’t love is his Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll. He believes when his Korean mother and Irish father gave him this name, that it was just one cruel setup for being teased. Giving things the proper name is important, which is why Stephen thinks that it’s time to update the definition of "pirate." They've got a bad rep, and maybe they deserve some of it, but Stephen still likes a few pirate traditions, like bandannas and eyepatches — he’s just not that into stealing things from people. He has the perfect new piventurate. A sailor who passionately seeks adventure. That's what he wants to be.
When he gets suspended from school for doing proper piventurate-in-training things (using sticks to practice sword fighting), his mother doesn’t let him sit around doing nothing, instead she takes him to a museum. At the museum everything changes. Stephen finds himself in a strange new place, face-to-face with a real pirate. A pirate ghost.
Captain Sapperton needs Stephen's help to cross to the other side, and his former ghost crew are intent on making sure Stephen follows through, whatever it takes. Stephen is about to discover the true meaning of piventurate, and much to his surprise, his adventure will not only take him farther into the ghostly realm, but also closer to home, where long-held family secrets reveal surprising ties to the spirit world.
313 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 30, 2022
4 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Angela Ahn
11 books20 followersThanks for finding me! I don't check Goodreads. Please connect with me on Twitter @angelaahnbooks or Instagram @writeahn.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 25, 2023
(Won this through a LibraryThing giveaway)
This is an enjoyable reader for middle graders. I really enjoyed Stephen the main character and thank goodness a lot of the book was focused on him and not his mother. She was terrible. Brandon and Stephen's friendship was wonderful, and I really enjoyed Stephen's adventures. I believe most middle graders would enjoy this novel. And even some adults
This is an enjoyable reader for middle graders. I really enjoyed Stephen the main character and thank goodness a lot of the book was focused on him and not his mother. She was terrible. Brandon and Stephen's friendship was wonderful, and I really enjoyed Stephen's adventures. I believe most middle graders would enjoy this novel. And even some adults
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September 2, 2022Review originally published 2 Sept 2022 at Falling Letters. I received a free copy from the publisher via Netgalley.
Having splashed into Canadian middle grade with a pair of realistic novels, Angela Ahn’s third title dives into speculative fiction. Pirates and ghosts? Sign me up. Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm follows lively Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll as he discovers he can communicate with ghosts – one of whom may have been a pirate and needs Stephen’s help crossing over.
Pirates and Ghosts?
Ghosts feature more prominently than pirates, with few archetypal pirates/ pirate-like deeds taking place. Pirating – or more accurately, piventurating – plays more of a philosophical role as an approach to life that Stephen and his best friend Brandon have adopted. When I first read the blurb, I anticipated Stephen entering the ghostly realm and setting sail with a crew of ghost pirates. That does not happen (but some sailing does take place!)
The story stagnates a bit early on as Stephen stumbles into the ghostly realm. Not much happens apart from exposition via dialogue. It picks back up after Stephen returns to the living and finds his mom knew where he was the entire time. Stephen’s mom was an unexpected stand out character of this book for me. Stephen, of course, is a delight to read about, with his vibrant energy and enthusiasm and thoughtfulness for his friends. But I’ve always appreciated fully-realized adult characters in my middle grade novels (even when I was 10 years old).
She’s not one of those incredibly warm and supportive middle grade mothers. She has to work through her rejection of her abilities as a mudang and how she’s going to help Stephen navigate his own abilities. She’s extremely down to earth, pragmatic and realistically flawed. For example, she doesn’t hide her disdain for Stephen’s dad (her ex-husband) but she’s not so toxic towards him that it hurts Stephen’s relationship with his parents. Stephen himself is well aware his dad isn’t an exemplar father. Stephen happily accepts “bribe gifts” when Dad cancels their weekend together. I haven’t seen this dynamic portrayed much in middle grade. Often, a protagonist with divorced parents is suffering from that separation. In this story, the divorce happened three years ago. Stephen is mostly comfortable with his relationship with his parents now, even if it’s not perfect.
The Bottom Line 💭
Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm may have fallen short of my hopes for speculative fiction that invokes pirates and ghosts, but the characters of Stephen, his mom, and his halmeoni all make this a great read for fans of ghostly interactions or multigenerational stories.
Having splashed into Canadian middle grade with a pair of realistic novels, Angela Ahn’s third title dives into speculative fiction. Pirates and ghosts? Sign me up. Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm follows lively Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll as he discovers he can communicate with ghosts – one of whom may have been a pirate and needs Stephen’s help crossing over.
Pirates and Ghosts?
Ghosts feature more prominently than pirates, with few archetypal pirates/ pirate-like deeds taking place. Pirating – or more accurately, piventurating – plays more of a philosophical role as an approach to life that Stephen and his best friend Brandon have adopted. When I first read the blurb, I anticipated Stephen entering the ghostly realm and setting sail with a crew of ghost pirates. That does not happen (but some sailing does take place!)
PIVENTURATE. That’s a word I made up myself. […] Piventurates are sailors who passionately seek adventure. People who boldly travel into the unknown to explore and learn. (2%)Family Dynamic
The story stagnates a bit early on as Stephen stumbles into the ghostly realm. Not much happens apart from exposition via dialogue. It picks back up after Stephen returns to the living and finds his mom knew where he was the entire time. Stephen’s mom was an unexpected stand out character of this book for me. Stephen, of course, is a delight to read about, with his vibrant energy and enthusiasm and thoughtfulness for his friends. But I’ve always appreciated fully-realized adult characters in my middle grade novels (even when I was 10 years old).
She’s not one of those incredibly warm and supportive middle grade mothers. She has to work through her rejection of her abilities as a mudang and how she’s going to help Stephen navigate his own abilities. She’s extremely down to earth, pragmatic and realistically flawed. For example, she doesn’t hide her disdain for Stephen’s dad (her ex-husband) but she’s not so toxic towards him that it hurts Stephen’s relationship with his parents. Stephen himself is well aware his dad isn’t an exemplar father. Stephen happily accepts “bribe gifts” when Dad cancels their weekend together. I haven’t seen this dynamic portrayed much in middle grade. Often, a protagonist with divorced parents is suffering from that separation. In this story, the divorce happened three years ago. Stephen is mostly comfortable with his relationship with his parents now, even if it’s not perfect.
“The power of remembering who you really are,” Mom said softly as she watched everything unfold with very little expression on her face. “I should have known.” (80%)
The Bottom Line 💭
Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm may have fallen short of my hopes for speculative fiction that invokes pirates and ghosts, but the characters of Stephen, his mom, and his halmeoni all make this a great read for fans of ghostly interactions or multigenerational stories.
September 10, 2022
Readable enough but I struggled to enjoy this book. The pacing is too slow, the conflict too tame, the setting too thin; overall I found myself bored. There's never anything At Stake for the narrator (whose voice is unremarkable) so I never found myself caring about what happened to him. Ultimately it reads like the first book in a series where its all just setting the scene for stories to follow. Cover art is pretty though.
I received a free copy of this book from Tundra Books for review.
I received a free copy of this book from Tundra Books for review.
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May 22, 2022Thank you to #NetGalley and #tundrabooks for an eARC of DOUBLE O STEPHEN AND THE GHOSTLY REALM by Angela Ahn (Release Date: August 30/22).
I loved this author’s first two realistic fiction stories with Korean-Canadian main characters and intergenerational storylines, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard this new book centred around a pirate ghost. I’m happy to say I really enjoyed reading about Stephen, who dreams of being a “piventurate” (a term he coined that means a sailor looking for adventure rather than a traditional pirate with a bad reputation). He accidentally finds himself on a mission to help the ghost of a pirate captain move from his existence trapped in The Midway to The Great Sea, where he would reunite with his former crew. This book has mystery, secrets, and a supernatural cast of supporting characters that support Stephen in an entertaining story that will appeal to a wide range of middle-grade readers.
I loved this author’s first two realistic fiction stories with Korean-Canadian main characters and intergenerational storylines, so I wasn’t sure what to expect when I heard this new book centred around a pirate ghost. I’m happy to say I really enjoyed reading about Stephen, who dreams of being a “piventurate” (a term he coined that means a sailor looking for adventure rather than a traditional pirate with a bad reputation). He accidentally finds himself on a mission to help the ghost of a pirate captain move from his existence trapped in The Midway to The Great Sea, where he would reunite with his former crew. This book has mystery, secrets, and a supernatural cast of supporting characters that support Stephen in an entertaining story that will appeal to a wide range of middle-grade readers.
February 19, 2023
What do you expect with a last name like Oh-O’Driscoll? Ridiculous, right? And it opens Stephen up to all kinds of nicknames – which he hates. Natural for someone who’s just twelve years old and half Korean half Irish. He lives with his mom, who’s more into education than fun and blames everything on his dad, especially Stephen’s fascination with pirates. The only person he trusts is Brandon, his best, and only, friend. And they share a secret. They are PIVENTURATES.
A piventurate, you ask? It’s not even in the dictionary! (Not for want of their trying.) Stephen creates the word because he is not into the stealing and violence side of piracy, which is what dictionaries focus on. What he craves is adventure and sailing. After all, isn’t a pirate “a courageous explorer and a bold adventurer who loves the sea?” (5)
And what an adventure lies in store for Stephen! It begins with a pirate ship seen from his window. Then, while practicing swordsmanship during recess, Brandon is injured and Stephen gets suspended from school. Mom is not happy! She has no intention of allowing him to waste time during his suspension, so they go to a museum. Except the expected exhibit has closed. A new one on local history is now open. The first display showcases a nineteenth-century sea captain named William J. Sapperton. Sapperton may or may not have been a pirate. Stephen is thrilled, Mom not so much, especially once he touches an artifact and sets in motion a cascade of events that takes him to The Midway – a place where living people do not belong – where he meets Sapperton’s ghost. Of course, when you go where you should not be, trouble ensues. Trouble like pirates (living and dead), ghosts, broken promises, kidnapping, and discovering family secrets.
Told from a first-person perspective, this is not your typical pirate story, but it most certainly is entertaining and daunting. Stephen is willing to take chances to help others, even when Mom wishes otherwise. (Risk may be involved, but the violence is minimal and more implied than real.) The characters come to life (even the ghostly ones). Aside from the pirates, this is also a story of not fitting in, of following your dreams, of taking responsibility and making what goes wrong right, and being who you are. It’s also about learning about family, which in Stephen’s case involves discovering Korean lore and beliefs. Written for children ages nine to twelve, Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is an awesome pirate – or should I say piventurate – tale for anyone (even an adult) who dreams of being a pirate or just wants to be true to oneself.
This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Ahn.html
A piventurate, you ask? It’s not even in the dictionary! (Not for want of their trying.) Stephen creates the word because he is not into the stealing and violence side of piracy, which is what dictionaries focus on. What he craves is adventure and sailing. After all, isn’t a pirate “a courageous explorer and a bold adventurer who loves the sea?” (5)
And what an adventure lies in store for Stephen! It begins with a pirate ship seen from his window. Then, while practicing swordsmanship during recess, Brandon is injured and Stephen gets suspended from school. Mom is not happy! She has no intention of allowing him to waste time during his suspension, so they go to a museum. Except the expected exhibit has closed. A new one on local history is now open. The first display showcases a nineteenth-century sea captain named William J. Sapperton. Sapperton may or may not have been a pirate. Stephen is thrilled, Mom not so much, especially once he touches an artifact and sets in motion a cascade of events that takes him to The Midway – a place where living people do not belong – where he meets Sapperton’s ghost. Of course, when you go where you should not be, trouble ensues. Trouble like pirates (living and dead), ghosts, broken promises, kidnapping, and discovering family secrets.
Told from a first-person perspective, this is not your typical pirate story, but it most certainly is entertaining and daunting. Stephen is willing to take chances to help others, even when Mom wishes otherwise. (Risk may be involved, but the violence is minimal and more implied than real.) The characters come to life (even the ghostly ones). Aside from the pirates, this is also a story of not fitting in, of following your dreams, of taking responsibility and making what goes wrong right, and being who you are. It’s also about learning about family, which in Stephen’s case involves discovering Korean lore and beliefs. Written for children ages nine to twelve, Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is an awesome pirate – or should I say piventurate – tale for anyone (even an adult) who dreams of being a pirate or just wants to be true to oneself.
This review originally appeared in the March 2023 issue of Pirates and Privateers at http://www.cindyvallar.com/Ahn.html
October 12, 2023
With pirate antics and ghostly fun, this is an adventure with heart and more.
Stephen loves pirates, a passion which irritates his mother since he tends to go overboard...not to mention the ties it creates to his father, which his mother isn't keen on, either. When Stephen's pirate training lands him in school suspension, his mother takes him to the museum There, everything changes. Now, the adventure is real.
This is an imagination packed adventure with a main character, who is fun and has heart. Stephen's love for pirates borders on an obsession. It is an obsession, but he also has a best friend, who's ready to share the passion with him. The first scenes demonstrate a healthy friendship and the mischief kids can get into, while displaying how different adults can see things as opposed to kid eyes. This sets the tone of adventure as Stephen's fantasy clashes against adult expectations. But he doesn't have time to care. After all, there are dangerous paranormal battles to be fought (which adults would never believe, anyway). The stakes aren't really super high, making this a gentler read than might be expected. So, it's a fun tale with the general age group in mind.
There are emotions built in with the family problems and heart as Stephen does his best to balance everything and fight ghosts along the way. Unfortunately, the mother comes across as unpleasant and the father a side-note. A few moments and scenes drag, where action would have been more productive, but all of it still comes across nicely enough to make it a well-rounded tale.
This seems to be the first book in a new series, and it lays the groundwork well. There is the promise of more to come, and it will be interesting to see what Stephen will find himself up against next. I won a copy through Library Thing.
Stephen loves pirates, a passion which irritates his mother since he tends to go overboard...not to mention the ties it creates to his father, which his mother isn't keen on, either. When Stephen's pirate training lands him in school suspension, his mother takes him to the museum There, everything changes. Now, the adventure is real.
This is an imagination packed adventure with a main character, who is fun and has heart. Stephen's love for pirates borders on an obsession. It is an obsession, but he also has a best friend, who's ready to share the passion with him. The first scenes demonstrate a healthy friendship and the mischief kids can get into, while displaying how different adults can see things as opposed to kid eyes. This sets the tone of adventure as Stephen's fantasy clashes against adult expectations. But he doesn't have time to care. After all, there are dangerous paranormal battles to be fought (which adults would never believe, anyway). The stakes aren't really super high, making this a gentler read than might be expected. So, it's a fun tale with the general age group in mind.
There are emotions built in with the family problems and heart as Stephen does his best to balance everything and fight ghosts along the way. Unfortunately, the mother comes across as unpleasant and the father a side-note. A few moments and scenes drag, where action would have been more productive, but all of it still comes across nicely enough to make it a well-rounded tale.
This seems to be the first book in a new series, and it lays the groundwork well. There is the promise of more to come, and it will be interesting to see what Stephen will find himself up against next. I won a copy through Library Thing.
October 3, 2022
Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll (Double O Stephen)’s enthusiasm is infectious, and his love of pirates, and piventurats (i.e., pirate adventurer) verges on obsession. After getting suspended for the accidental injuring of his best friend at school, he’s also forbidden from wearing his pirate bandanna and eye patch there.
His stern professor mother decides spending some time at the local historical museum during his forced absence from school will be good for him. The problem is, after touching the sea chest of a famous, local long dead captain, or possible pirate, sets off a remarkable chain of events that require Stephen to help said captain’s ghost get to the great sea of the afterlife, confront his mother about some pretty important family secrets, and learn to use his new ability to interact with ghosts. He also gets to meet the ghost of his maternal grandmother.
Stephen lives his life with great energy, and he’s a caring and responsible kid. The way he takes on his new duties is admirable, and it looks like there is more headed his way, based on how the book ended. I liked him, and the story is fast-moving fun.
I was, however, not that impressed by how his mother was handled. She’s closed off, secretive, and not the warmest, and I could appreciate how frustrated Stephen felt with her several times. However flawed she is, I was less than enthused that Stephen’s absentee dad was, despite frequently letting Stephen down and giving him “bribe gifts” to patch things up, greeted with enthusiasm and warmth by Stephen, who frequently spoke derogatorily to his mother. She also, despite having the same gift as Stephen, and doing the lion’s share of the parenting, still felt like more of a cardboard cutout than a fully-fledged character. So, I’m dropping my rating a bit for a total of 3 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
His stern professor mother decides spending some time at the local historical museum during his forced absence from school will be good for him. The problem is, after touching the sea chest of a famous, local long dead captain, or possible pirate, sets off a remarkable chain of events that require Stephen to help said captain’s ghost get to the great sea of the afterlife, confront his mother about some pretty important family secrets, and learn to use his new ability to interact with ghosts. He also gets to meet the ghost of his maternal grandmother.
Stephen lives his life with great energy, and he’s a caring and responsible kid. The way he takes on his new duties is admirable, and it looks like there is more headed his way, based on how the book ended. I liked him, and the story is fast-moving fun.
I was, however, not that impressed by how his mother was handled. She’s closed off, secretive, and not the warmest, and I could appreciate how frustrated Stephen felt with her several times. However flawed she is, I was less than enthused that Stephen’s absentee dad was, despite frequently letting Stephen down and giving him “bribe gifts” to patch things up, greeted with enthusiasm and warmth by Stephen, who frequently spoke derogatorily to his mother. She also, despite having the same gift as Stephen, and doing the lion’s share of the parenting, still felt like more of a cardboard cutout than a fully-fledged character. So, I’m dropping my rating a bit for a total of 3 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Random House Canada for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 12, 2022
This is the first time I've read a full novel in two days and two sittings! I loved Stephen and I loved his friendship with Brandon. I also really enjoyed the adventure-y parts of the story. Now onto the the things I didn't like:
- Stephen's Mom: Like really, if she was supposed to be an annoying, completely off-putting, sorry excuse for a mother, then yes, her character was perfect. She was a complete disappointment and felt more like an older roommate than a mother.
-The Ghost Pirates and Afterlife: The way they portrayed the afterlife is very odd and so far fetched that you kind of just roll with it. The other thing that unnerved me was Willy's crew. It seemed so weird and very flawed that since they were the "very bad ghosts" that they weren't thrown in "The Chasm" a long time ago. It made no sense for them to even be able to come in contact with Stephen. And the attempt to have us view them as the rough around the edges good guys at the end didn't work on me at all. Willy himself I guess is an exception since he felt remorse for his deeds.
-The Ending: It went a little long but overall it wasn't such a big of a deal that I was upset about it.
To end this review on a good note, I so enjoyed the fact that Brandon didn't doubt Stephen's abilities or call him crazy because I would've been even more annoyed. Another thing I really liked was Stephan's relationship with Abigail. I loved how it was hinted at that they were soulmates or something. Very cool.
- Stephen's Mom: Like really, if she was supposed to be an annoying, completely off-putting, sorry excuse for a mother, then yes, her character was perfect. She was a complete disappointment and felt more like an older roommate than a mother.
-The Ghost Pirates and Afterlife: The way they portrayed the afterlife is very odd and so far fetched that you kind of just roll with it. The other thing that unnerved me was Willy's crew. It seemed so weird and very flawed that since they were the "very bad ghosts" that they weren't thrown in "The Chasm" a long time ago. It made no sense for them to even be able to come in contact with Stephen. And the attempt to have us view them as the rough around the edges good guys at the end didn't work on me at all. Willy himself I guess is an exception since he felt remorse for his deeds.
-The Ending: It went a little long but overall it wasn't such a big of a deal that I was upset about it.
To end this review on a good note, I so enjoyed the fact that Brandon didn't doubt Stephen's abilities or call him crazy because I would've been even more annoyed. Another thing I really liked was Stephan's relationship with Abigail. I loved how it was hinted at that they were soulmates or something. Very cool.
April 23, 2022
Start with a boy who loves pirates, and a mother who wants him to be more “normal” with his playtime, and mix in a pirate ship in the nearby port, and ghosts, and you have the background for this wonderful, playful story that appears to be the first in the series.
Stephen is half Korean on his mother’s side, and she neglects to tell him that here side of the family has the power to not only see ghosts, but to help them as well. As she puts it, she sort of hoped because of his father’s genes, he wouldn’t get the gift. His mother does not like to talk to ghosts. She would prefer they left her alone.
Cute, fun sense of play with this book. And the best friend gets to be as involved as he can be, instead of shoving him to the side. Even Stephen’s mother gets in on the action, though she would rather not.
All good fun. Plus the importance of courage and keeping promises.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
Stephen is half Korean on his mother’s side, and she neglects to tell him that here side of the family has the power to not only see ghosts, but to help them as well. As she puts it, she sort of hoped because of his father’s genes, he wouldn’t get the gift. His mother does not like to talk to ghosts. She would prefer they left her alone.
Cute, fun sense of play with this book. And the best friend gets to be as involved as he can be, instead of shoving him to the side. Even Stephen’s mother gets in on the action, though she would rather not.
All good fun. Plus the importance of courage and keeping promises.
I look forward to the next book in this series.
Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.
October 20, 2022
I am a public librarian and received an advanced listener copy courtesy of libro.fm.
Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll is an enthusiastic, energetic young boy whose love of pirates and desire to become a piventurate (pirate adventurer) made for an enjoyable read. After a playground mishap in which Stephen's best friend Brandon is injured, Stephen is suspended from school and spends the morning in tow with his mother first at the museum, then at a steam powered clock tower in the middle of town. When the steam dissipates, Stephen finds himself in the ghostly realm, face to face with a ghost pirate!
I will say the author's depiction of the ghostly realm was a bit idiosyncratic, and might seem odd to some. Overall, though, this did not impair my enjoyment of the story. Stephen meets several ghosts and even makes a new friend in the ghostly realm; he also learns that ghost pirate Captain Sapperton is trapped and cannot cross over. Eventually, Stephen finds his way out of the ghostly realm, though not before promising to return and help Captain Sapperton.
Back in the mortal world, Stephen is surprised by his mother's lack of surprise upon his return. Turns out, Stephen's mother is a mudang, and he is a baksu; she never said anything because she hoped Stephen's Irish heritage meant he would not inherit the gift of communicating with spirits. After leaving home and immigrating, Stephen's mother tried to put that aspect of her family history behind her. She is disdainful of the supernatural, as well as of Stephen's enthusiasm for fantastical pirate play. While other readers have found her unpleasant, I sympathized with her despite her character flaws, imagining what untold events may have passed between her and her mother that would make her want to leave her heritage behind.
Stephen returns to school and regular life, but the intrusion of Captain Sapperton's ghostly crew prevents him from forgetting his promise to return and help. When the situation escalates, Stephen returns to the ghostly realm despite his mother's objections. With Brandon's help (to the extent that he can), Stephen works to free Captain Sapperton so he can move on.
This was a fun read, and I would recommend it to middle grade readers who enjoy adventure, pirates and ghosts.
Stephen Oh-O’Driscoll is an enthusiastic, energetic young boy whose love of pirates and desire to become a piventurate (pirate adventurer) made for an enjoyable read. After a playground mishap in which Stephen's best friend Brandon is injured, Stephen is suspended from school and spends the morning in tow with his mother first at the museum, then at a steam powered clock tower in the middle of town. When the steam dissipates, Stephen finds himself in the ghostly realm, face to face with a ghost pirate!
I will say the author's depiction of the ghostly realm was a bit idiosyncratic, and might seem odd to some. Overall, though, this did not impair my enjoyment of the story. Stephen meets several ghosts and even makes a new friend in the ghostly realm; he also learns that ghost pirate Captain Sapperton is trapped and cannot cross over. Eventually, Stephen finds his way out of the ghostly realm, though not before promising to return and help Captain Sapperton.
Back in the mortal world, Stephen is surprised by his mother's lack of surprise upon his return. Turns out, Stephen's mother is a mudang, and he is a baksu; she never said anything because she hoped Stephen's Irish heritage meant he would not inherit the gift of communicating with spirits. After leaving home and immigrating, Stephen's mother tried to put that aspect of her family history behind her. She is disdainful of the supernatural, as well as of Stephen's enthusiasm for fantastical pirate play. While other readers have found her unpleasant, I sympathized with her despite her character flaws, imagining what untold events may have passed between her and her mother that would make her want to leave her heritage behind.
Stephen returns to school and regular life, but the intrusion of Captain Sapperton's ghostly crew prevents him from forgetting his promise to return and help. When the situation escalates, Stephen returns to the ghostly realm despite his mother's objections. With Brandon's help (to the extent that he can), Stephen works to free Captain Sapperton so he can move on.
This was a fun read, and I would recommend it to middle grade readers who enjoy adventure, pirates and ghosts.
October 21, 2025
Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5)
This book was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the world-building a lot; it felt very unique and thought-out. However, I do think the pacing and intrigue were a bit rockier. The sense of urgency felt more sporadic than I'd like and the overall solution felt exceedingly simple. Overall, it was still sweet and pretty fun; I think I was just hoping for a little bit more to make the story stand out.
Overall Rating: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ .5 (3.5/5)
This book was pretty entertaining. I enjoyed the world-building a lot; it felt very unique and thought-out. However, I do think the pacing and intrigue were a bit rockier. The sense of urgency felt more sporadic than I'd like and the overall solution felt exceedingly simple. Overall, it was still sweet and pretty fun; I think I was just hoping for a little bit more to make the story stand out.
September 4, 2022
Double O Stepehn and the Ghostly Realm follows Stephen, who on his mother's side is gifted the ability to see ghosts - which she previously had not mentioned to him in hopes that he had not received the gift. This was a cute and fun book that teaches about keeping your promises and being brave even with it may be difficult.
September 12, 2023
Stephen is very into all things pirate and loves to play with his friend Brandon any chance he gets. When Stephen gets into trouble at school and is sent home for a few days his mom takes him to the Museum and there he learns a lot more than what his mom wants him to.
Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is a good book for ages 7-13
Double O Stephen and the Ghostly Realm is a good book for ages 7-13
December 31, 2022
An adventurous and lightly spooky tale for solidly middle-grade (mid-to-upper elementary) readers that touches on family and intercultural troubles. Vancouverites will have fun spotting the slightly reimagined landmarks.
February 24, 2023
I enjoyed this book a lot. I listened to the audiobook from the library and I can't wait to start bouncing this title around in my RA. It's got pirates, ghosts, cultural touchstones from a non-western culture… it was great! Well set up for a series too.
August 31, 2022
ALC provided by Libro.fm
July 21, 2025
Double O’Stephen and the Ghostly Realm was an action packed book for middle aged readers that will keep them engaged with elements of time travel, action, and realistic interactions between the characters despite being from the fantasy genre. I love the character of Stephen who is persistent and doesn’t back down from getting what he wants despite the fear of the unknown.
September 3, 2022
Fun adventure story about a boy named Stephen who doesn't always fit in, but has a close friend that shares the same passion for piventurates that he does - pirates who simply want adventure. Stephen also ends up finding who finds another realm and ends up learning a lot more about himself, his mom and his family. Love the intergenerational aspect to this story as well.
November 13, 2022
It's been a while since i last read a pirate story and this one was a really cute read. not one of my favorite middle-grade books but stephen was a fun lead to follow and idk, pirate ghosts are cool. i did think that his relationship with his parents and family in general was messy, not because of him, but because that's just how things ended up being (adult problems smh). a fun and simple read, hoping future adventures allow for his bff to show up some more, 3.5
September 26, 2022
I won this book from LibraryThing and read it to do a blog. I absolutely loved this book, I couldn't put it down! The book is geared for readers 8-12 years of old, but I enjoyed it immensely!
The book is about Double O Stephen who dreams about being a pirate. From his red bandanna to his red crocs and his eye patch he goes through everyday with heckles from his friends and eye rolls from his mom. His best friend, Brandon understands him completely! Together at lunch they practice their sword fighting with sticks. One day at lunch they choose sticks that were too big and Brandon ends up with chipped teeth and Stephen gets expelled for 3 days.
As a learning lesson Stephen's mom takes him to the museum and they stumble upon the story of Captain Sapperton. As Stephen reads his story and finds out that he is also possibly a pirate, his interest grows. When he reaches out to touch his nameplate on the chest, it actually ran a shock up his arm. As Stephen and his mom journey on, they decide to go to the Rail's End steam clock. As the clock blows it's 12th whistle and the area is covered with mist, Stephen finds himself in a place called The Midway. And who does he find...the ghost of Capatin Sapperton...Willy! Now this is where the story takes off...I l don't want to give anything away!
I have a Little Free Library and I can't wait to put this book in there for the kiddos! I would highly recommend this book!
The book is about Double O Stephen who dreams about being a pirate. From his red bandanna to his red crocs and his eye patch he goes through everyday with heckles from his friends and eye rolls from his mom. His best friend, Brandon understands him completely! Together at lunch they practice their sword fighting with sticks. One day at lunch they choose sticks that were too big and Brandon ends up with chipped teeth and Stephen gets expelled for 3 days.
As a learning lesson Stephen's mom takes him to the museum and they stumble upon the story of Captain Sapperton. As Stephen reads his story and finds out that he is also possibly a pirate, his interest grows. When he reaches out to touch his nameplate on the chest, it actually ran a shock up his arm. As Stephen and his mom journey on, they decide to go to the Rail's End steam clock. As the clock blows it's 12th whistle and the area is covered with mist, Stephen finds himself in a place called The Midway. And who does he find...the ghost of Capatin Sapperton...Willy! Now this is where the story takes off...I l don't want to give anything away!
I have a Little Free Library and I can't wait to put this book in there for the kiddos! I would highly recommend this book!
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