Paloma and her extended, multigenerational family are so heartwarming. Despite differences and disagreements, when they truly need each other, their support and loyalty is unquestionable. I enjoyed the Spanish vocabulary throughout the book (the context always makes non-Spanish speakers decipher the meanings easily) as it made this family even more authentic as they embraced their heritage and culture.
It took me a few chapters before I really started caring and empathizing with Paloma; I found her desires to be as good of a medium or better than her grandmother understandable, but needed more why she really needed this goal in her life.
As a medium who can communicate with the dead, Paloma has rules to follow for her safety and the safety of others. She doesn't agree with some of them and often under peer pressure and/or want to make new friends, breaks them and the costs add urgency to the plot. When the action started, the pacing made me want to keep reading.
There are twists and surprises that delighted me and the ghosts were a balancing blend of fun and friendly to possibly troublemakers. Perfect amount of suspense and scary for middle graders.
It took me a few chapters before I really started caring and empathizing with Paloma; I found her desires to be as good of a medium or better than her grandmother understandable, but needed more why she really needed this goal in her life.
As a medium who can communicate with the dead, Paloma has rules to follow for her safety and the safety of others. She doesn't agree with some of them and often under peer pressure and/or want to make new friends, breaks them and the costs add urgency to the plot. When the action started, the pacing made me want to keep reading.
There are twists and surprises that delighted me and the ghosts were a balancing blend of fun and friendly to possibly troublemakers. Perfect amount of suspense and scary for middle graders.