Review by Booklist Review
Lora Xi has a fantastic imagination. She loves playing pretend, dressing up, and anything to do with Halloween--she even had an imaginary friend when she was younger. Unfortunately, as Lora's real friends grow up and no longer care to play with her like they used to, Lora is afraid to change along with them. While hosting a pretend séance tea party for her stuffed animals, she summons Alexa, the ghost that used to be her imaginary friend. They rekindle their friendship, and as the school year progresses, Alexa helps Lora make friends and try new things, and, using the newfangled internet, Alexa begins to discover who she was when still alive. Yee effectively uses two main characters with parallel story lines, showing change as inevitable but not necessarily bad. Lora's trajectory is ultimately positive as she grows into a teenager, and Alexa's is genuinely moving as she comes to terms with her past. Yee's art is loose and bright, and the colors are vibrant, bringing a diverse cast to life. An empathetic look at a late bloomer.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Ghosted by friends, Lora Xi, 12, befriends a ghost in this middle grade debut. While her pals have begun caring about "who's popular or what's trendy," Lora remains fascinated with "all weird stuff"--the Bermuda Triangle, Bigfoot, ghost hauntings, and the like. Alone on her Halloween Eve birthday, Lora performs a séance tea party. Though not expecting results, Lora draws the attention of Alexa, a spirit who haunts Lora's home, boasts various supernatural powers, and was Lora's imaginary friend growing up. Together, they embark on a joint journey of self-discovery: Lora examines why she's afraid to mature like her peers, and Alexa, without memories, investigates her past and reflects on why she befriended generations of children. As they work through their emotional obstacles together, Alexa encourages Lora to explore her identity, which gives Alexa room to realize her own need to grow. Strong sequential panels in lineless, full-color art convey expressive characters and keep a consistent pace, while tender, picturesque splash pages slow things, allowing cathartic moments to breathe. With her middle grade debut, Yee creates a moving tale that emphasizes the importance of embracing one's quirks--and finding friends who do the same. Ages 8--12. Agent: Jen Linnan, Linnan Literary Management. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 3--6--Even though her middle school friends have all traded make-believe play for video games, memes, and parties, 12-year-old Lora Zi is reluctant to let go of childhood. An impromptu solo séance sparks a friendship with Alexa, a ghost girl who will never grow up. But despite Lora's efforts to avoid adulthood, she finds herself changing--reconnecting with the friends she feared had left her behind and making new ones. Meanwhile, Alexa reunites with Diana, her best friend from when she was alive. A children's book author, Diana has grown old in the years since Alexa's death, but she prides herself "on being a child at heart." Dialogue and illustrations have a lively, liquid flow. Yee's art is whimsical and engaging, reinforcing the graphic novel's themes of memory, magic, and change. The palette relies on shades of transition: the hues of dusk and dawn, of autumn and spring. Yee dedicates her book to "every child--and young adult--who is afraid of growing up," and her characters embody this theme, drifting apart and reuniting, pulling together and learning to let go. VERDICT A beautifully illustrated, bittersweet coming-of-age story for anyone grappling with the joy and sorrow of growing up, growing old, and moving on.--Amanda Charles, Los Angeles P.L.
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
As a girl struggles to navigate adolescence, she finds support from an unlikely source. In this graphic novel, 12-year-old Lora Xi finds herself increasingly isolated. While her best friend and her classmates seem obsessed with parties, boys, and texting, her interests have remained fixed on witches, ghosts, and nostalgic activities of childhood. While throwing herself a séance tea party in the attic, she discovers a ghost, a girl about her age, named Alexa. The two become fast friends, with Alexa gently prodding Lora to reach out to peers and slowly engage in more social events. The energetic, flowing graphics embellished with colorful details reveal complex narratives for both characters. With the help of some old friends, Alexa eventually discovers more about her long-forgotten past, having lived in the same town 50 years prior. Lora finds the courage to participate in more social events while staying authentic. But the two friends gradually find their goals diverging, which leads to an emotional climax. While this is Yee's middle-grade debut, she is a veteran of comic books, and it shows. She artfully balances complex character arcs and suspense while bringing a touch of fantasy and wonder without overcrowding the plot. Lora is of Chinese descent, and Alexa is white; Lora's middle-class North American community is vibrantly diverse. A coming-of-age tale that is both comforting and wonderfully peculiar. (author's note) (Graphic fantasy. 9-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
