2018, Juvenile Fiction
WISE Score
A middle-schooler who can step into the spirit world heads to Edinburgh, where the local ghosts are a lot less friendly than her spectral best friend.
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City of Ghosts is the gold standard for middle-grade paranormal fiction. It’s spooky, smart, and moves fast enough to keep a 10-year-old from checking their phone every five minutes.
By centering the story on a girl whose parents are professional (but skeptical) ghost hunters, it creates a fun tension where the kid knows way more than the adults. It’s a great pick for a family read-aloud during October or a solo read for a kid who wants a bit of a thrill.
Perfect for the 9-13 crowd. It hits that sweet spot of being genuinely spooky without being 'adult' scary. Older teens and adults who enjoy Schwab's other work will likely breeze through it as a cozy, atmospheric read.
The core of the story is a rock-solid friendship between Cass and her ghost best friend, Jacob. Even with the spooky backdrop, the family dynamics are supportive rather than the typical 'absent parents' trope found in middle-grade fiction.
The concept of 'The Veil'—a grey, shifting version of our world where spirits linger—is a fantastic piece of world-building. Using historical Edinburgh as a haunted playground adds a layer of atmospheric depth that feels fresh.
It is a ghost story, so expect some chilling imagery, particularly the Red Lady. However, it stays firmly within the boundaries of middle-grade horror—spooky and tense, but never gory or traumatizing.
It weaves in real Edinburgh history and folklore, making it a stealthy geography and history lesson. It also handles the concept of a near-death experience with enough weight to be meaningful without becoming overly heavy.
If your kid has outgrown the campy scares of Goosebumps but isn't quite ready for the psychological weight of adult thrillers, City of Ghosts is the perfect bridge. V.E. Schwab (writing here for a younger audience) understands that kids can handle—and often crave—a bit of darkness as long as there's a safety net of friendship and competence.
The book follows Cassidy Blake, who can 'pull back the Veil' and see the dead. When her parents get a job filming a ghost-hunting show in Scotland, Cass is dragged along, only to find that Edinburgh's ghosts are much more active (and dangerous) than the ones back home.
Unlike many fantasy books that take place in a generic 'Anytown, USA,' this story is deeply rooted in the winding closes and dark history of Edinburgh. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to pull up Google Maps and look at the Royal Mile or Greyfriars Kirkyard while you read. It treats history not as a boring school subject, but as a series of lingering echoes that can still reach out and grab you.
The most interesting dynamic is Cass’s relationship with Jacob, her ghost best friend. He’s the one who saved her life during her near-death experience, and their bond is the emotional anchor of the book. It raises interesting, age-appropriate questions about what we owe our friends and the danger of holding onto the past for too long. If your kid liked the 'found family' vibes of Stranger Things or the atmospheric dread of Coraline, this is an easy win.
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