A New York Times bestseller!Ever since Cass almost drowned (okay, she did drown, but she doesn’t like to think about it), she can pull back the Veil that separates the living from the dead . . . and enter the world of spirits. Her best friend is even a ghost.So things are already pretty strange. But they’re about to get much stranger.When Cass’s parents start hosting a TV show about the world’s … start hosting a TV show about the world’s most haunted places, the family heads off to Edinburgh, Scotland. Here, graveyards, castles, and secret passageways teem with restless phantoms. And when Cass meets a girl who shares her “gift,” she realizes how much she still has to learn about the Veil — and herself.
And she’ll have to learn fast. The city of ghosts is more dangerous than she ever imagined.
#1 NYT bestselling author Victoria Schwab delivers a thrillingly spooky and action-packed tale of hauntings, history, mystery, and the bond between friends (even if that friend is a ghost . . .).
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Just finished this. As a reader, it’s great to have a book be so seamless, interesting & enjoyable that I start & finish it in one sitting. As an author, I am GREEN with envy at the talent it takes to do the above ;). Luckily for me, the sequel is already out, so I don’t have to wait to find out what’s next for Cass and her ghostly best friend, Jacob. YA/MG (Young Adult/Middle Grade)
Victoria has a Masters of Monsters, and is putting those studies to good use. You might even see a little ghost story of mine in this quirky title.
A gripping ghost story and wonderful adventure. Quite possibly my favorite read of 2018.
Spine tingling and page-turning, perfectly blending humor, heart, and adventure . . . I loved it!
If you enjoy a good ghost story, Schwab’s will not disappoint. She has an interesting angle on the idea of the person who can see ghosts, and she uses the setting of Edinburgh beautifully. A great read for anyone who loves history or the historical haunting. It’s like going on a ghost tour with a friend.
Wow this was a good read. I haven’t read anything by Victoria Schwab. I really enjoyed this middle grade paranormal book. Enjoyed all this characters how they are with each other. Highly recommend this book/audiobook great read during the month October.
About book-
Young Cassie is young girl who best friend Jacob is a ghost. Yes she can see ghosts. Her parents write paranormal books. Has her parents travel for their new tv show. Cassie and her friend Jacob see a ghost with a plan. That’s when Cassie gets caught in the between. Highly recommend again
Like all truly good books for middle grade readers, this was enjoyable for adults too. It started a bit slowly, but once it got going, it was action to the end. Cassidy can see ghosts, and in Edinburgh, where she travels with her parents, there are plenty of those. And they’re not all nice. Cassidy has her hands full trying to save herself and her ghost friend Jacob. I don’t know if the story is scary for the intended age group, but for an easily spooked adult like me, it was scary enough.
Even though the concept of this book, as well as its setting, sounded intriguing to me, I was a little unsure whether I’d enjoy it, because most of the middle grade books I’ve read recently just feel too young for me. (I mean, obviously, since I’m well outside the target age range.) But I should have known to trust Victoria Schwab, because this book was delightful.
Not only was it the kind of book that I would have loved when I was the same age as the characters, but it was the kind of book I love now, with beautiful writing and well developed characters. And the setting, the setting…
Probably anyone who’s ever talked to me knows that, ever since I visited Edinburgh last year, it’s been my favorite city in the world. This book felt like a love letter to Edinburgh, where I know Victoria Schwab has lived, and made me love the city even more (which I didn’t know was even possible). I loved reading about all the places that I went to, like Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriars Kirkyard and the vaults under the city (where I went on a ghost tour!) and even the Elephant House! There were so many Harry Potter references, it made my nerd heart happy! The loving way that the city was described was both unearthly and authentic, capturing the atmosphere of Edinburgh (and this book) perfectly.
Plot…
The story follows Cass, the daughter of famous ghost-hunters, as the family moves to Edinburgh to film a TV show. Cass is the only one in the family who can actually see ghosts, though, after a near-death experience the year before, and Edinburgh is one of the most haunted cities in the world. As such, she and her ghost best friend, Jacob, get caught up in an adventure of the ghostly sort.
I thought the pacing of the story was spot on. This isn’t a long book – added to which the font is pretty large – and it never tries to pack in more than it’s able to. The plot didn’t move at a breakneck speed, but it didn’t plod either. The whole thing only takes place over a few days.
Also, the conflict was intriguing and exciting, keeping me engaged with the story the whole way. I never knew what was going to happen next! The book had a satisfying ending while also getting me excited for the next book to come out.
Characters…
Cass was just lovely. She was such a Gryffindor (she says so herself) and always wanted to save the day and protect her friends while figuring out what was going on. I love her friendship with Jacob, and the ways they’re opposites while also supporting each other. They reminded me a bit of Blue and Noah in The Raven Cycle! Even though these characters were young, they felt fully fleshed out and interesting (and way more cool than I ever was at age twelve). They were so endearing and I love them and want to protect them!
Writing…
I’ve already talked a little bit about the writing but I want to reiterate how strong it was! The writing really transported me into Edinburgh, and not just into the parts that I visited – I felt like I too was stepping into the grey world of the Veil alongside Cass. Every descriptive detail was so strong and made me feel like part of the story. Plus, it really brought across the spookiness! It was ghostly and scary, while not being too scary. Perfect for middle grade readers, and scaredy-cat twenty-one year olds like me.
Overall feelings…
In addition to being a strong middle grade book, this was a wonderful book for anyone who loves a good ghost story. I enjoyed every second of this and flew through it. It also got me a little emotional because I’m sad I’m not in Edinburgh. (But that’s just me being weird.) I feel like this would be the perfect Halloween read, so if you’re willing to wait that long to pick it up, I’d highly recommend reading it then!
City of Ghosts is just a fun, engaging middle grade novel. I loved the sweet friendship between Jacob and Cassidy. This is a great first book in what promises to be a fun series.
A fun and quick read about friendships, ghosts, other worlds, and a gift like no other. I really loved this story and I hope that we will get to revisit Cassidy and Jacob.
This was such a good book. I read it out of boredom and fell in love with everything. I love the writing style and the character development throughout the book.
Victoria has a Masters of Monsters, and is putting those studies to good use. You might even see a little ghost story of mine in this quirky title.
I like it and I now have to do a book report about this book.
I am screwed
City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Cassidy “Cassie” Blake is a survivor. She was saved from an accident by a ghost named Jacob. Note that ghosts cannot touch or hold living people in concept, but Jacob did the impossible somehow. He saved her from drowning in an icy lake.
Unknowingly at first, Cassie did not realize Jacob was a ghost until later on when no one else acknowledges him. And so it goes, Jacob ended up being her sidekick ghost partner/companion linked together from that moment on, as Cassie discovers that she comes back to the living with extraordinary power – the ability to see the supernatural by entering the Veil.
Together, they have rules on what their friendship consists of, and it’s numbered like Rule # 9: Ghost-watching is a two-person sport, or Rule #6: Friends don’t leave friends in the dark. With those rules, these two partners would enter another realm, the Veil, where ghosts exist but, on repeat, unable to leave the last traumatic space that they went through alive. There are two essential rules regarding the Veil from the start: (1) don’t lose yourself, and (2) don’t die while inside.
The story is from Cassie’s POV. The writing is precise and eerie – very fitting to the mystery of the story. I enjoyed the whole investigative feel of the story. Coincidentally, with Cassie’s parents also paranormal writers, each place that her family visits for their documentary have a ghost present. It is an excellent documentary concept because instead of staying at a dull beach house, Cassie, along with Grim (her cat), Jacob, and her parents, are now traveling around the world searching for ghosts and paranormal activity. This trip would take them to three of the biggest cities in the world, filled with curious and somewhat dangerous adventures!
Note: the books need not be read in sequence since the author summarizes things for readers who jump in the middle. But if you are like me, who would rather find out these past details on your own, I highly suggest you read it in sequence to keep the pace as you go through the rest of the series.
City of Ghosts (Book 1) is the family’s visit to Edinburgh, Scotland, for the first of The Inspecter documentary series. Reluctantly, Cassidy discovers a lot more than she bargained for when the taping itinerary is haunting specific. With the Veil predominant in those places, Cassie could not ignore “the pull.” She doesn’t know what she needs to do, aside from being a spectator to what happened to the lives of the trapped ghosts. What an adventure this first series gives readers.
During one of the site taping/visits, Cassie stumbles on a powerful ghost, The Raven in Red, who wants Cassie’s life; things started to turn to the worst as more Veils seem to appear around her and Jacob – pulling her through it. Trying her best to avoid it, but to no avail, Cassie falls into one as a trap. So with Jacob, and an unexpected friend, Cassie races to retrieve what was stolen or be stuck in the spirit world forever.
Be ready to believe in urban legends of missing children and unsettled ghosts, as this book will send chills and fear into your very bones. Suggestion: don’t read it alone in the dark for the last few chapters. It got a bit hairy for me.
This ghost story is one of the best that I have ever read. Even though this is a children’s book, I loved that the plot was mildly scary and had some pretty creepy details. On the other hand, the characters and scenery were well constructed, and I had zero trouble picturing them. For me, all of Cass’s relationships seemed to reflect real ones, and I particularly liked the irony regarding Cass’ abilities and her parents’ line of work. I guess the only complaint that I have with this book is that it does not tell Jacob’s background, which I hope the next book will rectify. Anyway, I highly recommend this book since I believe that this is the type of story that you can enjoy at any age.
This is quite possibly one of the best middle grade books out there. I immediately ran to my nearest book store to get the second book (Tunnel of Bones). Victoria you never disappoint.
This is an ongoing series. The first three books have been released and I always forget how much I like them until I read them. There have been so many times when I thought Jacob was going to die, and I won’t tell you if he did, but the result made me bawl my eyes out.
How Schwab describes Edinburgh made me cry. This was a fantastic MG novel dealing with the darkness of death. I loved the characters.
Cassidy’s best friend is Jacob, a ghost. Her parents write books about ghosts and now they’ll be hosting a tv show about cities, history and ghosts. One thing is that the parents can’t see ghosts, only Cassidy can. I like this book, I immediately loved Cassidy. i think it woulda been so cool to see and talk to ghosts as a teenager. I also love books where someone can see and talk to ghosts, which is usually cozy mysteries but this book isn’t one which is kinda nice. I’ve heard so many good things about V.E. Schwab books and they were so right. So glad this is my first book by her. If you like ghost books then you’ll love this one and rest of this series, I’m sure.
I’ll have to admit that I pushed myself waaay out of comfort zone with this one. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and of this nature. The whole paranormal feel was not my thing but after reading this book I’m shouting: GIVE ME MORE.