Synopses & Reviews
Olivia wants a new life and it might take ghosts to get it. A heartfelt, gently Gothic novel from Claire Legrand. Olivia Stellatella is having a rough year. Her mother's left, her neglectful father, the maestro of a failing orchestra, has moved her and her grandmother into the city's dark, broken-down concert hall to save money, and her only friend is Igor, an ornery stray cat. Just when she thinks life couldn't get any weirder, she meets four ghosts who haunt the hall. They need Olivia's help, If the hall is torn down, they'll be stuck as ghosts forever, never able to move on. Olivia has to do the impossible for her shadowy new friends: Save the concert hall. But helping the dead has powerful consequences for the living and soon it's not just the concert hall that needs saving.
Review
"Legrand has created a horror-tinged tale of triumph over loss and the destructive nature of hopelessness, that is full of well-rounded characters, a spooky gothic mood, and eerie glimpses into the past lives of the ghosts."
Booklist
Review
"The blend of spooky but mostly harmless thrills, and family drama makes for a compelling storyline, and Olivia's grief over her mother's departure and her subsequent anger at her father are both realistic and relatable. Olivia is likable even at her snarkiest, and the ways in which she comes to care for the ghosts and even a few living people are sometimes touching. The secret behind the shade's existence adds a bit of complexity to the missing mother story, and the happy ending feels well deserved for a central character who has had her fair share of sadness." The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
About the Author
Claire Legrand used to be a musician until she realized she couldn't stop thinking about the stories in her head. Now a writer, Ms. Legrand can often be found typing with purpose at her keyboard, losing herself in the stacks at her local library, or embarking upon spontaneous adventures to lands unknown. Her first novel is The Cavendish Home for Boys and Girls, a New York Public Library Best Book for Children in 2012. She is also the author of The Year of Shadows. Claire lives in New Jersey with a dragon and two cats. Visit her at Claire-Legrand.com.