School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-For Kat, life in Medford, NY, is complicated. Her mom's a professional medium, communing with spirits. After Kat's 13th birthday, she starts seeing ghosts, too, and she fears being ostracized and perpetually friendless. She becomes friendly with Jac, a talented cellist who lugs around her instrument but hasn't played since an incident of intense stage fright, and together the reluctant medium and reluctant musician share their secrets, Kat's new dog, and a supernatural experience in the school library. The ghost of a flute-playing former student needs their help. This is middle-grade fiction meets Ghost Whisperer, combining a spectral plot with a stereotypical adolescent setting that kids will relate to-catty peers and dealing with the social hierarchy mapped out in lunch tables. The book isn't scary, but there is a creepy moment during a predawn school "break-in." The main characters are likable, and the mystery's clues are well paced. There is occasional unnatural-sounding dialogue and odd/old slang. Pop-cultural references abound. Unresolved conflicts remain but are interesting enough to merit reading further installments.-Danielle Serra, Cliffside Park Public Library, NJ (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
(Intermediate, Middle School) Like most seventh graders, Kat longs to fit in, but with a mom who's a medium ("and I don't mean the kind that fits in between small and large") and Kat's own emerging "spirit sight," this proves to be a tall order. Fellow misfit Jac is new to Kat's school; she's a gifted cellist with debilitating performance anxiety, an overbearing stage mother, and no desire to kowtow to the popular kids. At first, the girls are just lunch-table companions -- at one of the "midlist spillover tables, for people who don't really fit into a specific group but aren't officially outcasts." They soon form their own group of two (or three, if you count Jac's ever-present cello). Kat is a smart and witty narrator with a wry sense of humor and keen observations about middle-school and mother-daughter dynamics. With Jac's unwavering and enthusiastic support, Kat comes to terms with her supernatural gift and accepts the attendant responsibilities of helping the dead communicate with the living. Kimmel spends a lot of time laying the groundwork in this first in a projected series, and as a result the narrative pace is rather leisurely. But the book is so inviting -- from the open page design to Kat's engaging voice -- that readers will thoroughly enjoy unraveling the supernatural mystery. From HORN BOOK, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
Kat is used to her mom's being a medium, but when Kat herself begins seeing the dead, it's the last thing she wants. It's bad enough being unpopular, living in a spooky house and having a mother who wears harem pants: All Kat wants is to fit in, to be normal. Now, just as she has finally made a friend--Jac, a frustrated cellist--ghosts start appearing, ghosts who need her help. When Jac proves to be an unexpected ally, Kat is initially relieved. But then it appears that Jac has a connection to the ghost Kat sees. Can Kat lend a hand? Is she up to the dual task of supporting her friend and helping the dead rest in peace? This is light fare, but Kimmel provides lively, believable characters, some real-life problems and just the right amount of suspense. A satisfying start to a new series, this will especially appeal to tweens who like their paranormal with a touch of humor and some daily life. (Fantasy. 9-12) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
