ARC, 256 pages
Release Date: September 13, 2016Published by: Graphix
Read from: May 12, 2016Stand-aloneSource: BEA 2016For fans of: Diverse Reads, Graphic Novels, Middle GradeCatrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn’t happy about leaving her friends for Bahía de la Luna, but Maya has cystic fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bahía de la Luna. Maya is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them. As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her sister’s sake – and her own.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I have never been the biggest fan of graphic novels… Until I read Smile for one of my classes last year. And since then I fell in love. I also fell in love with the work of Telgemeier as well. I love her work and it’s ability to change my mind.
Cat isn’t happy about having to leave her friends in her old school, but her sister is sick and she needs to be closer to the coast to help her feel a bit better. As they settle in they see that there is something afoot in their new area and they have a weird inkling it has to do with ghosts….
I loved the graphics in this one. So good. As always Telgemeier delivers with both the content and the pictures. I was so excited to read this. I don’t usually care for graphic novels because I find myself reading the words and forgetting about the pictures, but all the author’s novels make you re-think that option. In this one I found myself looking at both and ensuring that I got the entire experience of the novel.
I also loved the diversity in this one. Cat’s sister has cystic fibrosis and it was different to see a character with that type of disease. Especially in middle grade fiction. The characters were also Hispanic and I loved seeing that they explored their heritage in the story. They celebrate Dia de Los Muertos and more.
This book was really good and I can’t wait for others to read it! I would definitely recommend this one to people like me who barely read graphic novels and of course those who read them none stop!
Overall, I give this
