April 20, 2020
Failing student Effie, who would rather write monster stories than go to class, follows in a tradition of heroines searching for life far beyond the lunchroom. In lush panels populated with reflective rain puddles and orange-clouded skies, Effie befriends a trio of teen ghosts in her local state park: poltergeist Beulah, bird-headed pyrokenetic Caim, and “regular ghost” Nikhil. The three attend the Escher-esque Minourghast Middle School for Wandering Spirits, where they learn to stay connected to their former human identities and avoid becoming “lost souls.” Effie sneaks into their school in a comical disguise that features a mounted singing novelty fish for a head. As the group plots to save lost souls without being consumed by them, Effie sorts through a falling-out with a human rival during a spirit-induced flashback. Vidaurri explains the emotional and energetic exchanges between humans, ghosts, and lost souls, sometimes at the expense of developing characters’ emotional arcs, but the rich illustrations, diverse cast, and small twists on middle school angst establish a world that seems to demand another chapter. Ages 9–12.