Review: A Curious Tale of the In-Between - Lauren DeStefano

"Pram died just before she was born."

Title: A Curious Tale of the In-Between

Author: Lauren DeStefano

ISBN: 9781619636002

Publication Date: September 1, 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children

Source: NetGalley

Pram Bellamy is special - she can talk to ghosts.  She doesn't have too many friends amongst the living, but that's all right.  She has her books, her aunts, and her bets friend, the ghostly Felix.

Then Pram meets Clarence, a boy from school who has also lost a parent and is looking for answers.  Together they arrive at the door of the mysterious Lady Savant, who promises to help.  But the spiritualist knows the true nature of Pram's power, and what she has planned is more terrifying than any ghost.



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Holy cats, was this book fantastic!  I finished it, and all I wanted to do was turn right around and start rereading it.

I loved how Lauren DeStefano's writing style seemed to transcend age brackets; because it was the same lush prose I fell in love with when I read Wither for the first time.  She manages to drift through tough subjects like death and suicide, and the struggle to find someplace to fit in, unflinchingly, explaining them in an easy to grasp manner.

The triangle of friendship between Pram, Felix, and Clarence was fantastic.  Each of the three were so well crafted that you couldn't help but feel as though you were an unnoticed ghost following them through their adventures.

Spooky, and touching, A Curious Tale is a phenomenal read for both middle grade readers, and their parents to share.  It's one I would have loved back in elementary school, especially the ghost story aspect.  And I think, it's one my father would have liked to have read aloud to me.

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This is definitely a book I'll be adding to my personal library once it hits the shelves of bookstores!

-Digital ARC provided by NetGalley, in exchange for a review