22 April 2015

Ghosts of Heaven


Sedgwick, Marcus. Ghosts of Heaven. Roaring Brook Press, 2015.

Four different stories, all involving spirals. The first story tells of ancient people, the second takes place during the witch burnings of the 1700s, the third in an insane asylum in the early 1900s, and the final story is in the future. Three historical fiction stories and one science fiction combine into one very strange novel.

I generally enjoy Marcus Sedgiwck's writing, and this book was no exception. The stories are beautifully told, even though it took me a very long time to get interested in the first one, which is told in free verse. I enjoyed the second and third stories and was excited for the connection I was sure would come from the fourth one. Unfortunately, even though there are hints of previous stories in each successive tale, the fourth story didn't tie the whole book together for me as neatly as I'd have hoped. I would recommend this book for strong teen readers who don't need everything tied up neatly at the end.

Recommended for: teens
Red Flags: violence in all four stories
Overall Rating: 4/5 stars

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