The summer before middle school, Bug's friends are figuring out how to have a successful start to the school year - new clothes, makeup, talk about boys, etc. But, none of this appeals to Bug. Add in that there seems to be a ghost haunting the house where Bug and her mom live (her uncle's old house), but only Bug seems to be experiencing this haunting.

A powerful coming-of-age book where Bug learns about herself through different experiences - haunted and not. I enjoyed the presence of her uncle and the support of her mom. The author's note at the end was the icing on the cake. The only downfall for me was that it took a while to get sucked in.

A nice story for kids thinking about their own gender identity or looking to empathize with others. A simple plot and focus mostly on the main character's internal thoughts kept me from being fully engaged with the story.

It was uninteresting and dull.

What a wonderfully sadhappycreepydelightful coming-of-age story! I adored the ghost story aspect and how a character who had died before the book began had such a hand in guiding Bug’s self-realization. I’ve never read anything quite like this before; I’ll definitely be watching for future books by Kyle Lukoff!

Great story about middle school fears, friendship changes, figuring out who you are, ghosts, family, and a drag queen. While I feel like the story falls into place a little too nicely, I really can't say because this story could happen and for kids out there trying to figure out who they are, this is a story I wish for them all.

Bug's family lives in a haunted house, or at least Bug and Uncle Roderick think so. Sadly, Uncle Roderick dies, leaving Bug and Mom alone in the haunted house. While Bug's friend Moira is convinced they need to reinvent themselves before starting middle school, Bug is distracted by haunted happenings that are becoming more frequent and more pointed. Is Uncle Roderick sending Bug a message?

This book is beautiful and haunting. At points I was legitimately startled by the spooky happenings; at other points I cried happy tears for Bug. I was so glad for the way Bug's friends accepted, respected, and celebrated Bug and Bug's evolving gender identity. I want Bug's mom to adopt me and my trans spouse, who was told "Even boys can wear makeup and flashy clothing" when he came out (no, I still don't know what my mother in law meant by that).

As a former seventh grade teacher, I appreciated that Bug and Moira both are trying to figure out who they are, and I loved how they supported each other even though they don't necessarily have a ton in common. Bug's coming out experience is fantastic and positive, and although I am sure there are plenty of places where Bug's coming out would have happened much differently, it's absolutely okay to portray it positively because everyone deserves a happy ending.

Recommended for: middle grade and tween readers; this is a great "I'm nervous to be starting middle school" book; also great for readers who enjoy realistic stories with supernatural elements or books that are just a little bit spooky

A really lovely queer ya ghost story. To tell you more would entail spoilers. But this book is good for the soul.