Olive and the Backstage Ghost is a thoroughly chilling middle-grade horror. I went into the novel unaware of its genre expecting a lighthearted children's adventure and was thoroughly unsettled by Michelle Shusterman's ability to capture gut-twisting dread and wonderful tension

the heart of this story is its protagonist olive. she was completely charming. her absolute love of performance and desire for a family made her instantly compelling. and I deeply appreciated the ways Shusterman unpacked olive's grief at the loss of her father and incredibly strained relationship with her mother

I love it when I read children's books that respect their audience not only by providing kids with good stories but by holding space for the complex inner lives of children. the ways Shusterman captures the ways children can be made to feel small and unworthy by their own parents felt authentic and real

I will say this story's biggest flaw was its abrupt ending. I felt unsatisfied by the resolution of olive's relationship with her mother because the story ended before olive could ever really confront her about her behaviour and therefore he happily ever after felt unearned

If you're looking for a solid middle-grade horror with solid found family aspects great tension and suspense and a well-realized protagonist I would recommend Olive and the Backstage Ghost.