I don’t recall ever reading paranormal or “scary” books when I was younger. In truth, I always avoid the horror genre, I’m not that fond of thriller, and I prefer a little comedy with my action. That said, I’ve stumbled into the paranormal genre this October, and it feels like good timing. After spending a few weeks with Susannah Kearsley, my library friends recommended City of Ghosts by Victoria Schwab. Here’s what I learned about spooks and specters in juvenile fiction.
City of Ghosts
Much like The Firebird, City of Ghosts delves into the concept of Second Sight. Where Kearsley presents the spirit world as very present and interwoven with ours, Schwab separates the land of the living from “corporeally challenged” by “the Veil.” Schwab’s descriptions of how things appear on either side of the Veil make the paranormal tangible for her young readers. Truly, Schwab did a fantastic job of presenting the complexities of the paranormal in a middle-grade-friendly way.
Spooks and Specters
In addition to making the intangible tangible, Schwab excellently softens the potentially scary elements for her readers. As someone not fond of the freaky herself, I thoroughly enjoyed these often friendly and occasionally angry ghosts. The book references historically horrific events like serial murders and kidnapped children. However, Schwab keeps all the gore and troubling emotions off screen. Young readers can then understand the premise of an agonizing ghost without experiencing the pain.
Furthermore, young readers can easily identify with the themes in the center of City of Ghosts. Unlike the massive identity crisis in The Firebird, Schwab’s main character, Cass, works through the complexities of friendship. Like many middle grade readers, Cass starts to learn what is worth living for. She starts to see how the hope of family and friendship contrasts with the pain of a broken world. In an age-appropriate way, Schwab introduces these questions that everyone must grapple with as they grow up.
Juvenile Fiction
In addition to adjusting the content to her readers, Schwab also well adjusts her style to her readers. Schwab’s pacing is excellent. Readers feel like they are walking through the streets right along with Cass. The book contains plenty of action, but Schwab paces the book so growing readers can keep up. Additionally, Schwab includes a mix of history and vocabulary that’s both challenging and age-appropriate. She summarizes creepy stories that readers could easily research for more information. The big words in the book can easily be found in the dictionary or understood from context clues.
Faithfully Reading the Paranormal
The Christian Church holds many differing opinions on the paranormal. Depending on your denomination, your local culture, and your own experiences, you could swing from avidly chasing shadows in the night to not believing in any of it. Furthermore, do angels and demons fall in the paranormal? The Bible is full of stories of angels, so we must lend some credence to their existence. Of course, the Bible also records mediums (see Saul’s sin in 1 Samuel 28) and magicians (see Simon in Acts 8:9-24) whose rebellious hearts incur the wrath of God.
As we read these stories of the paranormal, let’s check our hearts. Do we wish to believe out of a sinful, egocentric pride in our own ability to “see”? Or do we believe because God warns us of deceptive spirits and a spiritual battle in this world?