City of Ghosts
by Victoria Schwab · City of Ghosts #1
A gorgeously atmospheric ghost story set in Edinburgh's haunted heart.
The story
Ever since twelve-year-old Cassidy Blake nearly drowned, she can pull back the Veil between the living and the dead. When her parents land a TV show about haunted places, the family heads to Edinburgh, Scotland, where every graveyard and castle teems with restless spirits. But one ghost in the city is hunting Cassidy, and the rules of the Veil may not be enough to keep her safe.
Age verdict
Best for ages 9-12; the spooky content is genuinely eerie but age-appropriate, with enough emotional warmth to balance the scares.
Our take
A visually stunning atmospheric adventure that hooks kids and teachers equally while parents wish for deeper real-world substance beneath the gothic surface.
What stands out
Each audience's top 3 dimensions. Out of 30 scored per book.
Kids love
- First-chapter grab Strong
Comparable to Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute — Opens in mundane school setting (auditorium) with voice-driven hook and immediate ghost mystery. Voice distinctiveness and tipping-point tension match anchor level. Sits at.
- Middle momentum Strong
Off the Hook — Three overlapping ticking clocks (Cassidy's fading life force, week-long filming schedule, Raven's ritual completion) plus escalating Veil encounters every chapter create relay-race momentum. Middle holds tension through investigation → confrontation → climax. Sits at anchor level.
Parents love
- Writing quality Strong
rhythm modulates with emotional intensity, sensory detail earns narrative weight, first-person voice balances accessibility (720L Lexile) with sophisticated vocabulary integration. Sits at anchor.
- Emotional sophistication Strong
loves Jacob but recognizes Lara's warning that keeping him may be selfish; wants to protect him while her own life force is consumed. Fear and loyalty, grief and self-preservation layer simultaneously. Sits at anchor.
Teachers love
- Mentor text quality Strong
opening as voice-driven hook analysis, Edinburgh descriptions as setting-as-character, Veil crossings as sensory immersion writing, dual-world mechanics as accessible worldbuilding technique. Compact, high-yield mentor text. Sits at anchor.
- Discussion fuel Strong
Should Cassidy keep Jacob anchored to life, or release him? Is her gift a blessing or burden? Should she have trusted her parents with truth? Moral complexity of choices invites students to bring personal experiences and values. No single right answer. Sits at anchor.
✓ Perfect for
- • Kids aged 9-12 who love spooky stories with heart
- • especially fans of atmospheric settings and ghost adventures. Readers who enjoy being scared just enough to keep turning pages but not so much that they can't sleep.
Not ideal for
Very sensitive readers who are frightened by ghost stories or themes of death, or kids looking for a primarily humorous or action-packed adventure.
⚠ Heads up
At a glance
- Pages
- 272
- Chapters
- 27
- Words
- 70k
- Lexile
- 720L
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- POV
- First Person
- Illustration
- None
- Published
- 2018
- Publisher
- Scholastic
- ISBN
- 9781338111026
Mood & style
You'll know it worked when…
High likelihood of finishing. The short chapters and escalating spooky mystery create a strong pull-forward effect that makes this a natural one-or-two-sitting read for the target age.
More like this
Same genre, similar age range. Ranked by kid score.
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