Embassy of the Dead is the kind of book I would have loved to read as a child. It’s spooky and ghostly, but in a fun way. Definitely never truly scary.

It all starts out when Jake accepts a package from a ghost who mistakes him for someone else. When Jake gets home he opens the package to discover it’s part of a finger. That’s yucky enough, but in the Afterworld this violation sets off alarm bells and they immediately assign someone to send Jake to the Eternal Void. Jake needs to find a way out of this fast. With the help of Stiffkey (the ghost who accidentally gave him the package) and Penny they discover that if he can get an Undoer’s license it will invalidate the law that he supposedly broke. Now all he has to do is find a ghost to ‘undo’.

In general the story has a simple and straightforward plot that will be easy for kids to follow. The book also includes a few illustrations that helps young readers visualize certain situations or characters. This is a big plus for me because I remember how much I loved when middle grade books included pictures. Then, between some of the chapters are facts about different types of ghosts, their characteristics and how to handle them.

The only issue I have is that it used a word a few times that in America may be considered a mild cuss word. The way it was used within the book put it into a grey area so it’s definitely not straight-out cussing. But generally it’s word that parents try to steer their kids away from and don’t want them to repeat.

All in all a fun story that gives young readers a hauntingly good time.

Rating: 4 stars

"Embassy of the Dead" is a fun and whimsical middle-grade novel.

I really liked the premise, the plot moved at a great pace, and the characters were really fun and unique.

trigger warning
<spoiler> divorce of your parents </spoiler>

As a random person who might be a ghost says "Good Morning", Jake answers with "Yes" and is given a strange box. Inside the box is a severed human finger, he looked. He doesn't know what to do with it. Then, the ghost comes back.

This is a case of a simple misunderstanding setting the plot in motion, which works fine. It's a trope I happen to enjoy, especially if it means we have no chosen one plot, which I have read too much of, to be honest.
So, Jake is in trouble. He doesn't know why exactly, only that it's tied to the mysterious box, and he doesn't have the slightest clue about what to do with it.

Though the plot finishes at the end of the book, the epilogue hints that there may be more to come, and I'd welcome it. This was fast and easy to read, with very fitting illustrations accompanying the text, and I am curious about which shenanigans Jake may get into in the future. Because once this particular rocks has been set in motion, I imagine it'll roll on for quite a while.

Embassy of the Dead can be fun both for young readers and adults who like creepy topics but aren't in the mood for the gore or sexism that oftentimes accompanies the genre.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

A fun and quirky story filled with ghosts, avoiding reapers, and a countdown before you die! A great read! I loved the story and how much fun there was. The friendships built were sweet and the way the story deals with letting go of loved ones and being a kid during a divorce was pretty great. Overall a great read! I really liked the protagonist and how he faced all his circumstances.

A BIG thank you to Netgalley and Walker Books US for providing an advanced copy of this book for my review.

This is my kind of middle grade book! Spooky characters and settings? Check. Whimsical storytelling? Check. A confused main character with delightful sidekicks? Check. In short, I loved this book!

Jake is adorable as the main character. He accidentally finds himself pulled into the World of the Dead and goes through an exciting adventure to come back. Cora is my favorite character! She is fearless, crass and hilarious. I loved her energy and how peppy she was, even though she is a Possessor. Stiffkey and Zorro are amazing too. Stiffkey is a wonderful mentor and friend to Jake, where he wants to help Jake, even if it means putting himself in trouble.

The entire story is so unique and wonderful. The author has done an amazing job in the storytelling! He has written the world of the dead in such a creepy, yet cozy manner. In any other circumstances, I would be terrified about reading about Reapers (like Mawkins), severed fingers, ghosts and mausoleums. But after reading this book, I also wanted a pet ghost fox like Zorro by my side. He made the entire story so mesmerizing to read.

The illustrations are a bit rusty but compliment well to the dark story. However, there might some revisions as I am reading the ARC of the story. Perhaps the only thing I wished we had seen more of was Penny. I really enjoyed Penny’s character, but felt she just disappeared from the story in the second half.

Overall, I loved everything about Embassy of the Dead, and can’t wait to read the continuation!

Just the right balance of funny and spooky. 12 year-old Jake stumbles into a wild adventure between the living and the dead when he accidentally accepts a box from a ghost in an alley. I finished book 1 quickly and am glad there is more to come in this series.

Will Mabbitt is the author of the Mabel Jones series, a sweet little series about a young pirate girl who goes on many adventures. When I saw the cover of his latest book on Netgalley, I was instantly intrigued by the title, and details like the one on this cover always seem to grab my attention. For starters, there are the dark silhouettes of the two men, one with a top hat holding a shovel and the other with a bunny rabbit. Then there's the skull in the title, alluding to something spooky and really what is up with that rabbit? So many questions.

The Embassy of the Dead is an interesting organization whose primary purpose is to keep the living of the Earthly Plane and the dead from the Afterworld protected from one another. Jake is an unwilling bystander who gets drawn into their business when he accepts the box from Stiffkey. Stiffkey is a kind-hearted ghost who didn't realize he had the wrong person. To him, Jake was one of the sensitive ones or gifted when it comes to seeing ghosts. Stiffkey for his part was just waiting out his retirement from the Embassy until he could be Undone, or til he came to terms with his death so that he could finally move on to the Afterworld. He feels bad about getting Jake into this situation and tries to help him find a way to appease the Embassy. Partway to save his own skin so he can still be Undone and partly because Jake just seems like a nice kid. Although he does try to rectify the situation, Stiffkey's already too late because Mawkins begins to hunt them down with his gruesome sounding BoneWulf's forged from decaying bits of flesh. Yep, I'll admit they're kinda creepy. Plus there's some evil forces at work that makes things interesting. I like how Jake and Stiffkey's adventures take them on a highspeed chase across the country in Jake's dad's camper van and especially like all the other characters they meet along the way. Personally, I would have liked to see more of Bad Penny, Stiffkey's former associate, the summoners, poltergeists, even the ghost fox that Jake meets. There is lots to love in this brief introduction to Mabbitt's new series, it's fast-paced, filled with plenty of action and the black and white illustrations by Taryn Knight add to the creepiness of the story. A sure delight for fans of stories with ghosts.

Jake is the 12 year old main character of Will Mabbitt's Embassy of the Dead. He's mistakenly given a severed finger that will wreak havoc and blur lines between the land of the living and the Afterworld, as well you can imagine. With the help of several non-living entities, Jake attempts to make right the misunderstanding all while, trying to outrun the reaper who is after him and others that seek the finger.

I couldn't put this book down. Mabbitt does an amazing job of drawing the reader in and keeping them engaged. I loved the character Cora and her desire to seek adventure before she let herself become undone. And while a book about specters and spirits could be considered creepy and terrifying, Mabbitt gives us a fantastically absurd good time.

Kids who enjoy the macabre, the paranormal and all things spooky will love this adventure! Jake gets himself into quite a situation without even trying! I'll be ordering this for my fifth grade classroom library!