Ideal book for a middle grader, perfect mix of historical fiction and mystery! When Ophie finds out that she can see ghosts, it not only unlocks more about her history, but about the world around her. Now she realizes it's up to her to help the ghosts with what they want, so that they are able to be free of the past and create their own future.

The story begins in 1920's Georgia with Ophelia's father urging her to go with her mother and run as far away as possible. The white supremacists then murder her father and burn the family home to the ground. Alone and with nothing left, Ophelia and her mother then move to Pittsburgh PA, where they have family. In Pittsburgh they live with Aunt Rose, aa gracious welcoming widow, and other family members who are not welcoming. Ophelia suspected that it was her father's ghost that warned them to leave the house that tragic night, but Aunt Rose confirmed her suspicion when she saw Ophelia watching the ghost of her dead husband. Aunt Rose then Ophelia offers advice for dealing with the haints she will encounter, since they not always be as friendly as they appear, and this information will be invaluable when she joins her mother as a maid at Magnolia Hall. The Caruthers mansion is overseen by an elderly privileged whited woman, and is also filled with ghosts, one of whom helps Ophelia deal with with the grumpy lady of the house. This particular ghost, Clara, enlists Ophelia to help her find out how she died, which opens the doors to a mystery, and puts Ophelia in harms way. Historical fiction, based on Black history, with examples of white privilege, provide a window to the past, while the mystery and ghosts make this a page turner for the middle grades. Highly recommend!!
Similar to ROOT MAGIC by Eden Royce, THE NIGHT GARDENER by Jonathan Auxier, and GHOST BOYS by Jewell Parker Rhodes.
Thank you to Balzer+Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Children's Books, and NetGalley for the digital arc.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a free advanced copy of this book to read and review.

Review published on Goodreads, 23 August 2021:

It isn't often that you find murder mysteries written for middle-graders, especially stories that also includes "haints," so I've been intrigued by OPHIE'S GHOSTS ever since I heard about it. A murder mystery + a ghost story + a creepy house + a historical setting + a (mostly) Black cast? I mean, what's not to like? Having read DREAD NATION, I already knew I liked Ireland's writing, so I was definitely all-in for OPHIE'S GHOSTS.

Although there's nothing super original about the book, it does offer a compelling story peopled with interesting characters. Ophie, her mother, and most of the others who work at the Caruthers' mansion are warm, sympathetic, and likable. It's easy to empathize with Ophie's plight and want her to succeed. The story does move along rather slowly, which might make it tough for young readers to stay engaged. I found it engrossing enough to keep turning pages, though. The murderer and their motive are no surprise, but they're also not complete obvious. What I found most intriguing about the novel is its ruminations on death, dying, and what happens to the soul when it leaves the body. Ireland offers some interesting ideas about haunted people, haunted places, and how what we do (or don't do) in life follows us in death.

While there is lots of talk about death and ghosts in this book, which might be a little macabre for younger middle-graders, I don't think it's too scary or grim for older ones. The book's lessons about racism, regret, and redemption are appropriate for all.

I didn't end up loving OPHIE'S GHOSTS like I wanted to, but I still enjoyed this engaging, thought-provoking read. If I could, I would give it 3 1/2 stars; since I can't, I rounded up.

Ophie's Ghost is a twisty turning ghost story that looks at darker feelings during reconstruction. Ophie has a strong voice throughout the story. Using flashbacks we learn how Ophie gains her supernatural ability to see ghosts and her struggles to understand why they are still among us and how to help them move forward from this Earth.

This book was stunning. It had a young protagonist but besides that, it didn't feel like middle grade at all - much more like young adult. It dealt with so much heavy and important subject matter in such an interesting way. It was so well done and had some twists I didn't see coming. I think everyone should read this book.

Wow, what a fantastic story! I was riveted, even when I finally started to solve the mystery! There are many unexpected twists and turns, and so many heartbreaking truths. Ophie is a strong and appealing character, and kids who love mysteries will adore this book. The themes of segregation, classism, systemic racism, and grief will invite important conversations. This would be a terrific choice for a middle grade book club or literature circle, and will be a popular choice in any library.
Thanks to #NetGalley for the advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

Georgia, November 1922. One night Ophelia learns two painful truths: her father was murdered by a band of white supremacists and she has the ability to see ghosts. Without her father, Ophie and her mother must leave the home they knew and head north to Pittsburgh where they’re taken in by an old aunt and three awful cousins. Luckily Mama has managed to secure a position at Daffodil Manor – along with a position for Ophie, though it means she can no longer attend school. At Daffodil Manor, Ophie discovers it’s not just the house that’s haunted by memories of the past, but those still living in it as well.

I went into Ophie’s Ghosts expecting a fun, Middle Grade read full of historical tidbits and ghosts. While I did get the ghosts and historical aspect, I also got much more: there’s a surprising heaviness to this book that caught me off guard. Death, racism, and classist attitudes are all very much at the forefront of this book. This isn’t a house haunted by Casper; there are soldiers who returned home only to turn to the bottle, a romance doomed from the start, discussion on being able to pass for white.

Interspersed throughout the novel were quick chapters told from the perspective of the train, the city of Pittsburgh, Daffodil Manor itself. The writing in these chapters was nothing short of sheer poetry and I inhaled each one (for obvious reasons, Pittsburgh’s chapter was especially near and dear to my heart, though, again, the writing was a thing of beauty: “Pittsburgh was a resilient, rough-and-tumble city. His arms were forged of steel, his backbone was the railroad, and in his veins was the coal that powered them both.”) While I absolutely loved these chapters, I do feel they had an altogether different feel than the rest of the novel and, at times, felt like two totally separate books.

Ophie’s Ghosts was a very quick read, though one with a hidden depth to it that I had not anticipated, but welcomed. I was able to pick up on the big reveal early on, but I’m not sure if younger readers would have guessed at it. While this is my first novel of the author’s, if her YA books are anything similar to this, I have a feeling we’re going to be fast friends.

Ophie sees ghosts. It starts the night her father is killed, and his spirit goes to warn her. Ophie and her mama move to Pittsburgh, where they work as maids so they can earn money for a house. Daffodil Manor is haunted by all kinds of ghosts. Ophie begins to learn more about ghosts and how to help them move on. When she tries to help a ghost learn how she was killed, it may be more than Ophie’s ready for.

Ophie is a wonderful character! She’s strong, bright, and caring. The details throughout show what life was like in the early 1920s. The issues of racism and prejudice are woven well through the story. There is cruelty, but there is love, and there are many aspects of family.

Set in 1922, Ophelia and her mother must move to Pittsburg, PA from Georgia after her father passes, where they live with Aunt Rose, three cousins and their mom. For 12 year-old Ophelia, this also means leaving school and going to work with her mother at Daffodil Manor. Ophelia, however, has the ability to see and speak with spirits, which becomes a challenge when living in the old manor house filled with restless spirits. Ophie must learn to navigate the world around her without stirring up or drawing too much attention to her abilities or else run the risk of being pestered by ghosts...or worse.

This book is written from Ophie's POV and is a middle grade historical fiction novel full of ghosts, hauntings, and tragedy without losing the intended audience. Ophie is a demure and caring young girl who begins to find her strength when dealing with ghosts. She was a bit hard-headed and stubborn and made some mistakes that made me smh, but her intention was pure of helping a ghost, Clara, who was the only person...ghost...to show her kindness pass on.

This was an immediate purchase for my library - what a perfect fit for our collection. Thank you for the advanced copy!

Ophie’s Ghosts by Justina Ireland, 2021

Recommended for grades 4-8; ghost story, historical fiction

Brief Review:

It’s 1922 and twelve-year-old Ophelia Harrison (otherwise known as Ophie) has just lost her father in a lynching. Since this traumatic event, Ophie has begun seeing ghosts. She and her mother move to Pittsburgh and start working as servants for rich, grumpy Mrs. Caruthers and her son Richard. Ophie quickly befriends Clara, a beautiful and sophisticated ghost who had been the previous maid. Ophie’s great aunt Rose warns her that ghosts are dangerous and that she shouldn’t interact with them, but Ophie has decided that it’s her responsibility to help ghosts pass on. She especially wants to help Clara, not only because of their bond, but also because she realizes that Clara has been murdered due to a forbidden romance. But she underestimates just how powerful and dangerous Clara really is. Although this book is somewhat less scary than some middle-grade ghost stories, such as those by Mary Downing Hahn and Dan Poblocki, it will have a strong appeal for any middle-grade readers with an affinity for suspenseful, spooky stories. Other appeal factors include the vivid, atmospheric description of the historical Pittsburgh setting, the focus on African American history, and Ophelia’s likable personality. Recommended for most readers within the middle-grade age range and all fans of the historical ghost story sub-genre.

Long Review:

It’s 1922 and twelve-year-old Ophelia Harrison’s life has completely changed. After her father is lynched and their home Georgia is burned, Ophelia (otherwise known as Ophie) and her mother move in with relatives in Pittsburgh. They’re trying to save up enough money to get their own place, which means that Ophie has to quit school and go to work. She and her mother are household servants at Daffodil Manor. Ophie’s job is to wait on elderly Mrs. Caruthers, who is irritable, demanding, and racist. Although the house has a long history, she and her son Richard are the only current residents other than hired help and ghosts.

Ever since her father’s sudden death, Ophie can see ghosts. She encounters them in the streets, on the trolley going to work, and even right outside of her family’s own home, but she’s never tried to communicate with them or gotten to know any of them until she arrives at Daffodil Manor. There, she meets a variety of ghosts including a colored boy named Colin and a beautiful young lady named Clara. (Although it will be immediately clear to most readers, Ophie doesn’t initially realize that Clara is a ghost and assumes she’s there visiting Richard) Although Clara is well-dressed and sophisticated, Ophie learns that she had also been a maid until she suddenly disappeared. The other household staff are puzzled by Ophie’s questions and tell her that Clara left suddenly and they don’t know exactly why.

Ophie later learns from her great aunt Rose that many of the women in her family can see “haints”. Aunt Rose warns Ophie that ghosts are very dangerous and that she should ignore them. She also promises that she and another relative will someday give Ophie more information and instructions about how to communicate with ghosts and protect herself from them. But Ophie has come to the conclusion that it’s her job to help the ghosts pass on. In particular, she is determined to help Clara. Not only is she especially fond of Clara, but she’s convinced that Clara was murdered. Inspired by romance stories and detective stories she’s read in magazines, Ophie decides to solve Clara’s tragic mystery. Although Ophie is correct that Clara was brutally murdered due to a forbidden romance, she doesn’t realize just how much power Clara has and how she intends to use it.

Although this book is somewhat less scary than some middle-grade ghost stories, such as those by Mary Downing Hahn and Dan Poblocki, it will have a strong appeal for any middle-grade readers with an affinity for suspenseful, spooky stories. The ghostly vibe is bolstered by occasional interludes from the perspective of non-human “characters”, such as the house or the trolley car. Besides that appeal factor, this book also has significant literary and educational value as a work of historical fiction. The time period is one that tends to be underrepresented in children’s literature, and the historical Pittsburgh setting is described in vivid, atmospheric detail. Besides that, there’s a strong focus on African American history, including references to slavery and the Civil War in addition to the racial and social circumstances that Ophie experiences first-hand. Skillful writing and likable characters tie all these other positive factors together into an engaging and appealing story that is well worth recommending to most readers within the middle-grade age range.

The general direction of this plot is pretty obvious from early on, but that's okay. In spite of predictability, the characters and atmosphere are well enough developed to make for a compelling read. We have a family broken by tragedy, held down by poverty and cruelty. Their situation is directly contrasted by the family they work for, a privileged family with no close ties. There's no affection at Daffodil manor, just carefully orchestrated roles. Even more importantly for a modern reader, the racism Ophie encounters isn't all in-you-face white-supremacy. She meets with a lot of micro-aggression, subtle slights that make her uncomfortable but for which she has no defenses. This provides a lot of opportunity for discussion with young readers. There are short chapters written from the perspective of the city, houses, the trolley, that take us out of the flow of the narrative but this is ultimately a minor annoyance rather than a real problem

In this middle grade novel set in the 1920’s, 12-year old Ophelia Harrison suffers the loss of her father in a brutal race-related murder. In seeking to start a new life, Ophie and Mama move north to Pittsburg to live with Aunt Rose and cousins. It is on the train from Georgia that Ophie discovers her gift for discerning ‘haits’ or ghosts, which confirms the visitation she felt from her father shortly after his death. Mama and Ophie find work in an old manor house with a hard-to-please matriarch. On her first day as a personal maid, Ophie discovers the large number of ghosts present in the house--from a small boy to an elderly man omnipresent in the library, to a sprightly beautiful young woman who resides in the attic. By accident, Ophie discovers that the ghosts are seeking her assistance in order to break their mortal ties. This ‘gift of sight’ is familial and shared by Aunt Rose, who warns Ophie to beware—the more she would seek to help the ghosts realize their purpose, the more she will mire herself in the ‘haits’ desires. As Aunt Rose speaks of her husband’s ghost, “I know that spirit is only an echo of who he once was,... But there is also a good chance that he would steal my breath if given half the chance. Not because he means to, but because it is just what ghosts do.”

Disregarding this advice, Ophie plants herself in spine-chilling, harrowing situations as she attempts to help one of the ghosts solve the mystery of their murder. Reminiscent of Jonathan Auxier’s Night Gardener, the reader questions whether it is only the fitful, unsatisfied dead that haunt others or might the locations and settings be equally as menacing. This rapid page-turner is graced with beautifully haunted prose, a strong sense of setting, and a heroine who grabs the reader’s heart from the git-go.

This is a wonderfully written story that blends historical fiction and magical realism in a middle grade novel. It shines a light on the horrible acts of racism in American history. The story is mainly told from Ophie's point of view, but I enjoyed the additional voices of Daffodil manor and the city of Pittsburgh. From the opening chapter, this is a book that will plunge you into the setting and leave you wanting to read more. This is the perfect book for anyone who enjoys ghosts and historical fiction and for someone who may be looking to diversify their middle grade collection. I can't wait to read more of the author's books.

Dread Nation was an instant favorite of mine, so I was looking forward to Justina Ireland's middle grade debut novel. Ophie's Ghosts does not disappoint! From the beginning, Ireland intrigues us with Ophie's gift in seeing ghosts and leaves us wondering what might happen with her gift and who might try to take advantage of it. I read this in one sitting, though I am still pondering over some of the choices that I think were meant to be red herrings. Definitely a great middle grade mystery and one both adults and kids will enjoy.

Learning about the world through Ophie (and the occasional ponderings of the houses she spends time in) and the ghosts she encounters trying to survive in a world with Jim Crow rules, unpleasant cousins and knowing that she can see ghosts everywhere. As she learns to deal with the ghosts, she becomes particularly interested in one that she is determined to help. What could go wrong? Riveting to the end.

DNF - 30%

I was obsessed with Justina Ireland's Dread Nation, and I was hoping to experience the same thrills and excitement in this book. The beginning started off strong, but I just struggled on from there. The storyline is slow, and I had a hard time making myself care about Ophie's ghost problem. Really wanted to like this book. Since it's Ireland, I'll still recommend it to my readers who enjoy paranormal reads, and I may skim through it when the physical copy arrives at the library. I just hoped I would enjoy the actual story a lot more!

Twelve year old Ophelia learns she can see and talk to ghosts when her dead father, murdered by a pack of white men, rouses her from sleep, urging her to flee with her mother to the woods, where they watch the killers burn down their home. Ophie and her mother leave Georgia to live with relatives in Pittsburgh. There they get jobs as domestics for a rich white family whose big old house hosts a cadre of ghosts. Among them is the beautiful, red-haired Clara, who befriends Ophie, trains her as maid to the sick, mean mistress of the house, and presents the novel's driving mystery: Who killed Clara-- and why?

Though some middle-schoolers may find the narrative occasionally confusing or the pace too slow, I found Justina Ireland's historical fantasy a page-turner. Narrated by a sharp tween grappling with loss, grief, and new-found responsibilities, including the unnerving ability to commune with ghosts, it succeeds as an age-appropriate murder mystery and a window on 1920's American racism.

I really enjoyed this middle grade ghost story with great characters and a very creepy setting. This is also historical fiction set in the 1920’s during the great migration of African Americans from the south to the north looking for a better life for themselves. The history of that time period is deftly woven into the story in such a way that it doesn’t at all feel like a history lesson. The added layer of the ghosts also added a nice touch to the story on a whole.

Ophelia was a delightful young lady who struggles with understanding her newly discovered power of being able to see and talk to ghosts. She is also struggling with her new circumstances in life, not being able to go to school, but needing to help her mother by working with her as a maid. She is a very perceptive girl and notices everything around her. Including how differently people are treated according to their skin color. She also struggles with Mrs. Caruthers, the mean old lady that she is tasked to take care of. Ophie doesn’t like her very much and has to work to be nice to her. Although Ophie sometimes acts older than she is, she is still a child and wants to do things that children do, like sneak away and find a spot for themselves. I really liked that she wasn’t necessarily afraid of the ghosts she encountered, but was timid about them at first. But once she got used to her powers she realized that she could help the ghosts too.

Ophie’s Aunt Rose was the most important adult character that Ophie had contact with. Aunt Rose could also see ghosts and she is the one who teaches Ophie how to deal with them and help them. I really liked their relationship and would have liked to see maybe just a tiny bit more of it. Mrs. Caruthers was also a good character even though she was mean and spiteful to Ophie most of the time. She was a nice counterpoint to many of the other adults in Ophie’s life.

I really liked that there wasn’t just one ghost haunting the mansion, but many that came from different time periods. Clara, was an interesting ghost that ended up being one that you felt sorry for even though she was also pretty scary by the end.

The writing was really good and I loved that the mansion was creepy, but not to much. I also really liked that there were some chapters from the perspectives of inanimate things, like the train and the mansion. Those were some of my favorite parts of the story. They really helped to put some of the history into perspective.

This really was a delightfully thrilling story that had ghosts and history and social justice all woven together in a masterful way. This is one that I highly recommend you read and then give to a child in middle school to read as well. I don’t think this is going to be a series, but I would love to see another book featuring Ophie and her ghosts.