Selected this title because it had two of my favorite elements, middle school ghost story and a historical setting. The ghosts and history were there, but so were issues, realism and sensitivity. A 12 year old ghost is stuck at Hollow Pines, an uninhabited decrepit plantation in Georgetown County, South Carolina. He doesn't know his name, where he came from, or what happened to result in his not being able to leave, but he has the company of several other “stuck” ghosts from the days when whites exploited the enslaved, and most have become his family. One day three young visitors arrive on their bikes to work on a media project, “Finding Will”, a mystery that has been unsolved for 50 years. Our 12 year year old ghost is over the moon because they are his age, and he is lonely. There are three timelines-- the antebellum years, 1971, and present day. The 12 year old ghost speaks in first person and narrates the other time lines. He easily interprets the interactions of the three visitors, and is fascinated by their conversations, which contain words new to him, and equipment which was not invented when he became stuck at Hollow Pines. His goal is to not scare them away and to enjoy their company for a bit, while shielding them from possible harm by one ghost in particular. He also thinks they might be able to help him discover how and why he came to be stuck at Hollow Pines. The issues span across time -- abusive adults, bullies, and gender identity, but there are also stalwart family and friends who emote hate, ridicule, confusion, compassion, and acceptance. This is a little more serious than the usual ghost story, and borders on realistic fiction. I highly recommend. Thank you to Putnam and Netgalley for the e-galley.