Thank you to Random House Kids for the gifted copy of Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabasse. This was such an endearing graphic novel that blends in the supernatural and a young girls' rite of passage. Adele certainly has a lot on her mind, and the realization that she can connect to ghosts brings her closer to her family history.

This is definitely a wonderful book for middle school children!

"Taxi Ghost" is a lovely book about community at its heart. The characters are delightful, the story is intriguing, and the art is a perfect match for the feel of the book. Highly recommended for middle grade and up graphic novel collections.

Adele has only recently discovered that she can see and talk to ghosts, but before long she's plunged into a plot to save her neighborhood from gentrification . . . all while keeping another group of ghosts from destroying it.

This was a fun and involving graphic novel. I love that Escabasse includes characters from many generations in her books, and her artwork is always a delight.

Taxi Ghost is a super cute, laugh-out-loud funny, middle school graphic novel that tackles the topic of gentrification through the perspectives of a young new medium and an organization of ghosts. I loved the main character, and her willingness to help the ghosts.. I also loved her family, her grandmother, a community activist who avoids her gift, ghost-proofs her home, and her supportive older sister who can’t talk to spirits but wishes she could. I really enjoyed this one, and would recommend to all ages!

Kinda weird, kinda cute. Mostly weird, though. Not at all what I was expecting, but the message of the story is very important. 3.5 stars rounded up.

There are not enough words out there to describe my love for Sophie Escabasse and her talent. All her books so far have been excellent and outstanding, and an instant add to both home library and school library. This one has made it to another list of ours – it goes onto the list of books to get for gifts for middle-grade-aged kids.
This book is beautiful, beautifully told and filled with beautiful art. The story is awesome and heartwarming. I believe Sophie Escabasse’s books are ones that can turn a reluctant reader into an avid reader – and this book passes the vibe also.

What if you discovered that you had a super secret power that no one in your family ever told you about? Pretty cool right? Unless of course that power was talking to ghosts.

Adele learns she has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. It's something older sister Helen knew about, and Grandma kept hidden all these years. Now with her new ability, Adele has to figure out how and if she wants to use her powers at all.

Escabasse cleverly winds this tale of family secrets, activism and self discovery. Students will be compelled to find out what Adele is willing to do to save her neighborhood.

4.5 stars

For winter break, all Adèle wants to do is read, spend time with her friends, and just generally be cozy. But unfortunately, life had other ideas. When Adèle gets her first period, suddenly she starts seeing ghosts. A gift that is passed down through her family. Both her grandmother and her sister have their own ideas about what Adèle should do with her gift. But really, it’s up to Adèle.

Adèle quickly learns that ghosts have been using her sister’s car to get around the city for years. It’s there she forms her relationship with her first ghost, and learns that maybe their desires are intertwined.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Graphic for and advanced copy of Taxi Ghost by Sophie Escabasse! The Witches of Brooklyn is a favorite middle grade graphic novel of mine, so I was excited to pick this one up. And I am happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed!

At this point, I feel like Escabasse has a unique art style that immediately draws you into the story. Her lettering and writing also feels unique to her, and all around works so well for the tone of her books. This book sort of hints at Witches of Brooklyn, which I always find so fun! Authors hinting at their other works feels like a kind of easter egg.

The characters in this one were so well rounded, even some of the ghosts that Adèle interacts with. We get a contrast in her grandmother and her sister; her grandmother wants her to have nothing to do with ghosts, and her sister is fascinated by it (even though she can’t see them). Their family dynamic is one of the best things about the book, especially how supportive they are of each other.

This is a book about ghosts and about family, but it’s also about defending your neighborhood and community. They all learn to work together to save what they love, and it’s such a lovely thing. If you love magical middle grade graphic novels, definitely pick this one up!

The Graphic Novel “Taxi Ghost” by Sophie Escabasse follows the teenage girl Adèle who has to figure out her new power to see and communicate with ghosts.

This was such a fun read! I loved the cute introduction by the author that immediately drew me in. Furthermore I enjoyed the visual style with its atmospheric environments and expressive characters.It gave me a cozy winter feeling in the middle of summer with the snowy city of Montreal. The feisty grandma and the different ghosts were very entertaining. I also really liked the protagonist Adèle and her powers and decisions.

The story itself explores themes of gentrification and familial expectations as well as finding one's own path in life. It has heartwarming women friendships that normalize bodily changes like getting your period. There even was a piece of architecture mentioned in the epilogue that peaked my interest and was a great addition to the novel. The worldbuilding was excellent and I especially loved the way ghosts made their own taxi network to get from place to place.

I absolutely loved it! It mentions relevant themes in a very charming and imaginative way. So if you would like to visit a city full of ghosts I can wholeheartedly recommend this!

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Random House Children’s for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. I THOROUGHLY enjoyed it! The pacing, plot and characters were wonderful. Loved how it addressed socio-economic issues in a lighthearted manner but still very relatable. Really good read 🙂

3.5 stars. Cute! I really appreciated the frank discussions around menstruation.

Disclaimer: I received a free e-ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

This was such a cute book! I really enjoyed the art style and the family dynamic in the book. I didn't connect super well with the story, but it was a well told story. I enjoyed the book and will definitely pick up more books by this author.

Thank you for the arc!

I liked this story. It's rich with family, love, and the desire to do the right thing, whether you are live in this world, or not. The characters come alive (pun intended) as they work together to fight the evil businessman who wants to make a sizeable sum after he buys out the neighborhood houses. Adele, who is a medium and can see ghosts learns that helping them also helps out her own family. I love the story, and can't wait for the next installment.

Fans of the Witches of Brooklyn series will not be disappointed- this is another magical, fun, creative read from Sophie Escabasse. The art in this book, and all Escabasse, is so appealing and easy to look at- definitely a draw for kids. I will definitely be recommending this to many library kiddos, and will probably include it as a book club read.

While the storyline of a kid inheriting the ability to see ghosts isn't necessarily groundbreaking, the ghostly humor is spot on. I also enjoyed new takes on the ghostly world, like ghosts 'marking' cars as a way to identify their regular routes and use them as taxis, as well as ghosts being unable to walk on snow- though I wish the snow concept had been explained a bit more.

There are many themes in the book that can spark good conversations with kids of the target age group like puberty and getting your period for the first time, social justice, gentrification, grief, and much more. And of course, just like the Witches of Brooklyn series, this books is full of GIRL POWER and the importance of building connections and supporting one another.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhousechildrens for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is my second Graphic Novel of the year and it was such a cute quick read! This was an amazing palate refresher between two heavy fantasy books. This book would be perfect for all ages, but especially the middle school age demographic.

The title doesn’t 100% fall in line with the story, more so it just references one specific point in the book, so it wasn’t quite what I was expecting to read.

In this family, when girls come of age they have a chance of developing powers to see and hear ghosts. This such power forms in Adele and her world gets thrown for a loop as spirit’s suddenly want her help. Her sister (who doesn’t have the power) is excited while her grandmother (who does) wants her to ignore the ghosts like she does.

Adele uncovers a plot that is set to ruin her community and with the help of ghosts, tries to prevent it from coming to fruition.

The art style is very cute and simple. Being able to follow the panes of the story was easy, I never had a moment of wondering which panel I had to read next like I have with some GNs.

The story was a bit rushed. We had questions answered but most of the time it felt glossed over or not properly explained. I wish we had more of “development” of her powers and understanding of her world before diving in like she did, but for the age group it’s geared towards, they might not feel the same way.

Overall this is a read that I would recommend to anyone, regardless of age and tastes in books. It feels like it has something to appeal to anyone.

Adele's excited to spend her winter break at the library, cozied up with her favorite books. But life has other plans. When she experiences her first period, she also starts seeing ghosts and Adele learns that she's from a long line of mediums. Soon enough, ghosts are asking for her help to solve their problems.

Fun and exciting read! Adele wasn't sure what to do when after learning she's a medium, but she also couldn't not help the ghosts to finish their unfinished business. This has coming-of-age, family, and adventure!

Thanks to NetGalley & Random House Children's for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.

What a fantastic read! The artwork and story flowed well and I was sad when the story was over.

I love that the Grandmother hated the medium family gift and was against it--it's a funny twist on the "wise Grandmother helps protagonist with family gift" angle.

The only thing I'm not a fan of is the title. I feel like "Taxi Ghost" doesn't really cover the story well--perhaps "The Medium of Brooklyn" could work better?

In a Nutshell: A middle-grade graphic novel combining entertainment as well as value-addition. The title isn’t an exact indicator of the content, but don’t let this turn you away. Strongly recommended to the target age group.

Plot Preview:
When Adèle hits puberty, the last thing she expects is the arrival of a new skill: the ability to interact with ghosts. No one had told her that she comes from a long line of mediums. Her grandmother isn’t happy that Adèle has inherited the family gift, but Adèle’s elder sister Helen encourages her to explore the gift and decide for herself. The interactions seem okay at first, but soon Adèle learns that the ghosts are trying to get in touch with her for an important reason.

Bookish Yays:
👻 Adèle: Constantly worries about her pimples, loves books and the library, adores her family, is courageous about doing the correct thing. A great protagonist for a middle-grade book.
👻 Helen and Grandma: amazing secondary characters. Contrary to each other in attitude but never hesitant about being there for each other and speaking up for what’s right. The girl power in this book is strong.
👻 The ghosts: Coming a variety of ages and sizes and abilities. They range from fun to quirky to slightly dangerous. They bring gravitas as well as humour to this story.
👻 The snowy setting of Montreal, used so well in the plot!
👻 The concept of “period parties.’ I am not entirely convinced by how smoothly the whole first period experience went. Regardless, even the concept of normalising periods and talking about menstruation without awkwardness deserves a Yay.
👻 The theme of city management and maintaining their integrity without succumbing to the demands of big corporations: tackled strongly without making the plot seem tedious to younger minds. I hope this theme raises awareness in youngsters about how much damage the rampant commercialisation of cities is doing to smaller suburbs.
👻 The introductory note by author: offers the perfect start to the story and how it came into being.
👻 The illustrations: Just my kind of comic art, with clear faces and expressions, neat panels, and colourful pages. Even the ghosts are multi-hued. I especially loved the typeface – speech bubble text is usually kept plain as to be legible, but this is the first time I have seen a font style that looks so appealing while still being clear to read.

Bookish Nays:
☠ The title isn't exactly indicative of the storyline. The story is much beyond one “Taxi Ghost.”
☠ I wish the character ages had been specified, especially for the sisters. Right till the end, we don’t know how old they are, though we know that Adèle is probably in school, and Helen is already working and moving out from the family home in summer.

All in all, the complaints are quite minor. This middle-grade graphic novel offers a great package of characters, storyline and artwork for every young reader to be delighted. My daughters read the book along with me, and they loved it as well.
Definitely recommended to tweens and teens, looking for a fun story that goes much beyond light entertainment.

4.5 stars, happy to round up. (Not that I had a choice. I am under explicit instructions from the two not-so-little in-house bosses that this needs to be given a 5!)

My thanks to Random House Children's for providing the DRC of “Taxi Ghost” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

Escabasse has written another amazing 5-star book! A terrific graphic novel with an amazing story, and equally amazing artwork! The story comes with an important message of preserving the past, and having communities take charge, rather than large corporations. The future is in the people, not the companies.

Also make sure to keep an eye out for the delightful easter-egg to her other books! :)

Thank you Netgalley and Random House publishing for the advance reader copy of this graphic novel!

Taxi Ghost follows Adele who has just discovered she is granted the gift of seeing and talking to ghosts upon the day of her first period. Bombarded with a lot of new experiences she learns this gift is genetic and her grandma lets her know her stance on the 'gift'. Being rifled by ghosts, she breaks down and has a meeting with one to learn about a troubling situation in her neighborhood and how she may be the only one to help foil their plans.

I loved Ghost Taxi! I literally read it in one sitting and wished it went on longer! The graphics were beautiful and detailed and the scenery was so good! I loved how the graphics brought a heartwarming feeling to this little neighborhood we learn about. I loved this take on that feeling you have when you think something is there but there really isn't. I love wondering about the 'what ifs' and this story really nails this feeling for me. The little details like the ghosts tagging the cars to know when are where they go was so ingenious. I cannot wait to read more by Sophie!