I received an advance reader’s copy (ARC) of Jasmine Is Haunted by Mark Oshiro. Since this version is just a proof and not the final version, I won’t quote directly and will keep my comments general.

Jasmine Is Haunted follows the titular middle schooler as she starts at yet another school. It’s not her fault that she and her mother have to keep moving, after all; it’s because of the noisy, troublesome ghosts that keep following her around! At this newest school, however, Jasmine soon finds unexpected friends to help with her strange problem: the GSA (the Gay Supernatural Alliance) are eager to investigate this new instance of paranormal activity. Together, Jasmine and her new friends set out to discover the cause of her haunting, before the dark shadowy spirits grow too powerful.

Middle grade ghost stories are so fun, and this is no exception.

Firstly, I love Jasmine. She’s a sweet and clever character, and the banter she has with her friends Bea and Jorge is delightful, flowing naturally throughout the story. And Jasmine’s bond with her mother and her Tia Selena is lovely too, especially since they’re all dealing with the loss of Jasmine’s father in different ways.

And that’s the true heart of this story: people trying to figure out how to grieve a loved one, especially when the loss is unexpected. It only makes sense to use a ghost story, shown in the form of a young person surrounded by shadows, to talk about death and grief. And Oshiro does so gently and poetically, but also realistically, not shying away from the fact that, as much as we may want to protect kids from the idea, everyone will lose loved ones sooner or later. Jasmine’s pain and difficulty describing that pain is well explained, and makes for a moving character arc.

I also think the ghosts themselves were intriguing, with elements of Ghostbusters-like whimsy but with an undercurrent of solemnity too. And the resolution of the haunting is wonderful, both exciting and gentle, tense and emotional.

In the end, Jasmine Is Haunted is a great book to read around Halloween or El Dia de los Muertos, but also just a great book in general. The themes are strong, the characters are delightful, and the supernatural elements eerie without being too frightening for younger readers. I’ve liked the other two books I’ve read by Oshiro, and look forward to reading more of their work in the future!

Jasmine Is Haunted will be published on October 1st, 2024!