From the Publisher
"This is a beautiful story that explores grief and friendship...A captivating story that will appeal to readers who love a mystery, have experienced loss, or anyone who has searched for friendship in a new place." —School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
"A beautiful and gripping tale of ghosts, friendships, and moving on without forgetting the ones who have mattered to us. Eliot is a heroine readers are sure to love." —Katie Zhao, author of Last Gamer Standing and the Winnie Zeng series
"Full of heart and captivating from start to finish, Where the Lost Ones Go takes the sharp pieces of grief and molds them into a story full of warm, radiant love. With both the fantastical elements and profoundness of a Miyazaki film, it’s a story that’ll stick with me for a long time." —Lyla Lee, author of the Mindy Kim series
"Filled with powerful twists and revelations, this is an emotional contemporary fantasy about second chances and the value of holding on to precious memories." —BCCB
Kirkus Reviews
2022-07-27
A lonely girl embarks on a quest to help her late grandmother.
When 12-year-old Eliot Katayama’s family moves from California to Roseheart, Maine, her parents want a fresh start, but Eliot is still grieving the death of Babung, her beloved paternal grandmother, and struggling with the dementia that stole Babung’s memories before she died. Although her parents urge her to move on, Eliot fears Babung is lonely and confused in the afterlife without her memories; she hopes to prove ghosts are real and reconnect with her. Meeting neighbor Mrs. Delvaux and her granddaughter, Hazel, is the opportunity she’s been waiting for: Their home is rumored to be haunted, and local kids believe Mrs. Delvaux is a soul-stealing witch. Indeed, Eliot soon discovers ghosts in the house, but why are they stuck there? Why have they lost their memories, preventing them from crossing to the other side? As she attempts to help these ghosts recall who they are, Eliot juggles growing romantic feelings for Hazel, parents who don’t take her seriously, and encounters with a fearsome monster, all while continuing to try to reach Babung. Although the novel ends on a satisfactory note, the plot is disjointed at times, and some characters feel flat. Richer details about Babung and Eliot’s relationship would have made Eliot’s obsessive quest more understandable for readers. Eliot’s father and grandmother are Japanese American from Hawaii; her mother is racially ambiguous.
An engrossing but somewhat uneven tale about grief, ghosts, and the power of memory. (Paranormal. 8-12)
