School of the Dead by Avi- 4 stars!

Today's Tea Choice: Starbucks Toasted Mocha Coconut (because it’s allergy  season!)

Trigger Warnings: grief/ family member passing

Genre: YA/ middle grade paranormal

Pages: 276

Summary(goodreads.com):

From Newbery Medalist Avi comes the spine-tingling story of Tony Gilbert, who must solve a mystery surrounding the ghost of his uncle Charlie. For most of Tony Gilbert’s life, he always thought of his uncle as “Weird Uncle Charlie.” That is, until Uncle Charlie moves in with Tony and his family. He’s still odd, of course—talking about spirits and other supernatural stuff—but Uncle Charlie and Tony become fast friends. Between eating ice cream and going to the movies, Tony is having more fun with Uncle Charlie than he ever could have imagined. So when Uncle Charlie dies suddenly, Tony is devastated. So sad, in fact, he starts seeing Uncle Charlie everywhere! Tony recently transferred to the Penda School, where Uncle Charlie went as a kid. The school is eerie enough on its own without his uncle’s ghost making it worse. On top of which, rumors have been circulating about a student who went missing shortly before Tony arrived. Could that and Uncle Charlie’s ghost be related?

Full of twists and turns that get spookier by the chapter, School of the Dead is a fast-paced mystery that Avi’s fans will devour!

My Review:

Over the last year, Avi has become one of my favorite authors to read and share with you, and this book is no different! As a girl who has a taste for darker books, I was really excited to read this book, and the title immediately grabbed my attention.

What I loved:

Plot: The novel begins with Tony telling the reader about his eccentric uncle Charlie who has interests in the afterlife and spirituality. At first, these interests creep Tony out, but he learns to accept his uncle’s quirks and even grows close with him.

When Uncle Charlie passes away, Tony and his family move to San Francisco, and this leaves Tony feeling isolated. He doesn’t enjoy the many hills of San Francisco and especially dislikes the fog! Tony also transfers to the Penda School, where his uncle was enrolled as a child. Uncle Charlie starts popping up in the most random spots, and Tony tries to dismiss it as his imagination even though he knows it's his ghost. But we soon learn that there was more to Uncle Charlie and this strange school, especially when a mysterious ghost boy also keeps haunting Tony. I can’t give too much away because there are plenty of surprises, but if you love dark academia books, ghosts, and mysteries, you’ll enjoy this paranormal thriller.

POV:  The POV style is first person, which makes us see and understand Tony’s emotions, especially when he loses Uncle Charlie or feels creeped out by his sudden appearances at school. We also feel Tony’s frustration when he tries to tell his parents this, who automatically dismiss it as a grieving behavior.

Characters:  Tony is a funny character, especially because he is so grim at times. However, I wish he was described in more detail since this is something Avi writes well in other novels. Besides the occasional personality trait, Tony was a bit of a bland character before his uncle is introduced into the story.

Dialogue: I’ve mentioned this before with other Avi novels, but he is a master of dialogue. His use of minimal dialogue tags and authentic exchanges allows the reader to focus on the interactions and how things are said.

Symbolism: Throughout the novel, Avi  uses a lot of fantastic symbolism to give the readers clues as to the characters’ true intentions. For example, Tony has a knack for discerning who is authentic versus who is fake and hiding something. For example, in the headmistress’s office, Tony notes the office has a lot of fake décor, further hinting at darker secrets.

What Needed Improvement:

Compared to other Avi novels, this one felt a bit rushed in some spots. There were huge lapses in time that disrupted the plot, and some conversations were summarized instead of shown. I also would’ve liked to see more physical and personality detail with Tony.

Authors Can Learn:

- How to create an intriguing mystery using setting history and symbolism

- How to craft authentic dialogue and why using minimal dialogue tags improves conversation quality

- The importance of first person POV, especially in YA and middle grade novels

Readers Will Love This For:

A thrilling paranormal tale of family secrets and uncovering mysteries with a dark academia vibe!

I give this book 4 stars.

Kyla