I read “City of Ghosts” by Victoria Schwab on the first crisp autumn day when the rain 
was pouring down and the wind gusting away.
It was the most perfect weather for this spooky, atmospheric, wonderful book. “City of Ghosts” is the story of Cassidy Blake, a girl who can not only see ghosts but can traverse the veil between our world and theirs. This ability gets her into some trouble when she is brought along to Scotland with her parents, who are hosting a show spotlighting the world’s most haunted places. Though this book takes place over summer vacation, it exudes autumnal vibes from the misty Edinburgh setting to the spine-chilling ghost-filled plot.
To start us off, I want to talk about this book’s incredible setting. This book has singlehandedly propelled Scotland to the top of my travel list. You can tell by Schwab’s description of the city just how much of her heart lives there. The Edinburgh setting has the perfect misty, cobblestoned atmosphere that gives you a tingle at the back of your neck. The kind of feeling where you want to keep looking behind you because you feel like you’re not alone. Reading this book is like walking down a dark alley in the rain; spooky, chilling, and a little bit of a thrill.
Moving on to characters, I need to talk about how perfectly Gryffindor our main character Cassidy is. Her house affiliation is mentioned early on in the book, but it’s this line from Lara that makes for the perfect description: “Reckless, headstrong, most likely to charge into a situation unprepared”. Cass, throughout the book, proves to be all of these things and more, always following the pull of curiosity and loyalty. While Cass’s character is pretty fleshed out, the supporting characters, Jacob, her best friend the ghost, and Lara, a fellow ghost hunter, are both so mysterious and intriguing. 
Throughout the book, you are given tidbits of information about these two that leave you begging for more. I can’t wait for book two to dive even deeper into the secrets Jacob and Lara are clearly keeping.
Finally, without giving away too many spoilers, let’s talk about the plot. For such a short book, Schwab sure packed in a lot without it even seeming info-dumpy or overwhelming. The first half is filled with such intrigue and mystery that you feel compelled to keep reading to reach the answers. The latter half is such a thrill ride you can’t put the book down. If the first half is like a dark alley at night, the final chapters are when you finally spot what has been following you and break into a sprint.
Overall, I gave this book 5/5 stars on Goodreads. I sped through it two sittings and putting it down to sleep was nearly impossible. I loved this book and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quick read to get them in the spooky mood. I absolutely cannot wait for the rest of the series.
Paperbacks Preferred 