MAY 2020 - AudioFile
Bilingual narrator Almarie Guerra brings Ortega’s humorous ghost-hunting story to life with ease as she introduces listeners to young Lucely Luna and her firefly spirit family. Guerra imbues Lucely’s voice with vibrant notes of determination and curiosity as she and her best friend, Syd—the more skeptical and rebellious of the pair—work to unravel a decades-old mystery that is endangering the Luna family. Throughout the audiobook, listeners meet a variety of characters—from the slick Mayor Anderson to the no-nonsense, magical Babette, all of whom Guerra voices with distinct tones. Offering an authentic glimpse of Dominican folklore and the thrill of ghost hunting, both voiced expertly by Guerra, this audiobook makes for a lighthearted listen. V.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Publishers Weekly
★ 03/16/2020
When Dominican-American Lucely Luna, 12, learns that her single father might lose their house, her primary concern is for the myriad ghosts of her family, who inhabit the willow tree out back as fireflies, at least when they’re not manifesting in human form. When her grandmother’s spirit warns her of a coming darkness before falling dormant, Luna and her best friend, Syd Faires, seek to revive Mamá. Borrowing a book of magic from Syd’s grandmother, who owns an occult store, they cast a spell that unleashes malevolent forces upon the town of St. Augustine—one that they must reverse to defeat the evil that seeks to destroy them all. With this delightfully spooky adventure, Ortega draws upon her Dominican heritage to craft a heartwarming story with a strong focus on family genetic and found. A peppering of pop culture references—a nod to Ghostbusters, a clowder of cats named for Goonies characters—add humor, but it’s the personal touches, such as Lucely’s opinionated, ever-present ancestors; her dedication to those she loves; and an emphasis on Latinx food, love, and folklore, that gives this debut its distinctive spirit. Ages 8–12. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
Praise for Ghost Squad:
A New York Times bestseller
An NPR Best Books of 2020
A Good Morning America Summer Reading Squad pick
Winner of the 2021 Ignyte Award for Best Middle Grade Novel
"Ghost Squad is a charming adventure full of girl power and heart. Young readers will want to be best friends with Lucely, Syd, and Chunk!" -Zoraida Córdova, author of The Way to Rio Luna and the Brooklyn Brujas series
"Ghost Squad manages to be both creepy and heartwarming, fulfilling a need for stories that are both deeply relatable and culturally specific. Highly recommended for kids looking for a spooky read, a whole lot of feelings, and a story they'll not soon forget." -Mark Oshiro, author of Anger is a Gift and The Insiders
"Dark humor, mystical vibes, and pop-culture references abound in this action-packed ghost hunt. Shoutouts to Ghostbusters, Hocus Pocus, The Goonies, and the like crop up continually as debut author Ortega expertly weaves a feel-good, phantasmagorical adventure that readers won't want to miss." -Booklist
"While it's undeniably a ghost story, Lucely's love for her family, both corporeal and spirit, carries the narrative, giving it warmth and depth. A warmly spooky middle-grade debut." -Kirkus Reviews
"A fast-paced adventure rooted in Dominican mythology and packed with action, humor, and originality." -School Library Journal
"A high energy yarn, interwoven with Dominican culture and mythology, that is pleasantly spooky with a Ghostbusters vibe that rarely falters. Readers will appreciate this lively entrée to supernatural literature." -Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
"Ortega takes Hispanic folk traditions and weaves them into an artful narrative set in modern times. A recommended read for those who like ghostly adventures." -School Library Connection
School Library Journal
04/01/2020
Gr 4 Up–Looking for a Halloween read? Look no further. Something strange is happening to Lucely's ghost family of fireflies, known as cocuyos—they are fading away. They tell her that something evil is coming. In an attempt to revive her Mama Teresa, Lucely and her best friend Syd perform a spell to raise the dead, but accidentally awaken old evil spirits that want to revenge against their town. Lucely, Syd, and Syd's grandmother Babette (who is a witch) must undo the curse and save her ghost family. This is a fast-paced adventure rooted in Dominican mythology and packed with action and humor. Readers are pulled into the family's close bond and supernatural world easily, with tender moments like abuela singing Lucely to sleep during a storm and the collective urgency as Lucely feels Mama's spirit quieting. VERDICT Ortega's debut is filled with action, humor, and originality. Lucely and Syd's adventure gives readers paranormal thrills akin to Ghostbusters and the Goonies, from a refreshingly different cultural perspective.—Ruth Guerrier-Pierre, New York Public Library
MAY 2020 - AudioFile
Bilingual narrator Almarie Guerra brings Ortega’s humorous ghost-hunting story to life with ease as she introduces listeners to young Lucely Luna and her firefly spirit family. Guerra imbues Lucely’s voice with vibrant notes of determination and curiosity as she and her best friend, Syd—the more skeptical and rebellious of the pair—work to unravel a decades-old mystery that is endangering the Luna family. Throughout the audiobook, listeners meet a variety of characters—from the slick Mayor Anderson to the no-nonsense, magical Babette, all of whom Guerra voices with distinct tones. Offering an authentic glimpse of Dominican folklore and the thrill of ghost hunting, both voiced expertly by Guerra, this audiobook makes for a lighthearted listen. V.T. © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
Kirkus Reviews
2019-12-18
After unwittingly unleashing dead spirits on St. Augustine, Florida, Lucely Luna works to restore the city with the help of friend Syd and the spirits of her family.
Dominican American Lucely Luna lives with her family. Her father, Simon, runs a ghost tour business. The rest of them are deceased but are still very much in her life, their spirits appearing to her as cucuyos, or fireflies. Alarmingly, after one ghost tour, the spirit of Lucely's grandma, Mamá, goes dim. At school, Lucely learns of Las Brujas Moradas, witches who fled Spain during the Inquisition and who were reputed to have a lost spell book. Lucely and her best friend, Syd, decide to look for a spell that can awaken the dead so they can wake Mamá up, so they prowl through the library of Syd's grandmother Babette, who owns an occult shop. When they recite a spell they find there, they accidentally awaken other—evil—spirits of the town. Lucely and Syd join forces with Babette and Lucely's spirit family in the fight to save St. Augustine and Mamá. Lucely's action-packed and ghost-filled adventures unfold briskly, with seamlessly incorporated and unitalicized Spanish. While it's undeniably a ghost story, Lucely's love for her family, both corporeal and spirit, carries the narrative, giving it warmth and depth. Readers will root for Lucely and Syd as they try to save St. Augustine and Lucely's cucuyos. Both girls present black on the cover.
A warmly spooky middle-grade debut. (Fantasy. 8-12)
