Review: Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

Title: Ghost Squad
Series: n/a
Author: Claribel A. Ortega
Source/Format: Purchased; Hardcover
More Details: Middle Grade; Fantasy; Supernatural
Publisher/Publication Date: Scholastic Press; April 7, 2020

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Synopsis from Goodreads...

Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy.... For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. 

Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late. With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.

I don’t know what it is with this trend of middle grade ghost stories, but I’ll take it. Ghost Squad, is just the latest book I’ve read that falls in line with this pattern, and I had a lot of fun reading this story.

Ghost Squad had a lot going for it. I like ghost stories, especially ones that are set during October, which is one of my favorite times of the year. From the start, I enjoyed Ortega’s take on ghosts and magic. There were a number of spooky and heartwarming moments in the story. The latter was particularly evident at the beginning with instances between the main character, Lucely Luna, her father, and the ghost (fireflies) of past relatives. The ghosts were fantastic. Their portrayal is one of the best I’ve read in middle grade fiction. I liked how there was a mixture of them with some of them being spooky/creepy while others were seemingly made of light. So Ortega did an excellent job of developing the magical aspects of the story.

I also enjoyed how the message and themes were explored in the book. Part of that was through Lucely’s connection to her family and friends. The portrayal of the platonic and familial bonds in Ghost Squad was not only excellent but they were also one of the highlights of the story. The same could be said about the rest of the colorful cast of characters. I really loved the friendship between Lucely and Syd. And among my top-favorite characters was Babette, Syd’s grandmother. She was such a fantastic character. She was stylish, and her personality was great. She and her cats—all named after characters from the Goonies—were entertaining. I also loved Lucely’s ghost relatives. They were wonderful characters.

As for the story, I liked it. There were a number of pop culture references, such as mention of characters from the Goonies.

I really enjoyed the book, and I will be looking forward to what Ortega writes next. As for recommendations, Ghost Squad is perfect for fans of The Forgotten Girl by India Hill Brown as well as Small Spaces and Dead Voices by Katherine Arden. But really, if you’re looking for a ghost story, then I’d recommend giving this one a try anyway.

Music Monday (119): Chloe X Halle, Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas, and Maroon 5

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: I have some new music to talk about today. Jessica Hernandez has a new song out called Thank God. It's probably one of my all-time favorite songs by this artist. 

Chloe X Halle's new album, Ungodly Hour, came out last Friday. I love it, and I'll talk more about it later on a separate post. For today, I wanted to mention one of my favorite songs from it, the outro called ROYL.

Andrea: Hi all, this week I'm listening to Memories by Maroon 5. I saw Maroon 5 perform at Jimmy Kimmel Live!. I've always loved their music, which can often be found on my playlist. As always, stay safe and have a great week!

What are you listening to this week? Have you found any new songs or artists to listen to?

The Friday 56 (179) & Book Beginnings: Ghost Squad by Claribel A. Ortega

The Friday 56 is a weekly meme hosted by Freda's Voice where every Friday you pick a book and turn to page 56 or 56%, and select a sentence or a few, as long as it's not a spoiler. For the full rules, visit the the page HERE

Book Beginnings is a weekly meme hosted by Rose City Reader that asks you to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you're reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads...

Coco meets Stranger Things with a hint of Ghostbusters in this action-packed supernatural fantasy.... For Lucely Luna, ghosts are more than just the family business. 

Shortly before Halloween, Lucely and her best friend, Syd, cast a spell that accidentally awakens malicious spirits, wreaking havoc throughout St. Augustine. Together, they must join forces with Syd's witch grandmother, Babette, and her tubby tabby, Chunk, to fight the haunting head-on and reverse the curse to save the town and Lucely's firefly spirits before it's too late. With the family dynamics of Coco and action-packed adventure of Ghostbusters, Claribel A. Ortega delivers both a thrillingly spooky and delightfully sweet debut novel.

Beginning: "Lightning struck, and a brilliant white light bloomed, illuminating the night sky outside of Lucely Luna's bedroom window."

56: "The trees surrounding Lucely began to blend together until the entire scene looked like a Van Gogh painting."

Comments: I had a lot of fun reading Ghost Squad. It was a ghost story that was very charming and also spooky. What are you reading this week?

Favorite Recipe: Tortillas

Besides birthday cakes, I did some other baking. So far I’ve made cookies, cheesecake, brownies and other dishes/desserts. Most of those recipes are ones I’ve talked about before, except for tortillas. Everyone else on my twitter and Instagram timelines is out there making sourdough bread, and here I am over here just making tortillas (sadly, I don’t have any sourdough starter…). This Homemade Tortilla recipe from The Brewer & The Baker is my current go-to recipe for making tortillas.
(Note: I use a modified version of this recipe, which I tested out the ingredient amounts for over time until it suited my needs. However, I recommend sticking to the recipe before making any adjustments, because it’s fine the way it is. I also only use cooking oil or Olive oil when I make them, instead of shortening or butter….)

Tortillas, for me, have been a pretty forgiving type of bread to make. There’s no yeast involved, and the rest time is short compared to other bread types. This recipe is quick and easy, and the results always have a great taste.

(Note: I use a countertop griddle to cook mine, but I’ve also made them in a skillet on the stove.)
One thing I adhere to when making tortillas, is to keep them covered. They can seem a little stiff or crunchy around thinner edges when they come off the pan. But letting them sit covered and in their own steam, really softens them up.

I had two uses for these: for tacos and for pizza. For tacos, I make them a little smaller so there was more of them. When I made them for pizzas, I divided the dough four ways and rolled them to be vaguely-rectangular in shape—around personal pan size. (Note: I cooked the tortillas before putting the toppings on them, and the only other cooking I did after that was to broil it in the oven on the lowest setting to melt the cheese. It comes out like a thin-crust pizza.)

What have you been baking recently? If you found any good recipes, leave your recommendations in the comments.

**(This post was written in early May)**

Music Monday (118): Bree Runway, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliott, Wyclef Jean, Ashanti, and more...

   Rules:

• Music Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Lauren Stoolfire at Always Me that asks you to share one or two songs that you've recently enjoyed. For the rules, visit the page HERE 

Breana: My pick this week is one of my favorite songs by Bree Runway: All Night.

Andrea: I haven't had the chance to post for the past few weeks, so I hope this post finds everyone safe and well. My song choice for this week is Wake Up Everybody (2004) by Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, Wyclef Jean, Ashanti & Various Other Artists. Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes originally released this song in 1975. Although the original song was released over 4 decades ago, it is so relevant to today. I look forward to finding out what everyone is listening to this week.

 Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes-Wake Up Everybody 

Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, Wyclef Jean, Ashanti & Various Other Artists-Wake Up Everybody 

What are you listening to this week?