Book review - Almost There and Almost Not

 

Title: Almost There and Almost Not

Author: Linda Urban

Genre: magical realism

Similar books: The Elephant's Girl by Celesta Rimington

                      Spirit's Key by Edith Cohn

Rating:

 

well balanced

Summary (provided by publisher): California Poppy has been dropped off, yet again, with an unsuspecting relative. This time it’s her eccentric Great-Aunt Monica, a woman she’s never even met. Aunt Monica has no idea what to do with an eleven-year-old, so she puts California to work researching their ancestor, the once-famous etiquette expert Eleanor Fontaine.
California soon discovers that Great-Great-Great Aunt Eleanor is...not exactly alive and well, but a ghost—and a super sensitive one at that. The grand dame bursts into clouds of dust whenever she loses her composure, which happens quite often. Still, an unexpected four-legged friend and some old-fashioned letter writing make this decidedly strange situation one that California can handle.
Just as California’s starting to feel like she’s found a place for herself, life turns upside-down yet again. Thankfully, this time she has some friends almost by her side...

My opinion: Urban has found the perfect balance of elements to make this a nearly gentle, sensitive read. With a largely abandoned child character encountering ghosts and living with a grief-stricken relative it could easily become maudlin and over-wrought. Instead we meet a likeable, far from perfect protagonist learning to handle her overwhelming emotions and coming to terms with the ways her father has failed her. Through her encounters with the ghost she learns about the complexities of all people and her lessons in calligraphy and etiquette help her to express herself more clearly. It may not be a thrilling book but it is a thoughtful one and may be good for discussion with young readers.

Advanced Reader Copy provided by NetGalley