Taxi Ghost

TAXI GHOST is an engaging and interesting middle grade graphic novel that tackles gentrification and growing up. Adele's life changes when she not only gets her first period, but she also starts seeing ghosts. Luckily, her sister Helen knows what is happening and tells her that she comes from a long line of mediums. While Helen did not get the gift, their grandmother did. However, Adele's grandmother is really not into being able to see ghosts and has no interest in dealing with them.

Adele can't help but talk to the ghosts she meets, and they really seem nice, particularly the guy who spends a lot of time at the library (and can type on computers!) and an old man who just wants her help. As Adele talks to the old man, Jules, she learns that he is actually working towards the same goal as her grandmother - to stop a developer from buying up a lot of old houses and converting them into luxury apartments and driving out the current tenants. Jules's grandson is considering selling. Adele thinks about it before she takes the case and decides to help, but things take a twist as some ghosts are taking things into their own hands with potentially dangerous consequences.

What I loved: This was a really fun concept with themes of growing up, as Adele begins to come into her own with her body and her medium skills. She is a great main character whose personality shines throughout. She cares about the people (and the ghosts) around her, thinking on her feet and leading with her heart. Her sister is another great character whose love for Adele really shines through - she has always got her back. Their grandmother was absolutely delightful and added plenty of humor to the story with her strong opinions and care for the girls.

The theme of gentrification was a strong one, and while it was the ghost's mission, it was also one for which her grandmother was working. The tools for preventing this and the means of stopping it were discussed, with some rogue ghosts taking an ineffective approach. Adele works with others to find a way to make things happen more productively. This raised some good discussions around cities and those who live in them.

The reading level and complexity of the graphic novel will work well for older middle grade and even some YA readers, combining thought-provoking themes, clear dialogue and flow, and compelling characters nicely. The illustrations were very detailed and added a lot to the story, really helping it come to life. They were fantastically well done.

What left me wanting more: As a small thing, the sparse dialogue could make it tough to figure out what was intended in a few places, and it felt like there were hiccups in the storyline. This will differ from reader to reader, though it was overall easy to fill in the blanks.

Final verdict: TAXI GHOST is an engaging middle grade graphic novel with strong themes, fantastic characters, and expressive illustrations. Recommend for older middle grade readers and young YA readers.