School Library Journal Starred Review

K-Gr 3 Fans of Bad Kitty will not be surprised that she is up to no good again. Through a mash-up of odd alphabet lists and riffs on "The Night before Christmas," a litany of the feline's pranks is conveyed in bold graphic panels and uneven rhymes. Bad Kitty wants MORE for Christmas until she escapes from her family car and is rescued by a lonely old woman who teaches her that the true meaning of Christmas is "FAMILY." Puppy rescues Kitty and they both take the old lady home, where she is adopted by their owners. If madcap destruction and comic antics are dear to your Kitty fans, recommend this title. Others may want a calmer holiday.— Anne Connor, Los Angeles Public Library

ALA Booklist

In this charming, insightful fantasy, Oliver's first for middle grades, characters converge thanks to an accidental mix-up between boxes, one holding an evil alchemist's greatest spell he Most Powerful Magic in the World" d one holding the ashes of a little girl's beloved father. Locked in the attic by her greedy stepmother, Liesl desperately mourns her father's death, but she has reason to hope when two ghosts, Po and Bundle, visit from the Other Side. After they deliver a message from her father, who wishes Liesl to bury him under the willow tree where her mother rests, they steal the box containing his ashes. On their journey, they meet Will, the alchemist's ill-used apprentice, who has been on the run ever since he misplaced the alchemist's spell, which could raise the dead and restore youth. This original fairy tale, told by a wise and humorous omniscient narrator and peopled with broadly drawn but instantly recognizable characters, avoids sentimentality to show the magic of accepting loss without letting go and finding joy in the lives left behind. Final illustrations not seen.

Horn Book

Liesl, locked away by an evil stepmother, befriends Po, a ghost who helps her escape to put her father's ashes to rest. She crosses paths with an alchemist's apprentice, and the two flee pursued by adults hungry for magic and power. Appropriately shadowy black-and-white illustrations accompany the suspenseful tale.

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

A wonderfully imaginative, startlingly moving and at times wickedly funny fantasy. In her first work for middle-grade readers, the versatile Oliver (Before I Fall, 2010, and Delirium, 2011) deftly creates two worlds that run parallel, "like two mirrors sitting face-to-face." On the "Living Side," the sun hasn't come out in 1,728 days, and Liesl (about 11) has been locked in a small attic bedroom for 13 months by her conniving stepmother, Augusta. Three nights after her beloved father dies, she is visited by a child-sized ghost named Po and Bundle, a ghost-pet, both of whom come from the "Other Side," where dead souls in various stages of "becoming part of the Everything" linger till they can go "Beyond." They become unlikely best friends, and Po helps Liesl escape so she can take her father's ashes home. Meanwhile... an egomaniacal alchemist whose specialty is potions and transfigurations has created "The Most Powerful Magic in the World" for the Very Important Lady Premiere. "The dead will rise / From glade to glen / And ancient will be young again." But the alchemist's mistreated apprentice Will, an orphan, mixes up the delivery and.... By alternating quietly lyrical, philosophical passages with laugh-out-loud broad comedy/farce, the author takes her readers on a fantastic voyage from loss to healing and joy. With nods to Dahl, Dickens, the Grimms and even Burnett, the author has made something truly original. Acedera's frequent black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement. An irresistible read: This book sings. (Fantasy. 8-12)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

The sun has not shined for 1,728 days and counting in YA author Oliver-s (Delirium) first book for middle-grade readers, a gloominess that underscores a plot in which adults seek personal gain at the expense of children. Classic fairy tale elements weave throughout this spirited, old-fashioned adventure: a young girl locked in an attic, a wicked stepmother, an alchemist, an orphan boy running from a cruel master. Add two nearly identical boxes-one containing the ashes of 11-year-old Liesl-s recently deceased father, the other holding -the Most Powerful Magic in the World--and mix them up, and excitement begins to break through the bleakness. Po, a presence from -the Other Side,- brings Liesl a message to bury her father-s ashes underneath a certain willow tree, inspiring her to escape her imprisonment in her stepmother-s attic and head for the train. An exhilarating chase ensues, as characters pursue the runaway children and the mixed-up boxes. Invigorating and hopeful, this novel testifies to the power of friendship and generosity to conquer greed and depression. Final art not seen by PW. Ages 8-12. (Oct.)

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Thu Apr 28 00:00:00 CDT 2022)

A wonderfully imaginative, startlingly moving and at times wickedly funny fantasy. In her first work for middle-grade readers, the versatile Oliver (Before I Fall, 2010, and Delirium, 2011) deftly creates two worlds that run parallel, "like two mirrors sitting face-to-face." On the "Living Side," the sun hasn't come out in 1,728 days, and Liesl (about 11) has been locked in a small attic bedroom for 13 months by her conniving stepmother, Augusta. Three nights after her beloved father dies, she is visited by a child-sized ghost named Po and Bundle, a ghost-pet, both of whom come from the "Other Side," where dead souls in various stages of "becoming part of the Everything" linger till they can go "Beyond." They become unlikely best friends, and Po helps Liesl escape so she can take her father's ashes home. Meanwhile... an egomaniacal alchemist whose specialty is potions and transfigurations has created "The Most Powerful Magic in the World" for the Very Important Lady Premiere. "The dead will rise / From glade to glen / And ancient will be young again." But the alchemist's mistreated apprentice Will, an orphan, mixes up the delivery and.... By alternating quietly lyrical, philosophical passages with laugh-out-loud broad comedy/farce, the author takes her readers on a fantastic voyage from loss to healing and joy. With nods to Dahl, Dickens, the Grimms and even Burnett, the author has made something truly original. Acedera's frequent black-and-white illustrations are a perfect complement. An irresistible read: This book sings. (Fantasy. 8-12)