Liesl & Po (Thing 1)

We read Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver. It's a story about a little girl named Liesl whose father has died. She's left to be raised by her stepmother, who locks her in the attic so she doesn't have to deal with her. One day the little girl manages to escape and starts to make her way to her childhood home so she can lay her father's ashes (which she's stolen from her stepmother) to rest. Little does she know that the box of ashes has accidentally been switched with a box full of the most powerful magic in the universe, thanks to a sleepy alchemist's apprentice named Will. Because of the mix-up, Liesl and Will's paths collide, and along with Liesl's ghost friends, they head on an adventure they had never even imagined they could have.

I'd read the Delirium series by Lauren Oliver, which is a young adult dystopian trilogy that is much different than this book, so I was excited to see how it compared. I thought her writing was fabulous in this one. The friendship between the main characters was sweet, and the whole plot reminded me a little of Cinderella, except with a more paranormal magical theme. My favorite characters were probably Po and Bundle, just because the way the ghosts were handled in the story was really unique. I loved the descriptions having to do with them and "the Other Side," as they call it.

I would give it

. This is a great book to read as a family! I don't feel like the story ever lagged. There were twists and turns with each chapter. I definitely recommend it.