If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun
Published by Harper Teen on September 14, 2023
ISBN: 0063252767
Genres: Fantasy
Format: Fiction
Goodreads

Sixteen year old Chinese American Cara Tang is a ghost speaker – which means she can see and talk to ghosts, and even help them to pass on – just like her grandmother, Laolao and her mother. Only her grandmother is in fact a ghost, and her mother doesn’t want anything to do with her powers. And she would prefer Cara keep her head down, focus on school and forget about her powers as well. Which becomes impossible when she finds the body of her nemesis, Zach Coleson, under a tree in the woods behind her house. They’ve been sworn enemies since they were little, but Zach has been bitten by the Signet Snake, a monster of chaos determined to end the world, and Cara is the only one who can save him. After a brutal fight with her mother, and with a little help from Laolao, Cara and Zach’s ghost set off on a quest to find the antidote in seven days before it’s too late for Zach to be resurrected. This is a great fantasy YA read with its snappy dialogue, lush world building, romantic tension, magic and monsters. Cara’s struggles with self acceptance and growth, especially as it relates to growing up with a Chinese tiger mom is another highlight of the story. A solid pick.

 

Recommended for grades 7 – 12

Recommended for Cream of the Crop

 

Lee Remick, York Middle School, York