"Yee presents an entertaining ghost story. The
folkloric atmosphere of Bing’s story is wonderfully accentuated by
presentations of other ghost folklore. The plot is brisk, and references to
actual historical events, described in a historical afterward, bring
authenticity to the setting. [A] good introduction to folklore, and teens
looking for a nonthreatening ghost story should be introduced to this
novel."
—VOYA
"An
unusual ghost story blends East with West against the backdrop of anti-Asian
protests in turn-of-the-twentieth-century Vancouver. Yee chooses not to play the
ghosts for horror, instead presenting their activities as puzzles to be solved,
and it is Bing’s very Chinese understanding of the spirit world that lays
both ghosts to rest. [A]n enlightening alternative to familiar Western ghost
stories."
—The Horn
Book Guide
"Partly a mystery in which strange
happenings occur after they unearth a skeleton that’s missing its skull,
and when Bing takes a job as a houseboy outside of Chinatown in a home that
appears to be haunted, the story also offers young readers a glimpse into the
racism and tough conditions faced by Chinese immigrants at the turn of the
century. Interspersed old Chinese ghost tales also add a sense of traditional
spiritual
beliefs."
—Kirkus
Reviews
