Anya's life and feelings are so relatable and so easy to be drawn into here, from the very beginning. Even knowing in bits (just from the blurb/summary) what might be coming, there were some surprising twists. . . And definitely some surprises taking off from there!

The gorgeous art style and grey/blue-scale suited the story so very well, and small shifts were used beautifully to signify or alert the reader to things.

While Anya may not always have made the smartest choices - who does? - she never lost that relatable feeling, or indeed stopped being a lovable character.

I might have liked a little more of a wrap-up/follow on from where we were left the end, but it did resolve things satisfactorily, it didn't feel like I was left hanging. I was just curious how things might change/continue from there for Anya. ( )

Just really cute, really well drawn, great little story. A fast read for adults; perfect for kids. ( )

I received my copy today and read this book start to finish without stopping. Beautiful, thoughtful illustrations and some very realistic dialogue. Anya is a Russian immigrant- a self conscious, slightly plump, mildly rebellious, and entirely sympathetic teenager. After falling down a well and encountering a ghost, Anya's supernatural firend unwittingly causes her to go through a series of realizations; from her opinions of her peers to her relationship with her heritage. The story was easy to follow, even when there were pages of just pictures. The author captured so well Anya’s desire to fit in, but never was the message of Anya’s encounter trite or overdone. Again, a beautiful little gem of a book.
*I received this advanced copy through a Goodreads’ giveaway contest.*
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Delightfully spooky without any violence. Beautifully illustrated with real characters full of flaws and yet, willing to change. ( )

2.5/5

This book was really cute and quick! I LOVED the art. Felt like it resolved a bit quickly, but the story was charming nonetheless. ( )