
Reach for this book when your child is feeling disconnected, lonely, or struggling to process a major life transition like moving or the loss of a sibling. While it presents as a whimsical fantasy, it is deeply rooted in the emotional reality of twelve-year-old Olivia, who is navigating a new apartment building and a grieving father. Through a series of surreal encounters with psychic neighbors and ghostly inhabitants, the story explores how we find community and magic even when we feel invisible. It is a quirky, slightly dark, but ultimately redemptive read for the middle-grade audience. Parents will appreciate how it uses the 'absurd' to make the heavy weight of grief feel manageable and navigable. It is perfect for children who feel like outsiders or those who appreciate a story that doesn't shy away from life's stranger, more complicated edges.
Your experience helps other parents find the right book.
Sign in to write a reviewDeals with the death of a sibling and a parent's subsequent emotional withdrawal.
Atmospheric ghost encounters and surreal, dream-like sequences might be unsettling.
The book deals directly but metaphorically with the death of a sibling. The approach is secular and leans into the magical realism of 'ghosts' as lingering memories and unfinished business. The resolution is realistic and hopeful, focusing on Olivia and her father finally communicating about their shared loss.
A 10-year-old who enjoys Coraline or Alice in Wonderland but is currently dealing with 'real world' loneliness or a family change. It is for the kid who feels like the world doesn't quite make sense right now.
Read the chapter involving the medium and the ghosts. The concept of death is central, so be ready for questions about what happens to people after they die. A parent might choose this after hearing their child say 'I hate it here' or 'Nobody talks to me,' or if the child is struggling to connect with a parent who is also grieving.
Younger readers will enjoy the 'funhouse' aspect of the weird apartments and talking animals. Older readers will pick up on the subtext of Olivia's deep-seated grief and her father's depression.
Unlike many books about grief that are somber, Ellen Potter uses high-concept surrealism and humor to explore the topic, making it accessible to children who might find a standard 'issue book' too heavy.
After moving into a new apartment complex with her distracted, grieving father, Olivia Kidney finds herself locked out. Her search for a way in leads her through a series of increasingly bizarre apartments, meeting characters like a shrunken pirate, a princess in exile, and eventually, the ghosts who inhabit the building. These surreal vignettes mirror Olivia's internal sense of displacement and her unprocessed grief over her brother's death.
This overview was generated by AI based on the book's content and reviews, and may not capture every nuance.