Gorgeous cover and super intriguing premise. Sea ghosts? Absolutely yes. But Graciela is unlikeable in a very unlikable way. From the very beginning (it’s not a spoiler because, hello, sea ghost), she dies because she’s trying to spite her older sister. Her sister nicely cautions her away from the cliff. Graciela is like, “Stop bossing me around,” and she falls off the cliff and dies. Then when she reawakens as a sea ghost, she’s still jealous, disagreeable, and spiteful. Kinda like a Mary Lennox. But then there’s Jorge, who you immediately wrap your heartstrings around because he has the unfortunate fate to have horrible parents (and ancestors, which plays a big part in the plot of the dangerous enchanted harpoon) when all he wants to do is make toys instead of weapons at his family’s forge. He’s kind, thoughtful, resourceful, and brave, and is the perfect foil to Graciela. The underwater ghost-characters and world-building were super cool and inventive. I thoroughly enjoyed this upper-middle-grade novel!
Graciela in the Abyss by Meg Medina, (List Price: $18.99, Candlewick, 9781536219456, July 2025)
Reviewed by Candice Conner, The Haunted Book Shop in Mobile, Alabama