(2) 4-6 Olivia endures a miserable existence at the dreary Merilance School for Independent Girls--her inability to speak and upsetting ability to see ghouls make her unpopular with the other orphans and the matrons. Then a letter arrives from a hitherto-unknown uncle, welcoming Olivia back home to the family estate, ­Gallant. Despite the pleasant surroundings and cheerful estate caretakers, something appears to be dreadfully wrong. Olivia starts seeing her own mother's ghoul. The sinister garden wall seems to be always in shadow. And why is her cousin Matthew so unfriendly? When Olivia starts exploring Gallant, she discovers a mirrored world where a Death-like demon reigns, making knights of his shadows and sucking the life out of every living thing. Olivia also discovers the secret of her own birth, the reasons for her mother's madness, and even an explanation for Matthew's standoffishness. Olivia is a stalwart and sympathetic ­heroine, whose actions occasionally defy the rules of the house but never those of the heart. Bittersweet, gripping, and with atmosphere to spare, Schwab's (The Archived, rev. 1/13) latest gothic tale is exactly the right mix of dark and delightful.

Reviewer: Sarah Berman | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2022

(2) 4-6 City of Ghosts series. In Paris, where twelve-year-old Cassidy's (City of Ghosts) parents are filming their paranormal TV show, Cassidy and her (ghost) best friend Jacob encounter a poltergeist. The pair must banish the entity before its mischief escalates to mayhem for the entire city. Schwab skillfully weaves her setting's atmosphere and history into the brisk adventure. The supportive friendship and witty banter between Cass and Jacob balance the scary and sad moments.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(2) 4-6 A near-drowning experience left twelve-year-old Cassidy with the ability to see beyond "the Veil"--and to see ghost Jacob. While her parents film a ghost-themed reality show in Edinburgh, a malevolent spirit plots to steal Cass's life; she and Jacob must rely on their wits and fellow "in-betweener" Lara's expertise to protect themselves. This supernatural adventure nicely balances spine-tingling spookiness with the protagonists' humorous and warm strong bond.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2018

(2) YA Alternating narrators Kate and August (from This Savage Song) race to destroy the Chaos Eater. Free verse integrated into Kate's chapters reflects Kate's fragmented glimpses of the monster. Subplots involving nuanced secondary characters (including August's nonbinary sibling Soro) raise the stakes further. Suspenseful action sequences are well paced, with affecting moments of understanding and tenderness building to a satisfying if not happy ending.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2017

(4) 4-6 Spirit Animals: Fall of the Beasts series. In this second book of the Spirit Animals spinoff series (with an online component), the four Great Beast summoners continue on their quest to save the world from the evil Zerif. While the action is entertaining and a new mysterious foe adds some intrigue, returning characters show little new development; overall, this volume is just more of the same series formula.

Reviewer: Antonio Trujillo

(2) YA In a parallel United States, violence literally creates monsters. The rarest of these, the Sunai, look like people but feed on corrupted human souls. Together, August (a Sunai) and Kate, the teenage children of rival leaders, uncover a conspiracy that threatens their entire territory. Schwab explores justice and humanity in an assuredly built world with a compelling setting and intriguing music-based magic.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2016

(2) YA Mackenzie (The Archived), a Keeper, thought she had put renegade History Owen in his place. But he continues to terrify her in nightmares and even appears in her waking life. Then Mackenzie becomes associated with a series of deaths. Are sleeplessness and memory driving her mad? The sharpness of Schwab's prose and plot give this action-intense story abundant energy.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2014

(2) YA Mackenzie's job is to return the wakeful dead to the Archive, a repository of all human memory. Persuading the dead to return to their rightful resting place often involves kick-ass combat, but this is no common policing-the-supernatural romantic thriller: Schwab writes of death, sorrow, and family love with a light, intelligent touch and inventive vigor.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: January, 2013

(2) YA Lexi sees a stranger who is there "and yet, he is not all there." He's a witch, she discovers, and she names him Cole. When the village children start disappearing, people think Cole is a criminal. Schwab's story has fairy-tale qualities, with its rural village, moorside setting, and folkloric witch. Her descriptive powers are strong, and the story has a vivid visual component.

Reviewer: Deirdre F. Baker | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2011