THE LOST THREE

In this tale of Depression-era America, four lost souls discover they are strongest when they work together.

Due to a series of egregious errors on the part of the Ghost Guild, which is responsible for dead souls, the Maconochie siblings—Genie, Fenella, and Tillotson—have unexpectedly found themselves ghosts. In their flummoxed state, they are swiftly captured by the malevolent (and living) Serena Aster, who is determined to use them in her séance-based business. Fortunately, Serena has also adopted little orphan Aggie, who befriends the benevolent spirits. Now they must find a way to escape from Serena and make their own way in the world together. Barrows punctuates her storytelling with notes sent from a frazzled accountant determined to aid the siblings from the afterlife, albeit obliquely. The result is a tale in the vein of classic kid lit, with plucky orphans, vile villains, and cleverness overcoming greed, though infused with a modern sensibility. While Barrows’ series opener has distinct similarities to Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and even the film Beetlejuice, it’s wholly original. Barrows’ dialogue is witty, and readers will cheer these heroes on every step of the way. Interstitial art by Bristol (depicting all major characters as pale-skinned) aids in the fun considerably.

Simultaneously classic and fresh; young readers will clamor for more.