Author duo and twin sisters Sarana Nanua and Sasha Nanua (Sisters of the Snake) channel the spirit of Ghostbusters in Spirit Service, a spunky paranormal middle-grade novel about a group of tweens who start a small business shepherding souls.
Twelve-year-old Raveena Gill hates that her school cut funding for its arts program--music was her only remaining connection with her recently deceased Grandmama. Raveena and her group of friends, the Fierce Four, are determined to win a school-wide business competition to help fund the program. Their plan changes, though, when all four girls are zapped with supernatural powers by an ancient phone from the local antiques shop. The Fierce Four become Guardians: people who help spirits pass through to the other side. They abandon their previous business plan and start the Spirit Service, helping the residents of their zany town connect with lost loved ones. But the town's ghostly history hides unpleasant secrets and, when Raveena realizes the phone can connect her with Grandmama, she starts to keep a few of her own. But even magic may not be able to fix the rift Raveena creates between herself and her friends.
High stakes and eccentric characters take center stage in Spirit Service, which will likely tickle fans of Anna Meriano's Love Sugar Magic. The emotional turmoil experienced by some ghosts is a bit hyperbolic and occasional asides seemingly aimed at adults may take readers out of the narrative, but Raveena's bubbly voice is perfect for middle-grade readers. Her growth as both an individual and as a friend is sweet and earnest. Readers who love strong friend groups, quirky settings, and scary-sweet spectral figures should enjoy Spirit Service. --Nicole Brinkley, bookseller and writer