Review of "A Curious Tale of the In-Between"

"The only ones that made Pram uncomfortable were the living."

     Lauren DeStefano's A Curious Tale of the In-Between takes readers on an extraordinary journey with a girl who talks to ghosts. As far as her aunts are concerned, eleven-year-old Pram Bellamy is simply an intelligent girl with an imaginary friend. They have no idea that Felix is real, let alone dead. When a living boy looking for his mother's ghost comes to Pram for help, she's more than willing to do her part. Together, they consult a spiritualist whose abilities actually seem legitimate. But while she insists she's being helpful, this woman has far more sinister plans in mind...plans no one, not even Felix, has the power to prevent. It's up to Pram to get out of this mess--and if she fails, she could very well join the land of ghosts forever.

     There is something quite charming about this tale and its cast. Pram is a very practical little girl with a habit of using only correct grammar. Though she thinks herself odd, anyone who slips beyond her shy exterior is sure to find a great friend who loves unconditionally. Her best friend, Felix, is a dynamic character who's grown quite fond of his human companion and jealous of her company. This makes the relationship between the ghost boy and the living one is at once amusing and bittersweet. After all, Pram's only interactions with the mortal world to date consist of games and meals with the elders in her aunts' charge. These are especially fun to read, yet as Pram spends less time with them and more time with her friend Clarence, we begin to see her grow up--a transition that is always a little saddening to watch.

     The plot, however, is fascinating. During their hunt for the ghost of Clarence's mother, our heroes attract the wrong kind of attention, in the form of a woman who knows what Pram is truly capable of. Unbeknownst to Pram, Clarence, and Felix, she devises a plan to claim the very thing that makes Pram special. When trouble strikes, the children will have to rely on everything they know about ghosts to claw their way out. And since the narrative is focused primarily on Pram, whenever the trio are separated only Pram's fate is certain. This ratchets the intensity of the stakes to a point much higher than it would be otherwise. Lady Savant means business. And Pram, despite her best intentions, is not the only one at risk.

     However, this is, at heart, a children's tale. A thread of hope is woven through every page, and readers are led to think, yes, things are bad, but they might get better. Even in the most dire situations, there is always at least one character who refuses to give up. Because of this, no amount of ghosts or villains could turn this story too dark for young eyes. There is no cursing and surprisingly little violence, so anyone who breaks open the pages can do so without fear of stumbling over anything untoward. In fact, the only thing worth noting is that Pram's mother took her own life, a fact that is intentionally kept secret from her daughter, though not the reader, and not expounded in detail. Although two characters seem to have small crushes on Pram, there is no actual romance.

     I would recommend this book to readers looking for a kind-hearted heroine, a wicked antagonist, and a team of children who never give up hope. Pram is a lovely girl with an extraordinary talent, and her noble quest is exciting and unpredictable. There is a lot of sadness that surrounds her growing up, yet she faces it with admirable bravery. Even the bleakest moments carry a hint of possibility, and in the end that may be what makes Lauren DeStefano's A Curious Tale of the In-Between so deserving of five stars.