Monday, July 14, 2025

The Ghosts of Pandora Pickwick by Christina Wolff

I've been trying to get to today's read for quite awhile and am glad I, finally, had a chance to pick it up. It should be a mix between mystery and paranormal fun, and takes a peek at ghosts in an antique store. That's already enough to perk my curiosity. So, let's take a look!


And before I forget, it's Monday! That means there is tons of middle grade goodness over at the MMGM (Marvelous Middle Grade Monday) over HERE. Knowers and lovers of literature for this age group recommend all sorts of tales to dive into. So, if you're into middle grade literature, you're going to want to head over there and take a peek.




THE GHOSTS OF PANDORA PICKWICK
by Christina Wolff
translated by Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp
Arctis
Middle Grade Fantasy
256 pages
ages 8 to 12





Summer vacation in London turns mysterious and exciting when Mia learns that her aunt’s antique shop is actually a ghost placement agency and she gets training in how to cross over into the spirit world.

Welcome to Pandora’s Antiques, with rarities for every occasion.

Nowhere does Mia feel so at home as in her Aunt Harriet’s antique shop. How wonderful that she can spend her summer vacation there! But something is wrong in the store. Things disappear as if by magic, furniture that has just been wiped dusts up again in seconds, and there is an eerie number of clatter at night. However, her aunt acts as if this is completely normal. Mia, on the other hand, suspects that Harriet is hiding something from her—just like the question of who her birth parents are.

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MY TIDBITS


Ghosts mix with a secret past, incredible abilities, and an adventure to keep the pages turning until the very end.

Mia's looking forward to spending time at her Aunt Harriet's antique shop, but soon realizes that strange things are happening. When she asks her aunt, she doesn't get a real response and decides to figure it out for herself. The truth, though, is beyond her wildest dreams, and soon, she finds herself conversing with ghosts during the witching hour. It turns out that her aunt runs a very special business beyond simple antiques, and that's about to flip Mia's world upside down.

In many ways, this tale reminded me of Beetlejuice but with a lighter, more playful beginning. The first chapters are simply magical as Mia steps into the antique shop and discovers secrets behind the curious business and her aunt's odd sales antics. It's a world to enjoy as old trunks and more mix with quirky ghosts, who simply want to find a new home. There's such a whimsical atmosphere with the shop and the ghosts that it's hard not to want to spend more time in the shop and learn more. But this only holds for so long before things start taking a slightly, darker turn. So called friends have secret agendas, and some of them are very dangerous. Even trusted family members turn out to be harboring secrets. 

This is a fun story, which grabs. It packs more than a few surprises and while it's clear that several things aren't quite right, the reasons behind it aren't what a reader might expect. Mia is a wonderful character with a good heart, and that clashes nicely with the more 'gray'  characters, giving the story a sharp edge. There's a bit of a message surrounding the problem of naive trust as Mia is lead to go against her better judgement, but even this isn't clear-cut necessarily. There's also goodness surrounding family bonds and the golden side of true friendship and loyalty. 

It's a fun read with a touch of magic and adventure, which manages to weave in enough bite to make it hard to put the book down.


And here she is...

Christina Wolff worked as an elementary school teacher before starting her own business as an author. When she's not writing books, she likes to rearrange her apartment, browse her favorite bookstore, and eat lots of cheesecake. She lives in Hanover, England with her family and a cheeky little dog lady.

9 comments:

Natalie Aguirre said...

This sounds like such a fun ghost/magical story. I really like the idea of the magical antique store. I hope my library gets this book. Thanks for sharing it this week.

Brenda said...

I agree with Natalie, this sounds like such a wonderful premise. There should be way more books in antique stores. Happy MMGM

Tonja Drecker said...

Agreed, too!

Tonja Drecker said...

It's got that classical, magical feel in the beginning...so cute.

Greg Pattridge said...

What a fun and engaging sounding story. The setting and ghostly magic have me anxious to read this one. Happy MMGM!

Jess said...

This sounds soooo cute!! There are so many awesome Middle Grade books that adults never read because it's "for kids" which I think is very silly. Thanks for the review! Have you read the Lockwood & Co. series?

Tonja Drecker said...

Hope you enjoy if you!

Tonja Drecker said...

I just looked Lockwood&Co up and am on my way to get a copy. It looks amazing!

Robin Currie said...

What a delightful concept - good year round!