The Ghost Job

Ghosts make the best thieves in this pitch-perfect middle grade adventure from the acclaimed author of Weird Kid. Perfect for fans of Gordon Korman and John David Anderson–and anyone looking for an Ocean’s 11-style heist!

Zenith and her friends may be dead—but lucky for them, even getting ghosted wasn’t enough to tear them apart.

The four of them were thick as thieves long before an unfortunate lab accident sent them careening into the afterlife. So when they hear about a machine that could return them to the land of the living, they are determined to steal it.

Unfortunately, the magical device belongs to a dangerous necromancer who’s out for their ectoplasm.

Fortunately, they’re great at heists. Because pulling off the score of their deathtimes is no job for an amateur.

Zenith’s candidly funny first-person narrative applies a light, portmanteau-riddled touch to themes of death and grief, while the protagonists’ close relationships and powers offer up sheer spectral fun.  — Publishers Weekly

In this latest caper from the ingenious Van Eekhout, readers will enjoy the banter as much as the topsy-turvy action. — Booklist

After becoming ghosts in a freak lab accident, a group of friends pull off heists in the hope of returning to life.

Zenith, a Dutch Indonesian 12-year-old, and her best friends have a lot of fun being dead, but they all agree they’d rather be alive again. And as her family prepares to move away from the area she haunts, Zenith in particular needs to return to life as soon as possible. Using their diverse set of ghostly powers, they work together to steal artifacts, books, and other magical objects that could return them to life, under the guidance of a medium. Nothing works…but then they attempt to take a device called Redeemer from a necromancer, who’s using it for nefarious purposes. When one of her friends gets caught in the middle of the botched job, Zenith must take on the role of leader and save her friends, but at what cost to herself? The kids’ clever antics keep the levity up through what could have been a somber story. Their respective powers, like Zenith’s ability to move physical objects, complement their unique personalities and are organically incorporated into their plans to swipe objects and rescue their friends. The blunt storytelling style brings some reveals on too early but otherwise works to great effect to keep the tone light even while delivering mature messages about death and the meaning of life.

A fun ghostly romp. (Fiction. 9-12) — Kirkus Reviews