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Ghostopolis

Doug TenNapel

Why we're reading this: Recommended by Raina
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Oct 05, 2010 Raina rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya, graphicnovel, funny, creepyish, action-go-to

I'm trying to remember if there's anything here that justifies it in YA vs. J. It's pretty tame, content-wise. Other than the fact that most of the characters are dead, of course. It's a pretty standard adventure, but with incredibly accessible and attractive illustrations, a creative setting, and a fun adventure. There's even a lovable horse skeleton. Lush color, kooky drawing, fun characters. It wasn't the most amazing thing I've ever read, but it's a solid kids graphic novel for the Tim Burto ...more

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Oct 16, 2010 Rachel rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels, read-it-in-2010, book-talk

It's a normal afternoon for Garth Hale, not a whole lot is happening. His mom is making dinner in the kitchen and Garth is reading a book in his room- a completely ordinary thing to do on completely ordinary day. So imagine Garth's surprise when a full horse skeleton bursts through his bedroom room wall and traps Garth in it's ribcage. Out of the ordinary right? And it gets stranger still- getting stuck inside the skeletal remains of a ghostly stallion is scary enough as it is- but Garth barely It's a normal afternoon for Garth Hale, not a whole lot is happening. His mom is making dinner in the kitchen and Garth is reading a book in his room- a completely ordinary thing to do on completely ordinary day. So imagine Garth's surprise when a full horse skeleton bursts through his bedroom room wall and traps Garth in it's ribcage. Out of the ordinary right? And it gets stranger still- getting stuck inside the skeletal remains of a ghostly stallion is scary enough as it is- but Garth barely has time to register this very un-ordinary situation before ZAP! he is transported with the horse skeleton to another dimension. What is this dimension called, you ask? You guessed it: Ghostopolis- The City of the Dead. He suddenly finds himself completely alone- the only living thing wandering the afterlife.

Meanwhile, back on Earth, his mother is in complete hysterics. She ran into her son's room at the sound of his shouts to witness him trapped beneath the white bones of a horse that was coming through the wall and then disappear in a crackle of electricity a split second later. Agents quickly arrive on the scene to calm her down- without much success. For some reason, Garth's mom isn't reassured when these 'Ghostcatchers" explain what has happened and that the ghost she saw was called a Nightmare. NightMARE- get it? 'Don't worry, Mrs. Hale, Your son was mistakenly sent to the land of the dead with a Nightmare. We will assemble a rescue team immediately, even though the last living person who was accidentally transported to Ghostopolis fifty years ago was never found." Yeah right, that's reassuring. What the Ghostcatchers don't tell Garth's mom is that they don't actually have any way of getting to Ghostopolis. Their only interdemensional transportation device is currently undergoing repairs. Garth's only hope of rescue is a ghostcatcher by the name of Frank Gallows, the department screw-up, and he's actually the one responsible for sending poor Garth to Ghostopolis in the first place. Agent Gallows is on the case! But time is running out for Garth, by now the dead have certainly noticed a living, breathing teenage boy in their midst, and the living are not welcome in the underworld. Agent Gallows does however, have some friends low places who might be able to help him get Garth back to where he belongs- the only question is, will he be able to rescue Garth in time? ...more

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Mar 10, 2011 Sara marked it as to-read

Nov 01, 2014 Kit marked it as to-read

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