I completely mis-shelved this book. It's in no way for kids (the Astrid Lindgren Prize is misleading to me), and it's not really fantasy either; I'm not sure how to classify it. It's sort of about a woman reflecting on her life, but she's not regretful and the life she talks about isn't huge or exciting to the narrator herself--it's just her life; it's sort of about searching for beauty; sort of about learning to accept and love yourself. There's confusion, love, loneliness, compassion, imagination--and it made me all teary at various times. A short book, but lots to think about and enjoy. ( )

The Ghost's Child: A poorly-written review with digressions!

Matilda is already an old woman when she comes home to find a young boy relaxing on her couch, clearly waiting for her. Over the course of the afternoon, she tells him the story of how she came to be who she is--her way of refuting the boy’s disappointed accusation that she has gotten old. How she arrived at this place in her life--elderly, serene, at peace--was a long process of travel and adventure, of falling in love and learning to let go of it. Primarily this is a love story, but also a fairy tale, with many fantastical elements entering the story mid-way through. As out-of-place as talking sea creatures and a friendship with the West Wind could be, these elements are well-integrated into the story; it requires no more suspension of disbelief than any fairy tale.

The Ghost’s Child, for all its romance and fairy-tale conventions, is still a bit of a downer, though a more peaceful conclusion than Surrender or What the Birds See. (Not quite happy, but contented. What the Japanese call "mono no aware," the bittersweet sadness of things.) The book has Hartnett’s trademark dreaminess to it; reading her books is like reading poetry with a gauzy border around edge of vision; individually her words are just words, but together they are a soft caress of the emotional center.

As wonderful as her body of work is, though, Hartnett is a victim of marketing in the US. Her books are all considered "young adult," which means they land in Teen collections more often than not, even going so far as to be a Printz Honor book in the case of Surrender. But a "young adult" is not the same as a teen, and her books will generally speak more to 20-somethings than teens. In this, The Ghost’s Child is no exception--this is a romantic, contemplative story that can only be truly appreciated with a little more life experience, after acquiring some measure of understanding about the mysteries of the human heart’s desire for some unnameable circumstance. While I am adding this to my teen collection (based on the Printz buzz already surrounding it) my instinct would be to add it, along with her other books, to the adult collection, where it will find a more receptive audience. Recommended for any who have loved and lost. ( )

The Ghost's Child is a heartfelt novel about lost love, family and missed chances. Maddy, an old woman, receives a chance to tell her story to a young soul, reliving it to the fullest.

A mystical, lyrical book. Maddy's tale is like a beautiful fable.

En mycket speciell bok, sagoaktig och symbolisk med poetiskt språk. Skildrar ett helt liv på 150 sidor. Jag tycker nog att den känns mer som en vuxen- än ungdomsbok. ( )