Elizabeth and Zenobia, middle school Goth that works

When is a ghost not a ghost? That’s the grey area that surrounds Elizabeth and Zenobia, a mysterious book for students in Grade 5 and up. The book has a foggy air that wraps around the story for most of the book due to the fact that you’re never quite sure what’s real and what isn’t. Elizabeth is a shy, moody teen who’s just moved to a creepy old mansion where her father grew up. Zenobia is her best friend, a ghost who fears nothing and represents the characteristics that Elizabeth lacks. All that’s missing is an instrumental soundtrack from The Sisters of Mercy to make this coming-of-age novel complete.

What Elizabeth and Zenobia does very well as a book is to keep the mystery at a constant level of curiosity. It’s not a scary book, but does have a playful edge of dredge around the perimeter of the story. As soon as Elizabeth and Zenobia arrive at Witheridge House with her father, they’re greeted by Mrs. Purswell, a stern woman who is in charge of the house.

She quickly lays out rules for the property including which areas Elizabeth has permission to enter and those that are prohibited. When Elizabeth requests things for Zenobia her father dismisses it as an overactive imagination that she should’ve aged out of by now. Nobody except for Elizabeth can see Zenobia and it’s not until the two start conducting séances in the house that they realize their desire to see another ghost is about to happen.

Actually the ghost is much closer than they think, but the two have to be careful about whom they trust. Along the way they learn about The Plant Kingdom, discover other ghosts, find one in particular that they need to rescue and might just end up changing their future.

Up until the last chapter readers aren’t sure how the book will end. They know who will be there when the last word is written, but the state of their relationships, ghost count and who is actually a real person are all settled in the final nine pages.

Elizabeth and Zenobia is a creative, fun, mysterious story that creates the friendship between the human teen and her ghost friend. By the third chapter readers have a great feel as to what Zenobia is most interested in and how Elizabeth will manage its feasibility in the real world. The vocabulary is understandable for upper elementary school students, however, with an average page count of 20 per chapter it might be too complex for that age. Middle school students, especially girls who want some mild, spooky fun will get the most out of Elizabeth and Zenobia.