A story about family change of many types, a possibly haunted house, and one trans boy navigating it all.
Eleven-year-old Simon and his siblings, Talia and Rose, are spending a fall week at their grandmother Nanaleen’s century-old house in rural Kentucky. It feels different from their usual summer trips, however; their Mom and Dad are staying behind to “talk”; there are hints of tension between them, especially after their dad lost his job. Nanaleen’s house also smells different, and she keeps forgetting things. It’s a lot of change for one family.
Simon’s active imagination leads him to wonder if strange sounds and shadows in Nanaleen’s house are signs of ghosts. Simon acknowledges that his brain sometimes plays tricks, though, thinking that dreams are real—but he also observes that “Sometimes I have to start out believing something is imaginary until I’m finally ready to understand that it’s real.”
One of those things is that “Simon” is his real name. He’s not quite ready to share this with his family, though, even though he thinks they’d be supportive, and he’s not quite sure what gender label fits him best; he just knows that being Simon makes him “that overflowing kind of happy.” Still, he doesn’t want to add to the changes his family is dealing with.
As the siblings’ time with Nanaleen progresses, Simon discovers the hidden story of his great-aunt Brie, who mysteriously disappeared, and wonders if it is her ghost who is haunting the house. His younger sister Rose is ready to investigate with him, but his older sister Talia is skeptical—and is spending more time with her new friend Inez, as she ages into the teen years and a greater independence.
As Simon investigates, he learns more about Brie, but also about his siblings and family and about the importance of prioritizing his own happiness. His coming out as Simon is a main thread, but not the only one; this is a story about family change broadly speaking.
I particularly appreciate that although Simon is not yet out to his family, Thompson uses his chosen name and pronouns throughout the book, even when characters to whom he is not yet out are addressing him. Simon explains to readers that when people use his given name and pronouns, he changes them in his head; in this first-person narrative, only using those changed versions makes perfect sense, and feels respectful to Simon’s sense of his identity.
There is additional queer representation in the book, but it involves spoilers—click and drag over the space below if you want to know:
Talia is dating Inez; Brie appears to have been a masculine-presenting lesbian.
Comparisons will likely be made between this book, a ghost story about an 11-year-old trans child who uses he/him pronouns, and Too Bright to See, by Kyle Lukoff, a ghost story about an 11-year-old trans child who uses he/him pronouns. I will simply say that these are each very different books, and even within the realm of middle-grade ghost stories starring trans children, there are plenty of tales to tell. Don’t let your reading of one keep you from the other.
Author Lin Thompson (The Best Liars in Riverview) weaves a thoughtful and recommended story of family, history, and identity.
