Jasmine Is Haunted

July 29, 2024
Spirits have repeatedly chased eighth grader Jasmine Garza and her mami from their rental homes, so they’ve moved multiple times since Papi died. While trying to fit in at her new school, she meets queer and genderqueer Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera, who is gay. Bea, whose parents are professional supernatural investigators, is immediately intrigued by Jasmine’s claim that she’s haunted and invites her to join the Gay Supernatural Alliance (“We renamed it,” Jorge explains). As members of the GSA, Bea and Jorge investigate paranormal events in their school—and they’re certain they can help Jasmine not only figure out what is haunting her but, more importantly, get it to stop. Jasmine soon finds herself at a crossroads and must decide if she’s ready to forge her own path. Empathy plays a key role in this captivating and emotionally nuanced paranormal adventure by Oshiro (You Only Live Once, David Bravo) that explores themes of family secrets and heritage. Spine-tingling descriptions of the trio’s experiences with things beyond the veil such as pulsating and oozing shadows add tension to meditations on life and death as seen through a Latinx narrator’s eyes. Ages 8–12. Agent: DongWon Song, Howard Morhaim Literary.

August 1, 2024
Grades 4-7 Ever since the passing of her father four years ago, 12-year-old Jasmine Garza senses the presence of spirits pursuing her. This causes Jasmine and her mom to move to new apartments. After one such move, Jasmine meets Bea and George, the only two members of her school's GSA (Gay Straight Alliance, which they renamed Gay Supernatural Alliance), and confesses to them that she is haunted. To Jasmine's surprise, Bea and George offer to be her friends and help her. Wary that they're hiding ulterior motives, Jasmine chooses to bottle up her feelings from them and her mom. Jasmine and her loved ones will need to learn to open up to one another before the hauntings intensify. Award-winning, queer Latinx author Oshiro's new middle-grade tale dips into the supernatural realm while including a message not to be afraid of being honest with loved ones. Readers will appreciate Oshiro presenting sexuality as being fluid for the characters, all the while making this a chilling read for those who prefer being spooked before bedtime.

COPYRIGHT(2024) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

September 1, 2024
Can a young teen learn to communicate with the spirit who's haunting her? Ever since Papi died, eighth grader Jasmine Garza, who's Mexican American, has been haunted with poltergeistlike activity that has driven her and Mami to repeatedly move around California. At Jasmine's latest school, she decides to follow Mami's suggestion to try to make a friend. Jasmine, who's queer, accepts English teacher Mx. Chen's invitation to check out the school's GSA, or Gay Supernatural Alliance. There she meets Bea Veracruz and Jorge Barrera. Once they learn Jasmine is being haunted, the pair dive into helping her rid herself of the spirit--but the spirit's activity only increases. Can Jasmine make contact before the spirit's growing darkness engulfs the whole neighborhood? At the center of this heartfelt ghost story swirls the lingering grief of those the dead leave behind, and the signal importance of family, friends, and community in ameliorating that grief. Jasmine's community is vibrant, queernormative, and multiethnic, with strong Latine representation. Spanish phrases add texture and are easily comprehensible for those who don't know the language. The complicated, layered characters all hold their own secrets, just as Jasmine holds hers--and they find the same freedom she does in letting those secrets go. The book's only drawback is some occasional unclear phrasing that at times interferes with tracking the action. A sincere, spooky, supernatural mystery with Latine roots that explores powerful bonds.(Supernatural. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2025
Ever since Papi died four years ago, a ghost haunts Jasmine Garza, but she's not sure if it's Papi's or someone else's. The ghost follows Jasmine as she moves from one apartment to another, forcing her and Mami to relocate again and again. Their latest move is to East Hollywood, where they settle into a house and Jasmine starts attending a new middle school. She joins the GSA -- which she thinks is the Gay Straight Alliance, only to discover that it is the Gay Supernatural Alliance. Jasmine confides in Bea and Jorge, the other two group members, seeking their help to rid herself of the ghost. With the assistance of Jasmine's tia Selena, her mami, and Bea's parents, who are paranormal hunters, they discover that Jasmine is a nexus for dead souls, causing the souls to gravitate toward her. Through a seance, they unearth multiple souls and a family secret and bring closure to the spirits and to Jasmine. Though the ghosts are somewhat scary throughout, the final scene is positively chilling. This captivating supernatural story offers a unique perspective on death, dying, and moving on. At its heart is the importance of family, friendship, and believing in oneself. Yesica Hurd

(Copyright 2025 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)