My daughter is obsessed with reading all of Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels, which she will read multiple times in one day.

I have been in the middle of celebrating “Valoween,” which is just my way of celebrating all things Halloween starting on August 1. Anyway. My daughter thought I would love this book, given the theme, and she was right.

It takes place in a fictional California coastal town of Bahia de la Luna, where it’s foggy most of the year, ghosts seem to increase in their presence as it gets closer to November 1, and Catrina’s little sister will be fighting cystic fibrosis there, which is the reason for the family’s move.

Catrina misses her friends and feels uprooted for the benefit of her sister, whom she loves of course. But the talk of ghosts in the town is freaking her out, and as the story goes on, we see that really it’s the fear of losing her sister that drives her fear of ghosts. Acknowledging ghosts seems to be equivalent to acknowledging death, which makes her miss her sister before anything even happens.

The illustrations are fun and moody. They capture the contrasts of the foggy elements of the town and the colorful elements of the Day of the Dead. This also seems to mirror the theme of finding enjoyment in life even when you know it could end–and will.

The book was borrowed from the school library, but it’s one I would want to purchase and revisit from time to time. In short, it’s an enjoyable read appropriate for upper elementary and older without too many complications.