Top 5 Tuesday || Ghosts

BOO! Are you scared yet?

Probably not, since I’m hardly the intimidating sort. If I was a ghost, I’d be Casper (adorable and non-threatening, despite any attempts otherwise). The ghosts I’m talking about for Top 5 Tuesday, though? Well, some of them are definitely spookier than I am!

And of course, you can thank Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads for this month’s T5T prompts! She’s been a stellar host so far, and hopefully she doesn’t mind me squishing two rounds of T5T into one day! 🧡

Rose Marshall from the Ghost Roads Series by Seanan McGuire

Easily one of my favorite ghosts of all time, Rose Marshall is some both kind and absolutely kickass, which is a delightful combination while dealing with all things spooky! Her adventures on the Ghost Roads are so damn captivating, and I’m over the moon that she’s getting a third book! Angel of the Overpass is probably going to rip my heart out and stomp on it because I care about Rose so much, but that’s just the way I want it!

 

The Skull in the Jar from the Lockwood and Co. Series by Jonathan Stroud

Far more unsettling than Rose Marshall is the Skull in the Jar (capitalized for both respect and effect) from Jonathan Stroud’s Lockwood and Co. series! It’s often impossible to tell exactly what the skull’s motives are, and what it stands to gain from trying to manipulate Lockwood and Co. via Lucy, but that’s what makes it such an excellent ghost. You have no way of knowing exactly whose side it’s on other than its own, and that wild card factor is sometimes scarier than a ghost that’s definitely not friendly… 😱

 

Jacob from the Cassidy Blake Series by V.E. Schwab

Swinging back to wholesome, Jacob from V.E. Schwab’s Cassidy Blake series is just a cutie who died tragically soon. He’s all a preteen could want in a best friend (except that no one else can see or hear him), and the fact that he cares so much about Cass not getting too closely tangled with the dead makes me soft.

Jacob is a good and wholesome ghost child and I’d hug him if I could.

 

The Swan Sisters from The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw

Aaaaand time to pivot back to spooky with the Swan sisters from The Wicked Deep by Shea Ernshaw! Every year, they make it a point to haunt the town of Sparrow and drown boys who fall under their charms. They’re dangerous, they’re ruthless, and they’re also a little bit witchy. Plus, Ernshaw’s prose makes them enchanting enough that you can see why their hold over Sparrow is so strong!

 

Suki from the Shadow of the Fox Series by Julie Kagawa

Last but certainly not least is Suki from Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox series! While she’s not a primary character, I loved her a lot because she went to such lengths to maintain a ghostly form. Instead of passing on to whatever waits after death, she stayed to help our cast achieve their goals. She’s a light in the dark, small though she may be, and I appreciated her from the very start.

 

Turns out that there’s not as many ghosts on my shelf as I thought! I suppose that’s one consequence of not reading very much horror. Someone has to be a certified chicken, and I guess that someone is me!

If it were up to you, though, who would your favorite ghosts be? 👻