Review: Ollie Oxley and the Ghost: The Search for Lost Gold by Lisa Schmid

Twelve-year-old Ollie Oxley is moving — again. His mom is starting another new job, this time at the Bingham Theater in Granite City, California. Moving all the time means Ollie has struggled in the making friends department, but he quickly connects with a boy named Teddy. To Ollie's surprise, though, his first friend in town is a little more... unique than those he's made in the past. Teddy is a ghost.

 Befriending someone who lived during the famous California Gold Rush sure does make things interesting for Ollie. But when the school bully, Aubrey, targets Ollie, and it looks like the Bingham Theater might close, the stakes couldn't be higher. Can Teddy and Ollie work together to take down Aubrey, save his mom's job, and solve a mystery years in the making?

Kindle, 184 pages

 Expected publication: June 18th, 2019

by North Star Editions/Jolly Fish Press

****

Ollie Oxley and the Ghost was a fun read, the target audience is middle grade but I enjoyed myself. This is some humor while dealing with serious subjects such as loneliness, bullying and that search for belonging and purpose, especially when your past is filled with moving from one place to another. Never really settling down and making true friends.

Ollie is a likable character and one that I couldn’t help rooting for. The story isn’t always from his viewpoint, which roundabout the story nicely. The story while enjoyable was somewhat predictable, but it was well written, creative and one I think will appeal to the younger readers.

My thanks to the publisher for an advanced copy (via Netgalley) in exchange for an honest review.