I think this funny adventure story would be excellent for reluctant readers. I laughed out loud because of the wonderful one-liners. Tricky and believable plotting, laugh-out-loud lines, and the warmest Trivial-Pursuit-loving banshee character I never thought I'd read about.

Conor, the rule-following, fantasy mapmaking, spider-phobic hero is endearingly smart and funny. It was a treat to watch him become the hero he never thought he could be.

The father-son-grandfather and the brother-sister relationships are well-drawn and add to the story.

Tiny niggle: I didn't care for the phonetic spelling of the Irish names. I don't know if reincarnation is a little too weird as a theme for a kid's book, but it made a great plot device.

A few favorite quotes:
"particularly if you needed help faking a sudden inability to determine the speed of Train A in relation to Train B. The right answer required brains, but a believeable wrong answer? That took real talent."

"Nobody took Javier seriously--he was way too smart, his face too angelic, his eyelashes too long. He often spent recess fixing the computer in the principal's office--an act that was so far beyond nerdy that it left most of his classmates speechless."

"Well then, dying is unacceptable," Ms. Wright said. "Back to class now."

"To make himself feel better, Conor located himself on his cell phone GPS. Sure enough, there he was at Barbara McMichael Middle School, one-point-seven miles from 36A Crumlin Street." ( )

It's been a long time since I read and loved Small Persons with Wings. When her next book came out, I immediately purchased it, but it's taken me a while to actually read it.

Conor O'Neill is scared of spiders, bullies, his dad's disappointment if he doesn't play hockey and attend Latin school, and basically just about everything. But his fears pale when he encounters Aisling, a very young banshee who is determined to collect her "death" so she can be reborn into the world. Conor panics at the thought that she could be here for the death of any of his family, from his brash and annoying younger sister to his quirky grandfather, and struggles to face his fears and make difficult decisions for his family.

This was humorous but slow-paced; the story built in slow waves to the climax and readers expecting a quick and happy resolution will be disappointed. The characters learn more about themselves and grow, but remain themselves; Conor is still scared of (just about) everything, his best friend is obsessed with technology, his dad is pressuring him to fulfill his own dreams. But Conor has learned there's more to death than he thought and Aisling, while still remaining a largely shadowy creature, has a future ahead of her.

Verdict: I don't think this has the strong appeal of Small Persons with Wings, but I did enjoy the story and will probably give it a boost in the collection to see if I can save it from weeding for a few more years.

ISBN: 9780803737044 ; Published 2013 by Dial; Purchased for the library

Conor O'Neill is afraid of spiders and many other things. He follows his parents' house rules to the letter. When a young banshee named Ashling shows up in his bedroom, he is terrified to learn that one of his family will die. Will it be Mom, Dad, sister Gwennie or beloved Grump, his Irish grandfather? Ashling doesn't know, but she is eager to see the sights of his world while she's waiting to announce the death. Having died in 15th century Ulster, Ireland, she is amazed by the modern world and learns many fascinating facts from Conor's old trivial pursuit cards. One of the funniest incidents is when Ashling comes to Conor's middle school. In history class, she spouts the trivia facts she's learned about Lincoln's assassination. She's fascinated by death because of who she is, of course, but also because of the way she was killed in Ireland. I won't give that away, but here's an excerpt from her dialogue during history class: "Assassination also means killing." "yes. It's killing an important person, a head of state or the like." "With an ax through the head," Ashling said with authority." "Not usually. You know, Ashling, on this side of the pond we raise our ha---" "An ax through the head does not tickle." Conor is a good kid who braves his fears to help his family. Ashling is a banshee who wants to be released from a past tragedy. Together, they face the Lady of the Underworld in an attempt to solve both of their problems. Quirky, slightly spooky, funny, and full of Celtic lore, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It will appeal to its target middle school audience with its modern language, use of technology, and sarcastic humor. Yet overall, it is a story of family and friendship. Recommended. ( )