Where the Lost Ones Go

Eliot didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to leave everything she’s ever known behind, especially Babung, her grandmother, and all the memories her parents don’t want to talk about. But Eliot believes in ghosts, and if she’s going to say goodbye to Babung, all she has to do is prove they’re real and find her. When Eliot accidentally gets a summer job at a house that’s haunted by more than just sadness, she may have found her chance. But the spirits there need help remembering so they can move on, and Eliot is determined to fit the pieces together.

Eliot is awkward with people, has a hard time making friends, and wishes someone could listen to and understand her. The other characters have enough background and differences to each be unique but are still very simple. Her parents love her but fail to realize that Eliot is grieving the loss of Babung differently than they are. The mystery is wonderful and simple but complicated enough that it isn’t predictable. The end is heartbreaking but happy, and I can’t imagine a better one.