A Chinese-American girl in New York City lives with her mom and n’er-do-well brother in a tiny apartment. The father/husband was abusive and finally walked out on them. The girl works up a business as an academic tutor and goes to live with a wealthy family for the summer. The little girl she tutors is convinced the house is haunted by a ghost.
This is a well-developed and -written book. Lots of flawed people but most of them you feel sympathy toward. The grown-ups are pretty much shown to be no better at life than the young adults. There is some brief gore and an occult theme but this theme does not overwhelm the rest of the book. In fact, I don’t feel it is explained QUITE sharply enough, but overall it is well done. Late in the book there are a few explosive uses of the F-word. Wish writers wouldn’t use it, but it did not feel gratuitous.
Categories: Books We Recommend, Diversity, Dysfunctional Relationships, Supernatural/Occult
Before You Buy YA 
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