2011 book 256

Lauren Oliver's Liesl & Po
Oliver--author of the AWESOME Before I Fall (one of my favorites of 2010) and the pretty-great Delirium--has written an MG book basically out of nowhere (well, not really, as an author's note at the end explains). It has a very old-fashioned kind of voice (except in one instance where someone says "Sheesh"), centering on a young girl, the ghost and its pet she befriends, an alchemist's apprentice, and various villainous adults (and one nice adult). And a cat. It almost feels Dickensian in theme if not in scope (it's an MG book, it's not that long). Oliver weaves her threads together satisfactorily and the illustrations are gorgeous and add to the fairy-tale feel (even in the Kindle version). A/A-.