Graveyard shift in Ghost Town by Michael Pryor
Ghost Town book 2. Allen and Unwin, 2019. ISBN:
9781760523930.
(Age: 13+) Highly recommended. Themes: Ghosts. Humour. Melbourne,
Diversity. Wow! What a great sequel to Gap
year in Ghost Town. Pryor brings back Anton Marin and Rani
Cross, ghost fighters extraordinary, with their researcher friend
Bec, in another exciting and funny adventure as an extreme ghost
plague takes over the city.
Written in the first person by Anton, the reader is faced with
humorous narration and lots of funny asides as Anton relates how he
is feeling about the dangers of ghost fighting and his
self-professed goal of becoming more mature. Rani and Bec's romance
continues and while Anton sometimes feels left out, the three manage
to stay good friends.
There is action galore as well as Anton and Rani take on the plague
of ghost thugs that have taken over Melbourne (Australian readers
will love the descriptions of the sights and alleyways of this
city). There are so many ghosts to fight, not just the lingerers
that Anton knows so well, but moaners, weepers and thugs. When
Anton's Aunt Tanja makes an unexpected appearance, after many years
of being lost, in the warehouse where people are being tortured,
there are many questions raised about the nature of the ghost plague
and what to do about it. Bec's research skills come to the fore and
Anton and Rani must excel in fighting.
People who loved the first book will delight in the snappy prose and
character development in Graveyard Shift in Ghost Town and
will look forward to the next in this highly entertaining series.
Pat Pledger