The White Road of the Moon

Gr 7 Up—In this high fantasy novel, readers are taken to an alternate world of kingdoms that exist in a kind of medieval time and place. Meridy is an orphan living with her aunt. She is about to begin an apprenticeship with the town soapmaker when she wanders off and comes across a dying man, a young ghost boy, and a ghost dog. This encounter sparks Meridy's growing realization that she has the abilities not only to see and talk to ghosts but also to control them and travel between the ethereal and the real worlds. Following the ghost dog, she travels to a larger city, and along the way, she comes to know another girl with similar abilities, while also befriending and helping other ghosts. As Meridy learns exactly what her powers are and how to control them, she is woven into the lives and deaths of the most powerful people in the realm. The pace of this story is sluggish, and the writing is laden with too much description. The world-building is extensive, but there is too much history, and in the end, the plethora of location names and people become difficult to keep track of.