Liesel & Po by Lauren Oliver

My name is Will, and I am useless and pathetic. At least, that's all the alchemist ever calls me. He sends me on errands in the middle of the night, and the only positive part is when I pass the window of the girl in the attic. I imagine she'd be my friend if we ever met. One night, I mixed up the delivery of a box to the Lady Premiere, a huge mistake! I guess I gave her someone's cremated ashes instead of the most powerful magic ever seen. Oops! I barely escaped the alchemist's clutches and quickly hopped a train out of town. I kind of devised a plan during the following hours, but they quickly changed during a stop when I saw the girl from the attic walking outside the window! I finally met Liesl a few hours later, but I wasn't prepared for her ghostly friends. However, I didn't know it at the time, but Po and Bundle soon became the keys to saving our lives!

This book is one of those where seemingly separate series of events all come together in the end. Liesl's sole focus is on returning her father's ashes to the pond where her mother is buried. Will's focus is on staying alive and helping Liesl. The alchemist's focus is on pleasing the Lady Premiere by giving her the magic to raise spirits of the dead. Other random minor characters get mixed up in the events but become important in the unified resolution of the issues. Liesl maintains an innocence throughout the plot, as she's motivated by love. She tries to teach Po about friendship, things he's forgotten since his death. Po doesn't understand emotions but quickly trusts Liesl and wants to help her. His ability to travel between the living and the Other Side is important in helping Liesl. It's interesting that the author makes the ghosts' identities less defined. Po isn't a boy or girl, and Bundle isn't a dog or cat. This adds to the endearing confusion of these spirits. Overall, I enjoyed the story more than I expected and can recommend it to average-level middle grade readers.