Salem Amani is a world-weary sixteen-year-old living with his mother and older sister in a haunted house. But all Sal really wants is to be ordinary, which is hard to do when you live in a house full of ghosts. And when a strange boy arrives on his doorstep asking more questions than he’s at all comfortable with, Sal’s efforts to be ordinary are put under even greater strain. Until Pax makes his offer: “I could help you with the hauntings…I’m good with ghosts.”

But despite his initial dislike of Pax, Sal can’t help but find himself unexpectedly drawn to the boy. And as the two grow closer, and Pax offers to help Sal scare away his ghosts for good, Sal finds himself sinking deeper into a lie concealing the truth about his family.

When the true nature of the “hauntings” is revealed, Sal must confront reality – or risk losing Pax for good.

The Other Ones by Fran Hart is full of hidden depths and secrets as it explores what it means to be haunted. Interestingly enough, I read two books about hauntings and each had a unique vision about what it means and how to move beyond grief. The narrative here is so much more than a relationship between Sal and Pax and it is full of truths about opening up to both life and love. 

What makes The Other Ones so richly complex and emotional is the weight of the characters, both Sal and Pax and how they come together. Their relationship changes Sal but the truth of his house and the ghosts must be tackled by both in order for Sal to be able to embrace life and love. I love the complexity of the story and the emotions as Sal struggles with the weight of his secrets and I also love how the story is resolved with love and hope for both.

If you like stories about relationships and how grief can haunt, not only a person but a house, this story is for you. It is richly emotional, full of hidden depths and tackles some very real dilemmas for Sal and his family. The relationship is genuine and realistic with both characters being real and quirky. I love their relationship but I also enjoy Sal’s friendships with the others around him as he slowly opens up. This is a beautiful and loving story.

Rating: 5 out of 5 friends.