City of Ghosts

“The faint groan of sandbags settling on their hinges. The whisper of air beneath the floorboards.”

As Cassidy experiences the other side of the Veil, the world is no less rich and alive. The author uses personification to describe the sights and sounds of the stage. By giving the objects human-like traits of groaning and whispering, the author makes the sounds feel vivid and real. The use of the literary device also adds a sinister and spooky mood to the moment.

“If we were in a comic book, this would be our origin story. Some people get a spider bite, or a vat of acid. We got a river.”

Jacob is a big fan of comic books, and the author incorporates the motif into this moment where Cassidy explains their mysterious bond. She references popular comic book superheroes like Spider Man in comparing her experience. Though she still does not fully understand what happened, she knows she and Jacob are united now, and the reference to superheroes foreshadows that they were brought together for a reason.

“So my parents talk about—or write about—ghosts, but can’t actually see them. I can actually see ghosts, but don’t want to talk—or write—about them.”

Cassidy explains her peculiar and ironic situation. This paradox sets up a conflict in the story, as Cassidy’s father is skeptical of the very thing that plagues his daughter. This can also be a metaphor for the larger theme of parent-to-teenager relationships. Often, kids experience sensations and experiences their parents do not understand and, therefore, discount or undermine, causing friction in the relationship.

“And then, out of nowhere, the road changes beneath us, shifting from pavement to cobblestones, as if we’re moving back in time. The car rattles over the uneven road.”

The author employs figurative language and sensory imagery to establish the Scottish setting. As the geography changes, and they move from the New Town into the Old Town, the texture of the street changes, signaling this shift. The uneasy rattling of the car mimics Cassidy’s mood as they enter the uncertainties that await in the haunted city.

“‘Och, aye,’ he says with a nod.”

The phrase means “yes, okay” in Scots. The author employs the use of regional language to mark the change of setting from America to Scotland. After Cassidy takes in the new landscape with her eyes, she hears the change in the way people talk. The new, unfamiliar dialect also creates a strong sense of place as the narrative moves to Edinburgh.

“‘Will we be meeting him?’ asks Dad. […]. ‘I shouldn’t think so. Mr. Weathershire’s been dead for nigh on eight years.’”

Though the novel tackles serious subjects such as the mysteries of death and the afterlife, the author injects humor at key moments to lighten the mood, in keeping with the middle-grade tone. Mrs. Weathershire is a quirky, humorous character, and her comment about her late husband’s presence provides a moment of comic relief in the narrative.

“Her voice cuts through the graveyard, low and smooth and sweet. It’s like someone plucked a string behind my ribs. The melody ripples through my bones, my muscles, my head.”

After the forces of the Veil yanks her to the other side, Cassidy experiences the world of the dead in a different way than she has previously. When she sees the mysterious woman in the red cloak, her song entrances Cassidy, drawing her closer like that of the Sirens. As with anything related to the Veil or ghosts, Cassidy has a very visceral experience, feeling it deep in her body. The author uses figurative language to show the woman’s voice playing Cassidy’s body like an instrument, reinforcing the powerlessness she feels while in the grips of these otherworldly forces.

“Ah, here those kind of chips are called crisps.”

Cassidy experiences culture shock in her first few days in Scotland, and it comes primarily through language. She learns an elevator is a “lift,” undergarments are “pants,” and pants are “trousers.” In this quote, her mother explains that in the United Kingdom they call fries “chips.” The moments provide a touch of humor to the narrative and help to establish a sense of place as the story moves to another country with a different culture and dialect of English.

“As we descend, so does the temperature.”

People have long associated the presence of a ghost with a cold draft or chilly gust of air. The author uses this motif throughout the narrative to create a sensory experience for the reader. Cassidy’s experience of cold when she is in the presence of ghosts, however, is unique. She experiences the cold when she is close to the Veil because every time she passes through, she relives her plunge into the icy water of the river and relives her near drowning.

“Do you believe in ghosts?”

This question recurs throughout the first two parts of the narrative. It is clear everyone in Edinburgh believes in ghosts or at least wants to believe. Cassidy’s dad claims he does not believe but is still fascinated by those who do. Lara asks it of Cassidy, and she remains silent. Ironically, though her best friend is a ghost, she cannot summon the courage to admit it to others. Once she sees Lara interacting with the ghost behind the Veil, Cassidy’s relationship with the spirit world dramatically changes.

“I notice that the light in her chest is a warmer hue, rose-tinted, while mine is bluer, colder.”

The discovery of Lara’s ability to cross the Veil opens a whole new world to Cassidy. She now realizes she is not alone in her special gift. However, the realization brings joy but also questions, as she can tell Lara’s experience of crossing over is different from hers. Most notably, the light in their chests is different colors. Cassidy notes Lara’s warm-tinged light, while hers is a chilly blue. Colors and sensations of warmth and cold are important motifs in the narrative, symbolizing a person’s unique experience of death and crossing the Veil.

“Embrace your strange, dear daughter. Where’s the fun in being normal.”

Cassidy’s parents, despite their strange vocation, are loving and supportive. Her mom accepts Cassidy’s unique personality and does not question or shame her for her invisible friend. In this quote, she exemplifies supportive parenting by encouraging her daughter to embrace her unique individuality. She highlights the lesson that living in one’s truth opens one up to the possibility of freedom and adventure.

“I believe there’s something left behind when a person goes, a kind of memory. I’ve lived too long in this city not to believe it. But I don’t think they really mean us harm.”

As Cassidy talks with Findley, she realizes he shares similar beliefs about the spirit world as her father. Both think the belief in ghosts is a way to remember the dead and keep their memory alive. This comes at a crucial time, as Cassidy is gaining a better understanding of her ability to interact with ghosts and why she has this ability. Before, she saw her gift as a burden, but she is learning there may be a greater purpose to her job as a ghost hunter.

“Anger changes people, but it changes ghosts even more. His edges ripple and the color goes out of his face. He looks […] ghoulish.”

The more time Cassidy spends in Edinburgh, the more she learns about the spirit world. Until now, her experience with ghosts was limited to Jacob and the few she encountered through the Veil. But as she learns more about her job to release the trapped ghosts, her relationship with Jacob becomes complicated. He now sees her as a threat, and his persona changes from a humorous blond boy to a fiendish spirit.

“[…] but if I stay here much longer, I’m going to lose my consonants.”

Lara comments on dialect and the linguistic idea of dropping consonants. Elisions or deletions of consonants in words are a function of the changes in language over time. Scottish English speakers are known to drop consonants, especially the ‘h’ sound, from words. It is common for a non-Scottish person like Lara stigmatize the versions of English spoken by the Scots and Irish as inferior or lower class.

“I understand what drew me again and again into the Veil. What I was looking for without looking. What I needed. It was this.”

After Cassidy has her first experience reaping a ghost, she can finally make sense of the pull of the Veil. Her previous explorations left her feeling confused and uncertain, but now she knows why she has this unique ability. After she sets the ghost free, she experiences a release of the tapping sensation and a profound sense of peace, confirming that she is fulfilling her purpose.

“I press myself against the Veil straining to see out of the world of the dead and into the land of the living. It’s like shoving your face into a bowl of water, no air, and everything’s kind of swimmy.”

Once Cassidy is trapped inside the Veil, she experiences what it is like to be a ghost and be unable to escape grief and agony. The author uses figurative language to express the physical sensations Cassidy experiences in her paralyzed state. By comparing it to being underwater, she communicates the claustrophobic disorientation Cassidy endures and ties it back to her near-drowning experience. 

“‘S’no place for children,’ growls the soldier, gesturing at the castle yard. ‘Get ye gone, or I’ll toss you in a prison cell.’”

A ghostly soldier angrily forces Cassidy to leave the castle prison. The author uses a cockney dialect to show the ghost is from a time in the past. His statement is also ironic. When he threatens to throw her in prison, he does not know Cassidy is already imprisoned in her Veil loop. The soldier is also unknowingly caught in his version of the Veil, and Cassidy holds the ability to free him, if she were not already in the fight to save her own life.

“Sometimes help is a place and sometimes it’s a person, and sometimes it’s a bit of both.”

When the Raven in Red steals Cassidy’s life cord, she knows there is only one person who can help. Before Lara, Cassidy believed she was alone in her ability to cross the Veil. Knowing she has a friend now in Lara gives her hope and a new sense of security.

“‘We all need someone who sees us clearly.’”

When Cassidy asks Mr. Weathershire why Lara has not released him from the Veil, he says he is not ready to say goodbye and that the two have come to an understanding. Lara has a similar connection to her uncle as Cassidy’s to Jacob. Having someone around that understands her plight as an in-betweener is comforting and needed, even if they are a ghost.

“I turn around to see a group of hooded figures wearing monstrous masks—birdlike faces with long beaks. They are clutching lanterns, but smoke pours out instead of light.”

Many of the haunted legends in Edinburgh revolve around the plague years. As Cassidy moves through the Veil, she sees ghosts from all eras, and the ghosts with the bird masks are particularly frightening. During outbreaks of the plague, doctors would move from house to house treating the sick, and they would wear masks to protect them from the virus they thought was airborne. What Cassidy mistakes for lanterns are censers full of burning incense thought to keep away the bad air or “miasma.”

“It seems […] fragile. Less like a lightbulb, and more like a candle, something I need to shield against the wind.”

Even after Cassidy’s near-death experience and all her trips into the Veil, she still did not have a full appreciation for the value of her life. After the Raven stole it from her and she experienced the sensations of oncoming death and what it is like to be stuck in the Veil, she has a newfound appreciation for just how fragile life can be. Ironically, the cord is visible only when she is in the Veil, meaning her time spent there serves an important purpose in visually illustrating the fragility of life.

“‘There’s a mark on you, Cassidy,’ he says, suddenly sober. ‘You be careful now.’”

Findley proclaims earlier in the novel his respect for the ghostly history of Edinburgh. However, he does not reveal the depths of his belief until he buys a beer for the departed Reggie at the pub. When he heroically intercedes as the Raven attacks Cassidy, he displays his true belief in the malevolent underworld. His warning here to Cassidy serves not only to support his staunch belief in ghosts but also as grim foreshadowing for what is to come on her next ghost-hunting adventure. The warning also makes Cassidy emotional, as she finally has an adult who fully understands her plight as an in-betweener.