Review: Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl & Po
by Lauren Oliver
Release Date: October 4th, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 307
ISBN: 9780062014511
Source: OUaT Book Tours

Available for Pre-Order:
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We meet Liesl the night after the day her young father has died. That same day she is visited by a ghost, Po, an eight year old boy who lives on the other side, the territory between life and death that runs parallel to the living world. Po has come to tell her that her father is stuck on the other side, and that she is the only one who can help him cross over. A couple of wooden boxes. Some ashes. Some magic dust. A ghost, its pet, and a boy who forgot to wear a hat in the cold. From these seemingly odd, random characters Oliver weaves the enchanting story of how, with the aid of Liesl, these elements come together over the course of one week to restore love and luster to a world gone grey and heartless. -Goodreads

Liesl & Po is a middle grade book by author Lauren Oliver. I have to say, I was really excited to start the book. I’ve really wanted to read something by Lauren Oliver for a while now, and Liesl & Po was the perfect book to start with!

The story starts when young Liesl, forced to live in the attic by her stepmother after the death of her father. Her favorite word is ‘ineffable’, and she repeats this word over and over to herself when she feels upset. I really love her character. She’s such a caring child. While locked in the attic, Liesl meets Po, the ghost, and his pet, Bundle. Po is another character that I really loved. Po is not a he, or a she, so it’s referred to as ‘It’. Po plays a big role in Liesl’s journey. We also meet Will in the story. Will has watched Liesl, in her attic window, from the street below. By pure chance, they meet along the way, and become friends as well. These three characters meshed so well together. I just really loved them all.

I love the storyline in the book. It was very fast paced, and I love following the children on their journey. There are some really dark parts in the book; death and pure evilness with some of the adults. I was worried that the whole book would be dark, but there were plenty enough bright spots to even the book out. I loved the ending of the book, and am so glad it ended the way it did.

Overall, I really loved this book. It’s definitely a book that will be added to my shelf, and shared with my children. I’m also really looking forward to reading more books by Ms. Oliver.

Happy Reading!