Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Scary, heartrending tale pits tweens against monsters.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In RIVER OF SPIRITS, 12-year-old Senka is the assistant to soul-ferryman Charon. She's doing her best but starting to doubt her origin story. Charon is kind and nurturing, but also a bit selective in the facts he seems willing to share with his young charge, and also in no hurry to give her any real responsibility. Just a lot of rules, from always collecting payment from spirits crossing to the underworld to avoiding personal involvement with them. But when Charon is called away on urgent business and a call goes up from the shore where souls await transport, Senka decides to prove herself and takes the ferryboat across, only to find not a ghost but Poppy, a living, weeping girl about her own age, determined to find her recently dead little brother because she's certain he needs her help. He probably does, because there's good reason to believe he's in the Underwild, the chaotic, uncharted, and inhospitable section of the underworld where all its scariest residents dwell, wreak mayhem, and torture their victims. Moved by Poppy's plight, Senka is determined to help, despite the Rules echoing in her head, and the two girls are soon off to a lot of dark places better left unexplored in a desperate quest to find and help Joey.
Is It Any Good?
The world-building is imaginative, complex, and scary as author Shana Tarosz pits two tween girls against a terrifying array of monsters and perils in the Greek underworld. Also there's death, loss, and grief in their own pasts to confront as they navigate the River of Spirits, one seeking her lost brother, the other answers to nagging questions. The barrage of characters, internal conflict, action, anxiety, heartstring-tugging, life lessons, and sheer terror can be an overwhelming mix, but with a narrator like Senka, it's quite a ride: "When someone says 'eternal doom,' it leaves an impression, and I'd wanted to avoid learning what eternal doom was at all costs. But here we are, running straight at it."
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the characters and stories of Greek mythology and how they've been retold and reimagined over the centuries. What do you think of the way they appear in River of Spirits?
There are times to obey the rules you've been given—and maybe times not to. How can you tell what the right thing to do is? What questions do you think you should ask yourself?
If you could create your own perfect eternal life, as happens with characters in River of Spirits, what would it look like? Why do you think you'd be happy there?
How do the characters show empathy for others? Why is this an important character strength?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Aladdin
- Publication date : March 25, 2025
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 432
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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