Common Sense Media Review
By JK Sooja
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Magical, inventive adventure has ghosts, talks about death.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 10+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE SPIRIT GLASS, Corazon Lopez is a 12-year-old babaylan (spirit guide and magical healer) in training. Having lost her parents to a car accident years ago, she wants nothing more than for her Aunt Tina to begin teaching her magic. Corazon hopes that maybe one day she'll be powerful enough to bring back her parents for good. But when her magical soul key gets stolen, she must go on a grand adventure, traversing magical spirit realms, meeting ghouls, ghosts, and spirits in need, and traveling through magical mirrors that transport her from the real world to the spirit realm. Can Corazon and her anitos (spirit companion in the form of a lizard), Saso, restore the balance between the real world and the spirit realm before it's too late?
Is It Any Good?
This magical tale of family and friendship is inventive and fun. There are, however, many ghosts, ghouls, and spirits in The Spirit Glass, some of which may scare some younger tween readers. One particular kind, called manananggals, are said to "eat children" and are described as ghoulish and vampiric. There is also a terribly sad story of a young family tormented by a bad man and angry mob. They burn down the family's house with them in it, and their little boy dies also. The bad man is described as a sexual predator who was stalking the mother and got increasingly enraged about her rejections. So there are plenty of dark elements to be aware of.
But if these themes and ghostly elements aren't too intense, there is a great adventure story here full of creativity, hilarious characters, fun action, challenging missions, and some fantastic twists that will surprise and satisfy. This story is rooted in and inspired by Filipino culture and tradition. The magic, creatures, spirits, environments, and mythology are all inventively used here, and the creatures, ghosts, and spirits have fun and unique personalities. A strong entry into the middle grade fantasy genre, this novel will thrill fans of Chokshi's previous books and any intrepid reader looking for a magical read.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in middle grade fantasy stories. Was any of the violence in The Spirit Glass particularly scary? If so, what was the most scary part?
What makes Corazon a fun and likable hero? How does Corazon show courage, empathy, and gratitude? What other likeable character traits does she have?
Were you surprised by any of the revelations at the end? What was your favorite of these moments?
Of all the characters in the story, who was your favorite and why?
If there is a sequel to this story, what would you want to see in it? What story would you next like this series to tell?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- Character Strengths : Courage , Empathy , Gratitude , Teamwork
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Rick Riordan Presents
- Publication date : September 5, 2023
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 8 - 12
- Number of pages : 320
- Available on : Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate