Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia [Blog Tour: Review & Giveaway]

Hello! Welcome to the next stop on the Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts blog tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. I am thrilled to share my thoughts on this book with you! Thank you for stopping by, and don't forget to enter the giveaway at the bottom!

Title: TUESDAY MOONEY TALKS TO GHOSTS
Author: Kate Racculia
Pub. Date: October 8, 2019
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
Pages: 368
Find it: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, TBD

A dying billionaire sends one woman and a cast of dreamers and rivals on a citywide treasure hunt in this irresistible novel by the author of Bellweather Rhapsody.

Tuesday Mooney is a loner. She keeps to herself, begrudgingly socializes, and spends much of her time watching old Twin Peaks and X-Files DVDs. But when Vincent Pryce, Boston’s most eccentric billionaire, dies—leaving behind an epic treasure hunt through the city, with clues inspired by his hero, Edgar Allan Poe—Tuesday’s adventure finally begins.

Puzzle-loving Tuesday searches for clue after clue, joined by a ragtag crew: a wisecracking friend, an adoring teen neighbor, and a handsome, cagey young heir. The hunt tests their mettle, and with other teams from around the city also vying for the promised prize—a share of Pryce’s immense wealth—they must move quickly. Pryce’s clues can't be cracked with sharp wit alone; the searchers must summon the courage to face painful ghosts from their pasts (some more vivid than others) and discover their most guarded desires and dreams.

A deliciously funny ode to imagination, overflowing with love letters to art, from The Westing Game to Madonna to the Knights of the Round Table, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is the perfect read for thrill seekers, wanderers, word lovers, and anyone looking for an escape to the extraordinary.

"Having someone care about you makes you want to give a shit, especially if you’re having trouble caring about yourself."

I received a copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts was a phenomenal read, and one that I cannot wait to read again! I don't know why I thought this (the creative cover is likely the culprit), but I went into this book thinking it was a MG story. It's definitely not for children (based on the language, content, and age of the characters), but it's a fucking fantastic read! This book has so many of my favorite things wrapped up in one story. The Poe references, a potential murder mystery, treasure-hunting, puzzles, and just everything. I really loved this one!

The characters in this book were well-written and fleshed out, and they've found a permanent place in my heart. They had me laughing with their heart-warming banter, and I was emotionally invested in all of their lives. It's been awhile since I've cared so deeply about fictional people, but Tuesday and her crew were easy to love and root for. Dex is a diva! I loved his journey and the circumstances in which he found himself. They were all flawed and so beautifully broken, but in ways that were relatable and authentic. I sympathized with their struggles and felt a connection with them that transcended the words written in this book. Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is about regular people trying to survive in the world, with a dash of magical realism thrown in. Dorry, Archie, and Lyle -- they were all essential characters that furthered the story in various ways. I enjoyed watching everything come together and seeing how everyone effectively played a role that impacted the outcome of Vincent's game(s).

The setting was atmospheric and wonderfully crafted. I don't want to say too much and ruin the experience for others, but trust me when I say it's worth reading about for yourselves. My eyes were glued to the pages, my heart beat for the people in this book, and the ending was incredibly satisfying. I could definitely read more about these characters, but I'm very happy with where the author left things. I cannot recommend this book enough!

About Kate:

Kate Racculia is a novelist living in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. She is the author of the novels This Must Be the Place and Bellweather Rhapsody, winner of the American Library Association’s Alex Award. Her third novel, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in 2019.

Kate was a teenage bassoonist in her hometown of Syracuse, and studied illustration, design, Jane Austen, and Canada at the University of Buffalo. She moved to Boston to get her MFA from Emerson College, and stuck around for 11 years. She has been a cartoonist, a planetarium operator, a movie and music reviewer, a coffee jerk, a bookseller, a designer, a finance marketing proposal writer, and a fundraising prospect researcher. She teaches online for Grub Street, works at her local public library, and sings in the oldest Bach choir in America.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

3 winners will receive a finished copy of TUESDAY MOONEY TALKS TO GHOSTS,US Only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule:

Week One: 
10/14/2019-Southern Girl Bookaholic Excerpt
10/15/2019-BookHounds YA Excerpt
10/16/2019-Lifestyle of Me Review
10/17/2019-Storiesandplottwists Review
10/18/2019-Moonlight Rendezvous Review

Week Two: 
10/21/2019-Smada's Book Smack Review
10/22/2019-Fictitiouswonderland Review
10/23/2019-Jena Brown Writes Review
10/24/2019-Little Red Reads Review
10/25/2019-Geronimo Reads Review 

Week Three: 
10/28/2019-Fictitious Fox Review
10/29/2019-The Pages In-Between Review
10/30/2019-Books and Sassy Lilacs Review
10/31/2019-The BookWorm Drinketh Review

Week Four: 
11/4/2019-bookishrealm Review
11/5/2019-Do You Dog-ear? Review
11/6/2019-Shelf-Rated Review
11/7/2019-The Try Everything Review
11/8/2019-Savings in Seconds Review