While spirits in the novel sometimes embody full-fledged characters such as José and the woman Cat sits with at the celebration, they also serve as a symbol of the family’s Mexican heritage and the endurance of The Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood even in death. Cat and Maya hear from Carlos that the town is inhabited by ghosts on their first day there. Cat does not believe in ghosts and tries to convince Maya to share her skepticism. Maya is still young enough to be open to the possibility, and it is her curiosity that leads the two sisters to trudge up the hill to the mission with Carlos to meet real ghosts. There, Cat and Maya learn that ghosts rely on the living. The ghosts try to steal Maya’s breath, rendering her hospitalized. Even this frightening and dangerous experience does not deter Maya, as she is desperate to know what happens after death and understand as much as possible about it. Ghosts continue to follow Cat through the months leading up to Halloween, and although she resists them the entire time, with her sister’s encouragement, she finally gathers the courage to meet them.