Reviews - Ghost Roast | The StoryGraph

547 reviews for:

Ghost Roast

Shawneé Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs

4.18 AVERAGE

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

4.5

emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Chelsea Grant has been trying to distance herself from her father’s ghost hunting business. It always put a target on her back and made her an outcast. But when a night of trouble lands her in jail, she finds herself required to work with her dad for the summer as punishment.

While out on a job at an historical manor in New Orleans, Chelsea discovers that she can see ghosts. It’s there that she meets a friendly spirit, Oliver, who her dad is trying to get rid of. As Chelsea gets to know Oliver, she realizes that there’s more to the story than they realize. And in order to get to the bottom of it, she has to save his afterlife.

Thanks to Versify and NetGalley for an advanced copy of Ghost Roast by Shawneé and Shawnelle Gibbs to review! You know I’m always on the lookout for new graphic novels to read, and this one caught my eye! If you like ghost hunting mixed with hidden history, this is definitely the book for you.

Let’s start with the art because the art in this is gorgeous. I loved the way that the ghosts were incorporated, and the way that emotions were portrayed with simpler drawings throughout. It all worked so well together to portray the story and to bring these characters to life. Emily Cannon (the illustrator) does an excellent job throughout, and I’d definitely read other stuff she works on.

And the story! At the surface, you have a ghost hunting story, but with a little bit of history and mystery added in. The characters are all well-developed, even the ghostly ones. Oliver’s backstory reflects the history of the south, and it was nice to see him get some recognition. Chelsea gives him a moment to shine.

There’s a bit of light romance in the story, as well as a focus on Chelsea’s bonds with both her dad and mom. We get to see growth in both throughout the story, and their interests are intertwined with Chelsea’s own story. They all connected by the end, and it all worked so well together overall.

If you’re looking for a YA ghost hunting book to start your 2024 off with, definitely check out this graphic novel!

Content Warnings

anniekslibrary's review against another edition

4.0

I'm glad I got to read this early, because this is a great autumn read. This graphic novel follows Chelsea, whose father is a ghosthunter. Over the summer, she has to accompany him on his job, and there she meets a friendly ghost. The book really delves into his background and history, making it really interesting. And there's the mystery added of a malevolent ghost on the same premisses, and some suspense with Chelsea's father who's trying to eradicate all paranormal activity while Chelsea's becoming friends with a ghost. This was such a fun, interesting read. It was fastpaced and full of heart, and I absolutely loved the art work.

abooklikeyou's review against another edition

5.0

emotional mysterious medium-paced

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Perfect for fans of Ghostbusters and Ghost Whisperer, this spooky young adult graphic novel is one you don't want to miss!

Ghost Roast follows Chelsea as she tries to navigate being a part of the popular crowd in high school while her dad, a ghost exterminator, is the laughing stock of the town. When Chelsea gets in trouble, her punishment is to now work with her dad for the summer to rid the neighborhood of ghosts. Little does she know, she might just run into a cute boy along the way!

This story was such a pleasant surprise, full of history, light romance, and family bonds. The Gibbs' really blew this one out of the water!

djl's review against another edition

4.5

emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious

inkdrinkers's review against another edition

5.0

funny mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

Chelsea Grant has tried everything to separate herself from her dad's business of being a ghost hunter. When she finds herself in hot water, grounded for the summer, and forced to work for the family business, she thinks she'll never get away from her "Ghost Girl" nickname. But when Chelsea meets a ghost in an old plantation house, she uncovers more history than she ever imagined.

This was ADORABLE. I picked this ARC up because of the cover and the concept, as a huge fan of ghostly stories, I hoped this would deliver something different and fun and it absolutely did. Chelsea is such a fun character, with a lot of heart, and even though she makes some terrible decisions in the beginning, I really grew to love her! I also really enjoyed the slow build to her discovering her gifts and the side characters that contribute a lot to this story.

The authors' choice to include all the history of New Orleans was incredible. They didn't shy away from tough topics and I loved how the art illustrated how diverse the south was both before and after the Civil War. I feel like this graphic novel nailed every little aspect, and I'm so excited to read more by these authors!

Thank you to NetGalley, HarperCollins Children's Books, and Versify for providing me a copy of this book for an honest review.

Content warnings: Death, slavery, war, racism, bullying

Content Warnings