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carlyxdeexx's review against another edition
4.0
Ah yes. Yet another review I wrote in full that was erased by Goodreads because there is no draft feature for these ding dang reviews. I honestly wish there was a way to save progress on here without publicly posting a partial review.
Anyway, this was a recommendation from my cousin. I love the art, I love that my cousin’s skin color is represented in this book, and I admire its effort to tie the ghosts into Maya’s cystic fibrosis through breath and energy (though I thought the execution was a bit shaky, it was easy enough to just accept and kinda go with—much like the idea of ghosts appearing as skeletons).
I liked that school wasn’t the battleground of this book? The battleground isn’t always school. This wasn’t a book about cliques, popularity, or bullying along with the difficulties of a move, facing the idea of illness and death as a child, and what it means to care about someone. GHOSTS is focused and doesn’t delve much into Cat’s school life, other than it’s a place where she eventually makes friends.
I liked that these characters were nuanced, but so easy to understand. Cat could be bratty or selfish at times, but we were always shown why, and every difficult moment was balanced by a moment of love or sacrifice. It was nice to see flaws in every character, and love them anyway.
One thing I saw in this book’s reviews is that some people are disturbed by the lack of history when it comes to the ghosts. Most of them are supposedly Mexican and people wondered at the absence of Native American ghosts. I get it. I think it’s super apparent that the ghosts in this book are a device more than they are an independent character in their own right. They are a tool used to connect to Maya’s cystic fibrosis, and the concept of death, and hope despite the looming fear of death. Their function in the story is mostly to support Maya and Cat’s story by showcasing a part of their culture and being a representation of something that deeply scares Cat and fascinates Maya.
Is it right to use the ghosts as a device, to tie them to a particular culture? I don’t know. Like I said before, this is a focused book and it knows its themes, and I’m not surprised it didn’t make oppression and rape and extortion part of those themes, especially since kids are the book’s target audience (not to say there’s no way to address such heavy themes in books for children). But I think if that wasn’t Telgemeier’s intention with this particular book, that’s okay.
Anyway, this was a recommendation from my cousin. I love the art, I love that my cousin’s skin color is represented in this book, and I admire its effort to tie the ghosts into Maya’s cystic fibrosis through breath and energy (though I thought the execution was a bit shaky, it was easy enough to just accept and kinda go with—much like the idea of ghosts appearing as skeletons).
I liked that school wasn’t the battleground of this book? The battleground isn’t always school. This wasn’t a book about cliques, popularity, or bullying along with the difficulties of a move, facing the idea of illness and death as a child, and what it means to care about someone. GHOSTS is focused and doesn’t delve much into Cat’s school life, other than it’s a place where she eventually makes friends.
I liked that these characters were nuanced, but so easy to understand. Cat could be bratty or selfish at times, but we were always shown why, and every difficult moment was balanced by a moment of love or sacrifice. It was nice to see flaws in every character, and love them anyway.
One thing I saw in this book’s reviews is that some people are disturbed by the lack of history when it comes to the ghosts. Most of them are supposedly Mexican and people wondered at the absence of Native American ghosts. I get it. I think it’s super apparent that the ghosts in this book are a device more than they are an independent character in their own right. They are a tool used to connect to Maya’s cystic fibrosis, and the concept of death, and hope despite the looming fear of death. Their function in the story is mostly to support Maya and Cat’s story by showcasing a part of their culture and being a representation of something that deeply scares Cat and fascinates Maya.
Is it right to use the ghosts as a device, to tie them to a particular culture? I don’t know. Like I said before, this is a focused book and it knows its themes, and I’m not surprised it didn’t make oppression and rape and extortion part of those themes, especially since kids are the book’s target audience (not to say there’s no way to address such heavy themes in books for children). But I think if that wasn’t Telgemeier’s intention with this particular book, that’s okay.
zarasara's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
reader4evr's review
5.0
I told myself that I was going to read only a section of this last night before going to bed and oops, read the whole thing! This was a great story, liked it as much as Smile.
The whole storyline with Maya having Cystic Fibrosis was so cleaver with the ghosts. I want to show this to my Health teachers because one of their units is chronic diseases and I think this would be a great representation of what it is like with pictures.
I loved the whole La Catrina part because when I took Spanish in high school, we watched a telenovla called La Catrina...fun memories.
The whole storyline with Maya having Cystic Fibrosis was so cleaver with the ghosts. I want to show this to my Health teachers because one of their units is chronic diseases and I think this would be a great representation of what it is like with pictures.
I loved the whole La Catrina part because when I took Spanish in high school, we watched a telenovla called La Catrina...fun memories.
bookph1le's review against another edition
5.0
Such a lovely, touching book. It made me well up several times. The art work and coloring are beautiful, particularly during the Day of the Dead celebration, as week as several of the pictures featuring the landscape. The relationship between the sisters is heartfelt, and the book touches on some very serious topics--chronic illness, Cat's frustration over how Maya's illness affects hey life, death--but does so in a gentle, nuanced way. I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
athena1820's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
mehsi's review against another edition
5.0
Reread 2020: Decided this one was next for my re-read spree as I need to re-read books if I want to make it to June with books. Once again fun to read though I do agree with past me on many points again. Cat was at times annoying but her sister more so. Also the parents, please, I get that you are sad and shocked that your kid is in the hospital but to blame Cat? She did everything she could to help her sister and tell her to not do it. Sorry, but if her sister wants to do it, it is her own responsibility, she is old enough for that. I didn't like how Maya just kept on hogging Carlos, it got VERY creepy and annoying.
But I did like the realism with the fantasy/ghosts thing. I loved the art. I loved seeing Cat find friends (ones that are her OWN which she definitely needs and that is something that her sister SHOULD for once understand). I loved the town (and the folklore/legends) though I would love to see more life in it, it was just so quiet and empty and that seemed weird. I have been to many small villages/towns and there was always at least someone or some life.
---------------------
A wonderful new graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier, this one again combines something fun/magical with something serious.
This will be a good/bad review. Some points might also pop up at the bad stuff while they were also mentioned in the good part.
The Good:
-I loved how it combined something fantasy (ghosts) with a real thing (moving, disease, possible death since illness isn't curable it seems).
-The characters. Cat was a lovely character and I could imagine her struggle. She must miss her friends, her life, everything, yet while you see her grumpy at times, she does really care about her little sister. Even forgoing her own health to give her jacket to her sister to make sure she doesn't get sick/cold. It was fun to see her go from grumpy a lot to more accepting and finding a new place to love and call home.
Maya was an interesting character, and I felt so sorry for her that she has to go through this, knowing that she won't get better, knowing that it will only be downhill. :( So I can imagine that she might want to talk to ghosts, to find out what happens after death.
-The town/city, it was really interesting to see how it looked, and what kind of special things they had. Like that festival, it was just awesome to see.
-How the ghosts worked, it was a great idea and it made the ghost thing a bit more special than when you normally have a story with ghosts. The idea that they need air/breath/drink was fun, and made the ghosts more real.
-The parents. Often when a kid is sick, in books/shows, they will give all their attention to the kid and forget about the siblings. However, while the parents did show great care for Maya (duh), they also really cared about Cat and they tried to do fun things with her, try to help, try to talk to her. They were there for her. And I loved that! Sure they had to make a tough choice by moving, but they also had their eldest in minds when they did it.
-The art was once again fabulous!
-The illness was really well described. I never heard of it, but now I know a fair bit about it, and what it does to the body.
-The heritage of the family/mom/kids. I am not sure how to word this correctly, but I do like it when a family has something of an heritage, it gives more depth to a family/characters.
The Bad:
-However there were a few inconsistencies with the drawings. For instance in one shot we see Cat fall, hurt her elbow badly, but the next shots she is totally clean again. Or when her sister has breathing tubes that seem to vanish all the time. Or a cord to the tank that is just wayyyyyy too long to be real (I can imagine it giving room so people can walk around, but that much? Nah!). Maybe these things do exist, but during the shots with the tank we see a way shorter cord than we keep seeing in several other shots.
-While I said I liked the fantasy part, at times it felt a bit jarring. The latter parts especially felt weird and out of place. You would have such a serious illness, such a big problem, but then suddenly poof, something happens (with the ghosts mostly) and I guess we are supposed to laugh or smile, but instead I was just shaking my head.
-The ghosts, I just didn't get why one time they were blobs, then skeletons, then human-formed. I guess it has something to do with the air or something (or I missed something while rolling my eyes at times), but it just felt a bit weird to me.
-Maya. Yes, the kid was wonderful most of the times, but also quite a whiny brat that just wouldn't get the hint that her big sister wants some friends of her own, that she wants some room to think, some room to be herself. I can imagine why Maya would "steal" Cat's friends, but it still annoyed me. It also annoyed me that Cat's parents didn't apparently care about it either.
-Cat. Her grumpiness did get a bit annoying at times.
But all in all, this was a terrific book and I really did enjoy it a lot. I wouldn't mind a sequel to this story, though I hope it will be a bit more serious.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
But I did like the realism with the fantasy/ghosts thing. I loved the art. I loved seeing Cat find friends (ones that are her OWN which she definitely needs and that is something that her sister SHOULD for once understand). I loved the town (and the folklore/legends) though I would love to see more life in it, it was just so quiet and empty and that seemed weird. I have been to many small villages/towns and there was always at least someone or some life.
---------------------
A wonderful new graphic novel by Raina Telgemeier, this one again combines something fun/magical with something serious.
This will be a good/bad review. Some points might also pop up at the bad stuff while they were also mentioned in the good part.
The Good:
-I loved how it combined something fantasy (ghosts) with a real thing (moving, disease, possible death since illness isn't curable it seems).
-The characters. Cat was a lovely character and I could imagine her struggle. She must miss her friends, her life, everything, yet while you see her grumpy at times, she does really care about her little sister. Even forgoing her own health to give her jacket to her sister to make sure she doesn't get sick/cold. It was fun to see her go from grumpy a lot to more accepting and finding a new place to love and call home.
Maya was an interesting character, and I felt so sorry for her that she has to go through this, knowing that she won't get better, knowing that it will only be downhill. :( So I can imagine that she might want to talk to ghosts, to find out what happens after death.
-The town/city, it was really interesting to see how it looked, and what kind of special things they had. Like that festival, it was just awesome to see.
-How the ghosts worked, it was a great idea and it made the ghost thing a bit more special than when you normally have a story with ghosts. The idea that they need air/breath/drink was fun, and made the ghosts more real.
-The parents. Often when a kid is sick, in books/shows, they will give all their attention to the kid and forget about the siblings. However, while the parents did show great care for Maya (duh), they also really cared about Cat and they tried to do fun things with her, try to help, try to talk to her. They were there for her. And I loved that! Sure they had to make a tough choice by moving, but they also had their eldest in minds when they did it.
-The art was once again fabulous!
-The illness was really well described. I never heard of it, but now I know a fair bit about it, and what it does to the body.
-The heritage of the family/mom/kids. I am not sure how to word this correctly, but I do like it when a family has something of an heritage, it gives more depth to a family/characters.
The Bad:
-However there were a few inconsistencies with the drawings. For instance in one shot we see Cat fall, hurt her elbow badly, but the next shots she is totally clean again. Or when her sister has breathing tubes that seem to vanish all the time. Or a cord to the tank that is just wayyyyyy too long to be real (I can imagine it giving room so people can walk around, but that much? Nah!). Maybe these things do exist, but during the shots with the tank we see a way shorter cord than we keep seeing in several other shots.
-While I said I liked the fantasy part, at times it felt a bit jarring. The latter parts especially felt weird and out of place. You would have such a serious illness, such a big problem, but then suddenly poof, something happens (with the ghosts mostly) and I guess we are supposed to laugh or smile, but instead I was just shaking my head.
-The ghosts, I just didn't get why one time they were blobs, then skeletons, then human-formed. I guess it has something to do with the air or something (or I missed something while rolling my eyes at times), but it just felt a bit weird to me.
-Maya. Yes, the kid was wonderful most of the times, but also quite a whiny brat that just wouldn't get the hint that her big sister wants some friends of her own, that she wants some room to think, some room to be herself. I can imagine why Maya would "steal" Cat's friends, but it still annoyed me. It also annoyed me that Cat's parents didn't apparently care about it either.
-Cat. Her grumpiness did get a bit annoying at times.
But all in all, this was a terrific book and I really did enjoy it a lot. I wouldn't mind a sequel to this story, though I hope it will be a bit more serious.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
luanndie's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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? Yes
4.0
Probablemente, la novela gráfica de Telgemeier que más me ha gustado. Los defectos que veía en sus otras novelas (falta de profundidad, una estructura no del todo fluida, falta de exploración de los temas que se presentaban, etc) no se encuentran en Fantasmas. Creo que es una historia bien desarrollada que mezcla de forma muy interesante la cultura méxicana sobre los muertos con los propios miedos y conflictos que le surgen a la protagonista al tener una hermana enferma. La representación de la fibrosis quística también me pareció muy bien integrada en la novela y le da una capa de profundidad a una historia que podía haberse quedado simplemente en una aventura "multicultural". Precisamente, ese aspecto de diversidad cultural es la parte más problemática. Telgemeier no tiene una conexión directa con la cultura y tradiciones de las que habla y se nota. La representación de las festividades del día de los muertos están lejos de la realidad y las licencias creativas que se toma con el tema de los fantasmas pueden ser consideradas como apropiación cultural.
laurenab's review against another edition
2.0
I really liked the story’s setting in coastal California, i liked the pretty illustrations of the arcades, the beaches and the mission they visit. It reminded me of my own time living in California. I really like the sisters relationship and dynamic and the inclusion of talking about cystic fibrosis because I haven’t read a novel where it was brought up before. Fun and quick read.