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bookstosoothethesoul's review
4.0
Wow this definitely lives up to the Cemetery Boys comparison! It has all the heart of that story that I adored so much. The main draw of the book for me was Aiden's relationship with Cara. In Cemetery Boy's the connection with the ghost is romantic, but I found Cara's platonic connection with Aiden to be just as compelling. Watching Cara's excitement about meeting a ghost turn to sadness as she becomes close friends with him and realizes that helping him means losing him was so emotional. Especially since she's a bit of an outsider, her making a close friend who understands her so well only to watch him get closer to moving on was incredibly angsty. The sapphic romance plot was also adorable. I loved watching two queer teens navigate their first relationship. YA can be hit or miss for me because sometimes the characters feel too immature to be relatable for me. However, that wasn't the case at all with The Ghost of Us. Watching Cara struggle with the change that will come when her only (alive) friend graduates high school and leaves her felt so similar to my experience. That anticipatory grief during senior year is painfully relatable and I really felt for her as she tried to build a network of people only to realize that she couldn't keep them and was guaranteed to lose at least one. I 100% recommend this book and now I'm really excited to read more from this author!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC!
teganbeesebooks's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child death, Death, Outing, and Sexual content
brightbelladonna22's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Before the actual review, let it be 100% known that this is my favorite cover of the year. Drew me in instantly. 10/10. Whoever drew this absolute masterpiece needs to know that this is perfection, and actually what drew me to The Ghost of Us! Spooky, sapphic, and tender -- utterly stunning.
As for the book said masterpiece cover belongs to...it was, sadly, a bit of a miss for me.
Let's start with the good:
-I adored the premise. A contemporary rom-com with a touch of paranormal? Amazing
-I felt that Cara's voice was on point. Sutter perfectly embodies bitter, standoffish Cara and manages the transitions between more lighthearted moments and more serious with ease. I also loved Aiden, her ghostly bestie. Their friendship is realistically drawn and I love the push and pull between both their motives; it makes for delicious narrative tension and also leaves the narrative ripe with opportunities for Cara's and Aiden's growth
-Meredith's grief is captured very well without overwhelming the narrative. I think this goes back to how Sutter balances heavy and light
-I liked Cara's whole family dynamic and also liked her friendship with Holly. It was refreshing to have a queer YA romcom where the MC coming out is not the main conflict (although there are certainly mentions of homophobia--more on that later)
-Sutter's prose flows very nicely
So, what has The Ghost of Us hovering at 3 stars for me?
-the main thing was that the depiction of Cara's sexuality did not feel authentic. Even though I appreciated that Sutter mentions a couple sensitivity readers in the acknowledgements, there were parts that made me, a bisexual woman, uncomfortable. Namely, Cara's coming out story (trigger warning: involves cyberbullying and sexual harassment by a former friend). I also didn't like the way that Cara sexualizes Meredith. It feels...male gaze-y.
-the other thing is the relationship between Cara and Meredith. By the end, I liked them, but the pacing was off for me. Felt too fast in the beginning and lagging in the middle
-the motivation for Cara's ghost hunting is never fully clear to me? It felt like it vacillated between "connecting to Grandma" and "wanting to leave this dead end town." In the end, I'm not sure the motivation ever mattered, but it definitely weakened her arc
I would give another one of Sutter's books a try, but this one just didn't click for me like I was hoping!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books, and James L. Sutter for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
As for the book said masterpiece cover belongs to...it was, sadly, a bit of a miss for me.
Let's start with the good:
-I adored the premise. A contemporary rom-com with a touch of paranormal? Amazing
-I felt that Cara's voice was on point. Sutter perfectly embodies bitter, standoffish Cara and manages the transitions between more lighthearted moments and more serious with ease. I also loved Aiden, her ghostly bestie. Their friendship is realistically drawn and I love the push and pull between both their motives; it makes for delicious narrative tension and also leaves the narrative ripe with opportunities for Cara's and Aiden's growth
-Meredith's grief is captured very well without overwhelming the narrative. I think this goes back to how Sutter balances heavy and light
-I liked Cara's whole family dynamic and also liked her friendship with Holly. It was refreshing to have a queer YA romcom where the MC coming out is not the main conflict (although there are certainly mentions of homophobia--more on that later)
-Sutter's prose flows very nicely
So, what has The Ghost of Us hovering at 3 stars for me?
-the main thing was that the depiction of Cara's sexuality did not feel authentic. Even though I appreciated that Sutter mentions a couple sensitivity readers in the acknowledgements, there were parts that made me, a bisexual woman, uncomfortable. Namely, Cara's coming out story (trigger warning: involves cyberbullying and sexual harassment by a former friend). I also didn't like the way that Cara sexualizes Meredith. It feels...male gaze-y.
-the other thing is the relationship between Cara and Meredith. By the end, I liked them, but the pacing was off for me. Felt too fast in the beginning and lagging in the middle
-the motivation for Cara's ghost hunting is never fully clear to me? It felt like it vacillated between "connecting to Grandma" and "wanting to leave this dead end town." In the end, I'm not sure the motivation ever mattered, but it definitely weakened her arc
I would give another one of Sutter's books a try, but this one just didn't click for me like I was hoping!
Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books, and James L. Sutter for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!
libraryofamisfit's review against another edition
the writing style isn't for me. the dialogue is too "gen z" and i always find it difficult to get lost in a narrative like that. it's a me thing, and not at all the book's fault. maybe it's better suited for its target audience!
wanderingsierra's review
emotional
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kobireads's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kg18's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I received an ARC from Wednesday Books in exchange for an honest review.
The concept of a teenage ghost hunter working with a ghost intrigued me. The main character, Cara, is a black sheep who will do anything to get out of her town. The ghost, Aiden, was a popular boy in her school who died the year before. For some unknown reason, Aiden can only make his presence known to Cara. Cara takes this opportunity to use Aiden to become a famous ghost hunter. The only catch; take his sister to prom. Meredith, Aiden's sister, is as closed off to others as Cara. Cara has to work hard to get Meredith to warm up to her. When she does, you can't help but feel bad for Meredith because in a way, she is being used. I loved the characters of Aiden and Meredith. Holly and Elvis are Cara's friends and they really steal the show. Holly, in my eyes, is the queen. Also, Cara's parents being doomsday preppers makes so much sense and I loved them.
However, I disliked Cara more and more as the book went on. Sutter does a wonderful job of writing an immature selfish teenager. It's made even more apparent when every other character has more maturity and self-awareness about themselves and their flaws. We are reading this from Cara's point of view and being in her mind gave me whiplash. On one hand, she goes into her relationship with Meredith with ulterior motives and justifies it by saying she needs to do this for her future. One the other hand, she does fall for and care for Meredith.
My issue with Cara as a main character is that she justifies her selfishness until the very end of the book. It takes another person saying all the things she's been telling herself the whole book to realize what she's doing is wrong. Her best friend Holly acts as a moral compass throughout the book and tells Cara multiple times that she is using Meredith for personal gain and playing with her emotions is wrong. We can all agree that Holly has an excellent point and this is shady for Cara to do. Cara's response is to tell Holly that she's holier-than-thou and she will do whatever she wants.
I cheered when Holly finally snapped back at Cara. Also, the "safety first" bit had me laughing out loud.
I spent the entire book waiting for Cara to show growth and her big moment comes in the last 20 pages. The big conflict when Meredith finds out what Cara is doing happens in the last 30-40 pages. I believe the rift between Meredith and Cara needed to last longer, maybe before they even go to prom. They fight at prom, Meredith is rightfully angry for one day, then gives Cara another chance. All of Cara's character growth was shoehorned in at the end. Here are some lines from one of their conversations, when Meredith decides to take Cara back:
'Meredith snorted. "Can you even hear how this is still all about you?"
"Because you're right. You're a self-centered asshole, Cara. You hurt me. A lot. And the worst part is, you'll probably do it again."
I think these lines show that Cara is one day into her redemption and yet, she is expecting Meredith to forgive her because she didn't actually mean to hurt her, so it's not her fault.
I will make one thing clear. I do not think Cara needs to be or should be a beacon of accountability and maturity. She is eighteen years old and famously, kids of that age are not exactly the wisest. Cara likes to believe she's wise beyond her years, but her "real truth" talk is just bashing other people. I may not like this character, but she is written very well.
With all the problems I have with the main character, this book was wonderful. I enjoyed this story and I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. As I said before, Holly is the goat. The way Meredith coming out of her shell is described was beautiful. Her beauty and confidence and thoughtfulness are written so well. Aiden is a great ghost and I loved the idea of a teenage ghost. He really acts just like a teenage boy. I'm so used to Victorian era, angry ghosts. A ghost who just wants to have a friend and cheer up his sister is very funny to me. I cared about these characters very early on and the conflicts made me nervous, because I wanted everyone to be happy. YA and romantic are not genres I would really go for, but this had me hooked.
Overall, this book is worth reading if you're even a little into YA or paranormal. It had me giggling so many times and had me genuinely caring about the characters. The only thing I would change is giving more time for Cara's character growth and redemption. That aspect felt rushed at the very end and I would like to see more reflection from her. I'm so excited for others to experience this book when it comes out. I think it's going to be a lot of people's favorite of the year!
Thank you to James L Sutter and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy!
The concept of a teenage ghost hunter working with a ghost intrigued me. The main character, Cara, is a black sheep who will do anything to get out of her town. The ghost, Aiden, was a popular boy in her school who died the year before. For some unknown reason, Aiden can only make his presence known to Cara. Cara takes this opportunity to use Aiden to become a famous ghost hunter. The only catch; take his sister to prom. Meredith, Aiden's sister, is as closed off to others as Cara. Cara has to work hard to get Meredith to warm up to her. When she does, you can't help but feel bad for Meredith because in a way, she is being used. I loved the characters of Aiden and Meredith. Holly and Elvis are Cara's friends and they really steal the show. Holly, in my eyes, is the queen. Also, Cara's parents being doomsday preppers makes so much sense and I loved them.
However, I disliked Cara more and more as the book went on. Sutter does a wonderful job of writing an immature selfish teenager. It's made even more apparent when every other character has more maturity and self-awareness about themselves and their flaws. We are reading this from Cara's point of view and being in her mind gave me whiplash. On one hand, she goes into her relationship with Meredith with ulterior motives and justifies it by saying she needs to do this for her future. One the other hand, she does fall for and care for Meredith.
My issue with Cara as a main character is that she justifies her selfishness until the very end of the book. It takes another person saying all the things she's been telling herself the whole book to realize what she's doing is wrong. Her best friend Holly acts as a moral compass throughout the book and tells Cara multiple times that she is using Meredith for personal gain and playing with her emotions is wrong. We can all agree that Holly has an excellent point and this is shady for Cara to do. Cara's response is to tell Holly that she's holier-than-thou and she will do whatever she wants.
I cheered when Holly finally snapped back at Cara. Also, the "safety first" bit had me laughing out loud.
I spent the entire book waiting for Cara to show growth and her big moment comes in the last 20 pages. The big conflict when Meredith finds out what Cara is doing happens in the last 30-40 pages. I believe the rift between Meredith and Cara needed to last longer, maybe before they even go to prom. They fight at prom, Meredith is rightfully angry for one day, then gives Cara another chance. All of Cara's character growth was shoehorned in at the end. Here are some lines from one of their conversations, when Meredith decides to take Cara back:
'Meredith snorted. "Can you even hear how this is still all about you?"
"Because you're right. You're a self-centered asshole, Cara. You hurt me. A lot. And the worst part is, you'll probably do it again."
I think these lines show that Cara is one day into her redemption and yet, she is expecting Meredith to forgive her because she didn't actually mean to hurt her, so it's not her fault.
I will make one thing clear. I do not think Cara needs to be or should be a beacon of accountability and maturity. She is eighteen years old and famously, kids of that age are not exactly the wisest. Cara likes to believe she's wise beyond her years, but her "real truth" talk is just bashing other people. I may not like this character, but she is written very well.
With all the problems I have with the main character, this book was wonderful. I enjoyed this story and I enjoyed the characters and their dynamics. As I said before, Holly is the goat. The way Meredith coming out of her shell is described was beautiful. Her beauty and confidence and thoughtfulness are written so well. Aiden is a great ghost and I loved the idea of a teenage ghost. He really acts just like a teenage boy. I'm so used to Victorian era, angry ghosts. A ghost who just wants to have a friend and cheer up his sister is very funny to me. I cared about these characters very early on and the conflicts made me nervous, because I wanted everyone to be happy. YA and romantic are not genres I would really go for, but this had me hooked.
Overall, this book is worth reading if you're even a little into YA or paranormal. It had me giggling so many times and had me genuinely caring about the characters. The only thing I would change is giving more time for Cara's character growth and redemption. That aspect felt rushed at the very end and I would like to see more reflection from her. I'm so excited for others to experience this book when it comes out. I think it's going to be a lot of people's favorite of the year!
Thank you to James L Sutter and Wednesday Books for the advanced copy!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death
25thavenuewest's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
kayceeisbookish's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
A sapphic story written by a man. I really disliked the way in which the queer relationship was portrayed. There are way too many pop culture references, which in a few years is going to really date the book and not sit right. All in all, it was a beautiful cover, but the story inside was a nope.
browniydgrl1's review
4.0
I quite enjoyed this YA paranormal sapphic romance. I liked/hated the characters just as the author intended. James L. Sutter has a nice clean writing style that is easy to follow, well-edited, and uses interesting descriptors and similes. I was easily able to relate to the variety of emotions being processed by the important players.
The characters have distinct voices and witty banter that had me chuckling. They were believable as high school seniors dealing with complex circumstances. I didn't always agree with Cara's choices, but I knew that going in, as the premise was a relationship built on a lie. The two romantic leads were adorable together. They were funny and sweet and just weird teenagers. Endearing.
There were pop culture references, which I enjoyed but not sure if it will age well. Also, kudos for bi-rep.
This book gently deals with issues such as bullying, sexting, homophobia, death, grief, depression and general graduating senior anxiety.
The group dynamics were interesting, and Cara had a big opportunity to come of age so to speak and learn a lot about herself through this experience.
There was some light casual drug use. One intimate scene that was handled very well for age appropriateness so that I didn't feel like a gross voyeur, since the girls are 18, they are technically adults anyway, but I am old so I'm glad it was tactfully done.
4/5 stars because I don't like lying. I did like this story, and I do recommend it.
The characters have distinct voices and witty banter that had me chuckling. They were believable as high school seniors dealing with complex circumstances. I didn't always agree with Cara's choices, but I knew that going in, as the premise was a relationship built on a lie. The two romantic leads were adorable together. They were funny and sweet and just weird teenagers. Endearing.
There were pop culture references, which I enjoyed but not sure if it will age well. Also, kudos for bi-rep.
This book gently deals with issues such as bullying, sexting, homophobia, death, grief, depression and general graduating senior anxiety.
The group dynamics were interesting, and Cara had a big opportunity to come of age so to speak and learn a lot about herself through this experience.
There was some light casual drug use. One intimate scene that was handled very well for age appropriateness so that I didn't feel like a gross voyeur, since the girls are 18, they are technically adults anyway, but I am old so I'm glad it was tactfully done.
4/5 stars because I don't like lying. I did like this story, and I do recommend it.