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dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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
Synopsis: 16 year old Jake is one of the few Black kids at St. Clair Prep. If fitting in wasn’t hard enough as one of the only Black kids, add being gay and a medium. When Jake’s neighbor is mysteriously killed, Jake’s life as a medium becomes a lot harder; the killer is a vengeful ghost and he has his eyes set in Jake. Will Jake unravel the mystery as to why this ghost is haunting him? Will he survive or find himself truly among the dead?
Review: After seeing a couple mixed reviews for this book, I didn’t know what to expect. The story is told between two characters: Jake, a medium, and Sawyer, a vengeful ghost. Through Jake, you see a story of fear, insecurity, and onlyness. Unlike his big brother, Jake doesn’t try to fit in. He doesn’t even allow himself to have a voice. Facing bullying and racism, Jake just takes it. He second guesses every potential relationship he has. Sawyer’s chapters start off as diaries entries cluing us in his backstory and why he reacts the way he does. The things I appreciated most about this were the very real aspects of being Black and gay. With a budding romance with another Black gay teen, Jake fears never holding his partner’s hand because the scrutiny of being Black and Gay. That hit me to the core. As a Black gay man, it’s so easy to feel both the homophobia of the Black community and the blatant racism & anti-Blackness of the gay community. To have this called out so poignantly in a YA novel made me feel seen. A running theme in this novel is finding your voice and learning to live authentically. Through Jake, you see him grow and find his voice throughout the course of the novel. By accepting himself, he is able to overcome the many obstacles thrown his way. Now that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy process. At the end, he is still working through that. Now I can’t say that this book is perfect. I wasn’t hooked right away and it truly took me a while to get into. Several characters were toxic and filled with stereotypes. This book tackles some tough topics including school shootings, suicide, domestic violence, depression, molestation, bullying, racism, homophobia, toxic family dynamics, violence, and death. It’s hard to process at times, but it gives insight to the character’s motivations. Though I enjoyed the book, I recognize that not everyone will. Please proceed with caution if you are averse to any of these topics.
Review: After seeing a couple mixed reviews for this book, I didn’t know what to expect. The story is told between two characters: Jake, a medium, and Sawyer, a vengeful ghost. Through Jake, you see a story of fear, insecurity, and onlyness. Unlike his big brother, Jake doesn’t try to fit in. He doesn’t even allow himself to have a voice. Facing bullying and racism, Jake just takes it. He second guesses every potential relationship he has. Sawyer’s chapters start off as diaries entries cluing us in his backstory and why he reacts the way he does. The things I appreciated most about this were the very real aspects of being Black and gay. With a budding romance with another Black gay teen, Jake fears never holding his partner’s hand because the scrutiny of being Black and Gay. That hit me to the core. As a Black gay man, it’s so easy to feel both the homophobia of the Black community and the blatant racism & anti-Blackness of the gay community. To have this called out so poignantly in a YA novel made me feel seen. A running theme in this novel is finding your voice and learning to live authentically. Through Jake, you see him grow and find his voice throughout the course of the novel. By accepting himself, he is able to overcome the many obstacles thrown his way. Now that doesn’t mean that it’s an easy process. At the end, he is still working through that. Now I can’t say that this book is perfect. I wasn’t hooked right away and it truly took me a while to get into. Several characters were toxic and filled with stereotypes. This book tackles some tough topics including school shootings, suicide, domestic violence, depression, molestation, bullying, racism, homophobia, toxic family dynamics, violence, and death. It’s hard to process at times, but it gives insight to the character’s motivations. Though I enjoyed the book, I recognize that not everyone will. Please proceed with caution if you are averse to any of these topics.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Suicide attempt, Racism, Homophobia, Gun violence, Death, Bullying, and Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
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