Reviews

Ghost Music by An Yu

phoebe912's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

3.5

thepetitepunk's review

4.0

Thank you Libro.fm for providing me with an Audiobook Listening Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost Music is a strange, sorrowful, whimsical little novel about mushrooms, marriage, music, and magic. (It is deeply satisfying to me that the main topics create a snazzy string of alliteration.) It’s the cozy kind of sad, where everything is quiet yet vibrant. There’s not too much to the plot, but I enjoyed the characters and exploration of grief. If you like rich descriptions, complex familial relationships, and a unique portrayal of emotions, this is for you.

✧ ✧ ✧

≪reading 31 books for 31 days of january≫
╰┈➤ 1. funny feelings by tarah dewitt
╰┈➤ 2. winterborne home for vengeance and valor by ally carter
╰┈➤ 3. garvey’s choice by nikki grimes
╰┈➤ 4. ghost music by an yu

aziraphales_left_shoe's review against another edition

mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

tea_and_naps's review

emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

5.0

musesx's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

magsisreadingagain's review

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

andy_acid's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

 A book with brilliant and multifaceted themes, but an undercooked ending. I was captivated by the book's surreal and atmospheric appeal, and I was sure it would rank high on my list of best reads for 2024.but it had too many loose ends and ultimately didn't lead to a satisfying conclusion.
3.5 stars /5 

notsosillystar's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

_rosie_reads's review

mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

gstwilson's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

Firstly, the edition I have (Vintage/Penguin Random House paperback) is 226 pages, not 240 pages as listed on the publisher's website. Publishers don't usually include front matter and blank endpapers in page count, so I have no idea why that's the case in this instance. I've tried multiple times to get this corrected on Storygraph, but to no avail. It doesn't really matter at the end of the day, but I like tracking percentage read, and this sort of thing messes with those statistics.

An interesting and thoughtful read, though it took me far longer to finish than I'd have expected, and didn't go in the direction I thought or hoped it would. The blurb suggests a very different novel, rather than what is truly an exploration of loneliness and grief. I can say I'm pleased to have read it nonetheless. I think it's well written for what it is, (though the translation isn't always flawless) and I'm keen to read more by An Yu.

It's a real pity that the final chapter, a short story in its own right following not the main character, was the most touching and left me wanting more.

 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Grief, Suicide, Death of parent, Alcohol, Mental illness, and Death