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A review by mullisla
Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Non Spoiler: I really enjoyed this book. The story is really short, but really effective. I loved the characters and the twists in the book. It has some creepy vibes to it, kinda like Coraline. If you liked Coraline, give it a read.
***SPOILERS***
I really enjoyed the different themes and character traits explored in this book.
Anya's discomfort with her body, her family and her school status was represented really well in the book. Anya's reluctance to tell people her real surname (as it's Russian), her constant avoiding of Sunday Church and her past dedication to sheding her accent was a really great way to show her disconnection to her community.
Anya is an interesting character. She felt that she should fit in if she went out with Sean, but when she discovered that he wasn't very faithful to Elizabeth she immediately lost her interest. I liked that although she isn't the most moral person, she could still recognise that Sean wasn't a good person and that he didn't deserve her affection. Her on and off friendship with Siobhan was interesting. The pair did somewhat care for each other, but they didn't make an effort to meet up or talk to each other.
Another compelling character was, of course, Emily. Her need to live out her fantasy with the boy she liked tied her to her physical body and led to her obsession with Anya and her love life. I thought that Emily was really creepy and scary. The scenes where she was close to killing Anya and her family and her backstory were the most chilling moments in a book I have read in a long time! I shall not be sleeping for some time 😬.
Bullying was explored in an interesting way through Dima in this book. Dima is also from Russia, like Anya. Unlike Anya, he is smart, still has his accent and is proud of his identity. This causes the students at the school to pick on Dima, making his life hell. Even though Dima is tormented, he stays true to himself and doesn't change so others will like him. Anya changed to fit in. There is a nice contrast between these characters.
I was very satisfied with the ending of the book. Anya telling Emily to let go and allow herself to rest peacefully instead of running away was a nice growth for her character. Anya previously didn't help Dima with his bullying or Elizabeth with her situation with Sean. I think that spending time with Emily and realizing that they are similar people forced Anya to change. She even made up with Siobhan and quit smoking.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it!! Give it a read if you see it in a book shop or library. You won't regret it!
***SPOILERS***
Anya's discomfort with her body, her family and her school status was represented really well in the book. Anya's reluctance to tell people her real surname (as it's Russian), her constant avoiding of Sunday Church and her past dedication to sheding her accent was a really great way to show her disconnection to her community.
Anya is an interesting character. She felt that she should fit in if she went out with Sean, but when she discovered that he wasn't very faithful to Elizabeth she immediately lost her interest. I liked that although she isn't the most moral person, she could still recognise that Sean wasn't a good person and that he didn't deserve her affection. Her on and off friendship with Siobhan was interesting. The pair did somewhat care for each other, but they didn't make an effort to meet up or talk to each other.
Another compelling character was, of course, Emily. Her need to live out her fantasy with the boy she liked tied her to her physical body and led to her obsession with Anya and her love life. I thought that Emily was really creepy and scary. The scenes where she was close to killing Anya and her family and her backstory were the most chilling moments in a book I have read in a long time! I shall not be sleeping for some time 😬.
Bullying was explored in an interesting way through Dima in this book. Dima is also from Russia, like Anya. Unlike Anya, he is smart, still has his accent and is proud of his identity. This causes the students at the school to pick on Dima, making his life hell. Even though Dima is tormented, he stays true to himself and doesn't change so others will like him. Anya changed to fit in. There is a nice contrast between these characters.
I was very satisfied with the ending of the book. Anya telling Emily to let go and allow herself to rest peacefully instead of running away was a nice growth for her character. Anya previously didn't help Dima with his bullying or Elizabeth with her situation with Sean. I think that spending time with Emily and realizing that they are similar people forced Anya to change. She even made up with Siobhan and quit smoking.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it!! Give it a read if you see it in a book shop or library. You won't regret it!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia, Murder, Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Dysphoria
Minor: Bullying