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A review by grandma_beth
The Ghost of Us by James L. Sutter
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
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
3.5
IThe Ghost of Us deals with grief in a very unique way. The main character is not the one grieving and yet through her and her relationships with Aiden and Meredith we experience mourning but also the anger and depression behind it. The way Aiden's death still haunts Meredith gets in the way of Cara's continuous lies to keep up the secret of Aiden's ghost.
Though the book gets in your feels (in the best and worst way possible) with the incredibly written climax it feels incredibly rushed in the end. The climax and conflict only spans over the last couple of chapters which makes the ending less satisfying than it should have been. Because it is not a very slow read the book could have been longer to really deal with the climax of the plot. Personally I did not like Cara very much towards the end. Her attitude and actions became more and more irritating a the story continued and made me want to put down the book a few times.
Detailed talk about my issues with the end of the books so: Spoilers ahead for the plot:
Everything after Holly kicks Cara out of the car in the end is so rushed. The turning point of Cara telling Meredith about Aiden in a last ditch effort to keep him in such a selfish way was so good but the aftermath lands incredibly flat. The lesson after with Carson is satisfying but Meredith just simply forgiving Cara in a single chapter with the USB stick is simply not. Their relationship has never seemed that far developed that she could just (sort of) forgive Cara after revealing Aiden and her intentions in the beginning. Also the fact that we never get an apology to Holly or ever really talk in depth about the situation bugs me. I would have loved to read about Meredith's slow acceptance of her brother's ghost and their first proper conversation together but that also only happens in a single line in the last chapter. I could go on about how the rushed ending of the book bothers me but to be fair it only makes up a small portion of the story and can fully be forgiven.
I would have also loved to see the Scarf Girl plot line run through until the end. Cara's fear of relationships through that kind of felt thrown away as soon as she explained the situation to Meredith and Sophia's confronation after. For something that was so present in the first part of the book it seems forgotten too fast by the latter half.
One last thing: The way Meredith's grief about her brother morphs into anger really resonantes with me. You really understand why she shut herself off and how she all along just desperatly tried to be her own person seperate from Aiden. In the end you don't even completly root for Cara anymore because you understand how much she has lied to Meredith and betrayed her trust. The fact that Cara just kind of gets away with it without major consequences is infuriating.
The characters are flawed in a way that makes then so much more real and resonate with the reader. The characters' ages (They're all 18) also come out a lot through their language, especially our main character Cara. Despite that it was rarely, if ever, cringe or over the top. Just normal teenagers who grew up arounf the internet.
Overall The Ghost of Us is a really comforting sapphic romace with just the right amount of the paranormal and lovable characters and ghost.
Though the book gets in your feels (in the best and worst way possible) with the incredibly written climax it feels incredibly rushed in the end. The climax and conflict only spans over the last couple of chapters which makes the ending less satisfying than it should have been. Because it is not a very slow read the book could have been longer to really deal with the climax of the plot. Personally I did not like Cara very much towards the end. Her attitude and actions became more and more irritating a the story continued and made me want to put down the book a few times.
Detailed talk about my issues with the end of the books so: Spoilers ahead for the plot:
I would have also loved to see the Scarf Girl plot line run through until the end. Cara's fear of relationships through that kind of felt thrown away as soon as she explained the situation to Meredith and Sophia's confronation after. For something that was so present in the first part of the book it seems forgotten too fast by the latter half.
One last thing: The way Meredith's grief about her brother morphs into anger really resonantes with me. You really understand why she shut herself off and how she all along just desperatly tried to be her own person seperate from Aiden. In the end you don't even completly root for Cara anymore because you understand how much she has lied to Meredith and betrayed her trust. The fact that Cara just kind of gets away with it without major consequences is infuriating.
The characters are flawed in a way that makes then so much more real and resonate with the reader. The characters' ages (They're all 18) also come out a lot through their language, especially our main character Cara. Despite that it was rarely, if ever, cringe or over the top. Just normal teenagers who grew up arounf the internet.
Overall The Ghost of Us is a really comforting sapphic romace with just the right amount of the paranormal and lovable characters and ghost.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming
Minor: Drug use