Day’s YA: THE GHOST OF US

THE GHOST OF US by James L. Sutter
9781250869760
6/11/24
Wednesday Books
Ages 13-18

E-galley available on Edelweiss and NetGalley

Cara is an aspiring ghost hunter, but despite searching all the abandoned buildings and eerie spots in her town, she has never had a real paranormal encounter . . . until one day when she meets the ghost of Aiden, one of her classmates who died the year before. Aiden is stuck in the inbetween, and he thinks he knows why. Meredith, Aiden’s sister, has fallen into a depression after his death and Aiden is unable to move on to the afterlife until he knows she’s going to be okay. So Aiden and Cara strike a deal: Aiden will give Cara evidence that ghosts exist, and Cara will romance Meredith out of her slump. Cara gets to know Meredith, taking her out on dates that she knows Meredith will enjoy, thanks to Aiden’s coaching. As they grow closer, Cara starts to have very real feelings for Meredith, and Meredith opens up to Cara, finally feeling joy for the first time since her brother’s death. But Aiden’s tenuous connection to reality seems to have an expiration date, and the happier Meredith becomes, the quicker his ghost begins to fade. Suddenly Cara has a choice to make. She can continue to date Meredith and risk losing Aiden forever, or tell Meredith the truth and risk losing her girlfriend. 

James’ YA debut, DARKHEARTS, was one of my favorites of last year, and he may have outdone himself with this one. It’s a swoony queer love story between two flawed girls who eventually learn they’re better as a messy team, but with the addition of a stubborn, lovable, slightly-profane, teenage ghost boy. Cara and Meredith are adorable, and I loved watching them be weird, authentic teenagers together as they navigate their senior year. And, like DARKHEARTS, this book deals with emotional topics (like bullying, homophobia, grief, and depression, for example) in a way that is lighthearted and accessible, with James’ signature side-splitting humor. If you liked the sapphic romance with a paranormal twist in ONE LAST STOP, the ghostly relationships in CEMETERY BOYS, or the complicated mix of grief and first love in GIRLS LIKE GIRLS, you should absolutely read THE GHOST OF US. It’s all of that, and more.

Happy reading!
<3 Emily

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Day’s YA Archives
Adult Books for Teens 2024