Ghosts

by Raina Telgemeier

Raina Telgemeier (Illustrator)

From award-winning graphic novelist Raina Telgemeier comes a new
story about family, friendship and hope.

Catrina and her family are moving to the coast of Northern California
because her little sister, Maya, is sick. Cat isn't happy about
leaving her friends for Bah a de la Luna, but Maya has cystic
fibrosis and will benefit from the cool, salty air that blows in
from the sea. As the girls explore their new home, a neighbor lets
them in on a secret: There are ghosts in Bah a de la Luna. Maya
is determined to meet one, but Cat wants nothing to do with them.
As the time of year when ghosts reunite with their loved ones
approaches, Cat must figure out how to put aside her fears for her
sister's sake - and her own. . .

• ISBN10: 0606391142
• ISBN13: 9780606391146
• Publish Date: 13 September 2016
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 22 June 2022
• Imprint: Turtleback Books
• Format: Hardcover (Library Binding)
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

[layawaydragon]

Borrowed it from the library to read with Little One. Should've researched this one a bit more...

https://readingwhilewhite.blogspot.com/2016/09/on-ghosts-and-magic-of-day-of-dead.html
https://americanindiansinchildrensliterature.blogspot.com/2016/09/not-recommended-ghosts-by-raina.html
https://booktoss.wordpress.com/2016/09/18/ghosts-swing-and-a-hard-miss/

[Hillary]

The thing that struck me most about this book is how awesome the artwork is.  Which was great cause other parts of the story was.... Ummm.... needed work.  I loved how the sisters got along with each other, and I loved that there was an interracial couple in the book what I did not love was how they portrayed the disabled little girl?

Like she was on the outside of everything. She did not even have her friends, and she did look and sound to be school age, and even if she wasn't why did she still not have her friends? Not all disabled children are outcasts. Ane the way she is made to appear like she would break at any moment and can't go out or do anything because of her lungs. I had issues with that also.

The romance between the older sister and the neighbor boy while cute was unrealistic. I know that in fiction one has to suspend belief to get the story and I get that. I had no trouble suspending belief with the ghost story line for example but the insta love that took place just grated on my nerves. I HATE the insta-love trope no matter where it is played out.

[Tweet "the artwork was awesome but it had some tired tropes that made it less than enjoyable"]

I enjoyed the artwork in this comic even if I thought most of the plot needed a lot more work before being published, so it was wasn't a total waste of time reading this. It only took me about an hour to get through so no biggie.This review was originally posted on Adventures in Never Never Land

[Joséphine]

Note: I received a finished copy for free from a local distributor in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Initial thoughts: By now I'm convinced that as long as a graphic novel is by Raina Telgemeier, I will adore it. The style remains the same as it was in previous works. I love the way the relationships between Cat and her younger sister, Maya, were developed as well as to their parents, to their friends, and the ghosts as well. I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the sisters are biracials — white father and Mexican mother. The exploration of Mexican culture which was previously unknown to Cat was great. It was also interesting to see how Maya lived with cystic fibrosis.