Ghost Book by Remy Lai is a graphic novel currently scheduled for release on July 18 2023. July Chen sees ghosts. But her dad insists ghosts aren’t real. So she pretends they don’t exist. Which is incredibly difficult now as it's Hungry Ghost month, when the Gates of the Underworld open and dangerous ghosts run amok in the living world. When July saves a boy ghost from being devoured by a Hungry Ghost, he becomes her first ever friend. Except William is not a ghost. He’s a wandering soul wavering between life and death. As the new friends embark on an adventure to return William to his body, they unearth a ghastly truth—for William to live, July must die.
Ghost Book is a middle grade graphic novel with inspiration from Chinese mythology. I thought the artwork and color choices were well done, and did a good job of telling and expanding on the story. I liked the blend of spooky, mythology, and kid angst. The family, school, and friend level conflicts felt very on point and realistic. I also thought that that Chinese mythology was explained nicely for newcomers to the subject, while not leaving those with some understanding of it feeling bored or talked down to. I enjoyed this book on a number of levels and think it will have a wide middle grade to middle school audience.
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