3.5 stars rounded up!

Overall, I really enjoyed this story. I thought the premise sounded great and it delivered for the most part. BUT... I found Cara to be somewhat insufferable at points AND I did NOT love that this the entire foundation of Meredith and Cara's relationship was built on a lie. It made it hard for me to enjoy their relationship because I was constantly waiting for the lie/secrets to come to the light so it just made it unpleasant.

The cover of this book is absolutely stunning. It drew me in right away. I really liked the author's writing, I found it very easy to read and it kept me captivated from start to finish. I was happen for the growth Cara made by the end of this one. It was nice to see her find her way.

Thank you to NetGalley, SMP & Wednesday books for the egalley of The Ghost of Us.

Alright, if you're in the mood for a supernatural YA with a twist, "The Ghost of Us" will totally hit the spot. It's this quirky mix of ghost hunting and high school drama where our girl Cara is playing matchmaker to save a ghost, Aiden, and his gloomy sister, Meredith. The catch? She's got to get Meredith to prom to help Aiden rest in peace. Sounds simple, right? Nope! Cara ends up falling for Meredith for real, and things get super complicated. The whole ghost-advising-on-dating-life angle gives some genuinely funny moments, and the emotional stakes ramp up as Aiden starts fading away. It's sweet, a bit sad, and definitely pulls at the heartstrings while delivering some cool paranormal action. Definitely worth a read if you like your romance with a side of ghostly shenanigans!

3.25 stars, rounded down
——————

I was initially drawn to the cover of this book, and the description was enough to capture my attention. The Ghost of Us is a unique tale of love after loss.

Following two young teens, this book does a really good job of handling the cycles of grief. You can feel it emanating from the story, which is so important in a plot point that is vital to the storyline. The plot was interesting and held my attention, but the overall resolution felt sort of rushed. This book was funny, but it just wasn’t my type of humor. That’s on me. It sort of killed the seriousness of the topic for me. It was predictable at times, which took away from the uniqueness of the overall story.

The characters in this were okay at best. Cara was incredibly selfish in her personality, which sort of made sense in the context of the book, but was unbearable to read and I found I couldn’t get into her story because of it. I loved Meredith and her character. Our side characters were definitely interesting.

I definitely enjoyed this read, I just couldn’t get past the predictability and the rushed resolution.

👻The Ghost of Us👻

The Ghost of Us was described as One Last Stop meets Cemetery Boys which immediately caught my attention as I enjoyed both of those books. Cara is a 18 year old high school outcast who spends her time dreaming of being a famous ghost hunter. She spends her free time with her best friend trying to find proof of the supernatural. Much to her surprise, she stumbles upon Aidan, the ghost of a popular upperclassman who had tragically passed away the year prior. Aidan left behind his younger sister, Meredith who has been a recluse ever since his passing. Realizing he hasn’t passed on because his unfinished business is his sister’s happiness, he makes a deal with Cara. If she can get Meredith out of her shell and take her to prom, he will help Cara prove that the paranormal is real.

This was a fun, quick read that definitely had the vibes it promised while being different enough to be its own thing. The story was light and funny despite its heavy subject matter (a dead teen and his grieving sister). The idea of being a teenage girl with the ghost of a teenage boy inside her head added the perfect amount of comic relief to the story. It also was quite sweet at times and reminded me of how precious teenage love can be.

My favourite character was Meredith, she is complicated and fiercely loyal. She only got more and more interesting as the story progressed. Cara, on the other hand, the single POV of the story, kind of drove me crazy at times. She is definitely meant to be a bit unlikeable, selfish teenager but damn, there were times I wanted to give her a good shake. The way she treats her only friend, Holly.... She did not deserve her most of the time. However, I give props to the author for writing her so well that it elicited such a response. Though frustrating at times, I much prefer when teens are written like real teens. Aidan, while frustrating in his own way, was kind of forgiven for that given that he is working through being dead and is still at heart a teenage boy. I’ll never look at a bluetooth speaker the same, IYKYK 😅

Overall, The Ghost of Us was an enjoyable queer paranormal YA story. I think if you enjoyed Cemetery Boys you may enjoy this one too (though they are quite different so set expectations accordingly).

Thank you to @WednesdayBooks & @netgalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! The Ghost of Us is out on June 11th!

⭐3.5/5 stars⭐

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book! I knew as soon as I read the description that I NEEDED to read it

I really liked this book. I wasn't expecting a book about a ghosts to be anywhere near as funny as this was.

I liked watching Cara's relationship develop with Meredith, but I find myself wanting more. I wish we had gotten more of Meredith's relationship/conversations with Aiden after she found out about his ghost. Or some chapters from her point of view to get a better idea of how she was feeling. I expected a book about a boy helping his grieving sister to make me cry alot more than this book did, and I think it would have been more emotional to get Meredith's (or even Aiden's) POV for at least part of the book.

I'd say my biggest issue with the book was Cara's selfishness. I was really annoyed with her when everything went down after Meredith found out about Aiden's ghost, both with how she made everything about her and the fights with Holly and Aiden afterword. I wish we had gotten to see the resolutions to the fights with Holly and Aiden.

In spite of the couple issues I had, I did enjoy the book. I was hard to put down and it made me laugh alot

This is definitely one of the best novels I've read this year; the style is similar to a gothic era novel. The descriptions and analogies are very well written, it makes for a thoughtful read that needs a little more attention. The main characters Cara and Meredtih were very believable as teenagers who were falling in love for the first time; all characters were very endearing with great written witty humor, it makes it a super enjoyable read. My only criticism was that I didn't feel the depth of the emotion at all times, but other than that I thought it was great.

3.75/5, round to 4/5

thank you to net galley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

this story was really sweet!! i enjoyed this story a lot, I did have some issues with it and the plot but overall, it was a quick read! I loved the romance between meredith and cara a lot, I thought the way they got on was so sweet :,) i also loved cara and Aiden’s friendship!! I do wish we had more of aiden’s character being developed outside of his mission and the quips he made. i also LOVEDDD holly she is such a good friend and extended so much grace to everyone :,) however her friendship with cara was kind of upsetting at times because cara was so very clearly using her as a doormat and funnel for her negative emotions which was. :// cara often made me wonder what it’s like to be a privileged self righteous white girl with a victim complex …. I had to rein myself in and remember cara is a high schooler and has so much to learn about friendship and grace and honesty in relationships, but she was just so selfish at times, however, I did admire her coming to that conclusion herself. i also wish there had been more development of her school plot, I think that plotline was kind of abandoned and it would’ve been nice to have a moment where she recognized that there are different paths to get to different places in life, and that is okay!

overall, I would recommend this story and had a fun time while reading it :)

As a teen ghost hunter, Cara’s goal is to find proof of the supernatural in order to get out of her small Washington town. So when she accidentally finds the ghost of Aiden, a teen who had died a year earlier, she thinks her dreams have come true. Little does she know that Aiden has an agenda of his own.

Aiden can’t move on until he knows his sister, Meredith, is okay. So in exchange for his help proving that the supernatural exists, Cara agrees to ask his sister to prom. But as Cara gets to know Meredith, she realizes that there might actually be something between them.

Thanks to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an advanced copy of The Ghost of Us by James L. Sutter to review! The summary of the book kind of gave me Cemetery Boys vibes, so I was excited to pick this one up. Plus Sutter’s debut, Darkhearts, was a favorite of mine last year!

The relationships in this book are so well done. We have Aiden and Cara’s budding friendship, Cara’s friendship with Holly, and Cara’s slow burn romance with Meredith. There’s a wide variety of relationships here, and I think Sutter nailed them on the head. They felt authentically teen, and made it difficult to put down the book.

Despite the subject matter, this book didn’t feel too heavy or dragged down by grief. Partly because we don’t get Meredith’s point of view; we don’t get to see much of her grieving process for her brother. A dual POV could have been cool in this instance, to pull more of those emotions into the story.

There’s a nod to Sutter’s previous book in here as well, which I always find so fun. Plus, the cover of this book is absolutely gorgeous. If you’re looking for a romance to add to your TBR this summer, definitely pick this one up!

Girl meets ghost. Girl seeks to use ghost for proof of ghosts. Ghost agrees, but only if girl will take ghost's sister to prom. Girl says yes. Emotional chaos follows as girl falls in love with her date. Girl finally fesses up to plan with ghost. Angst. Date gives girl a second chance. I liked the queer representation as well as the straight, religious allies, but the characters are a little flat and the basic premise is tired. I think it'll find a wide YA audience among romantasy readers.

I had very mixed feelings about this one! I loved the premise, it's fun and messy in the best way. I also really liked Meredith and Holly's characters, and the romance development was cute. However, I didn't really like Cara at some points in the story. There was so much selfishness in her actions, and certain parts of the book gave me literal anxiety because of the impending consequences of those actions. Despite everything being resolved, I don't think I could have forgiven Cara had I been in her friends places. Overall though, it was a pretty funny and cute book and the plot was an interesting deviation from other YA books I've read recently. 3.8/5 stars rounded up.

I wasn't sure how I was gonna feel about this book. It been a while since I tried into paranormal-esque book. I was pleased with how the author handled the sensitive topic of death and grief and the journey that follows. It was a fun somewhat predictable read, but overall enjoyable.

This is a ghost hunter x sister of unalived ghost brother sapphic contemporary paranormal romance that explores themes of self discovery, healing after tragedy, what it means to be a good friend, relationship growth, and learning what's more important in life.

The romantic subplot is overall sweet. The prom-posal was adorable. The first not date that was really a date was a very sweet scene sequence as well. What really stole the show for me was the rock climbing scene and the calm, support, and confidence offered instead of meeting her anxiety turn for turn. This is something that a lot of people do when someone is in anxious distress, but this FMC doesn't react but offers strength and support instead.

The friendship between ghost and ghost hunter is very well done as well. The character dynamics, the push and pull of friendship, the general honoring and respecting each other's opinions all work together beautifully. The older brother watching out for his little sister dynamic is well done as well.

Content Warning: language, explicit sapphic s*x, teenage boy d*ath off page by tragic accident

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review is voluntarily written and the thoughts and opinions contained in this review are my own.

I thought the book's premise to be intriguing, but its execution was - uncomfortable, to say the least.

The center conflict of the book (Cara lying by omission, or directly in some cases, to Meredith) was constantly put into question by Cara and her friend, but it didn't lessen my discomfort whenever her guilt kept rising up whenever she was with Meredith. It just made me feel so bad for Meredith, who just wanted to be loved/recognized outside of her brother, and yet what brought her together with Cara was her brother. I started skimming because I thought it would lessen the blow of the inevitable reveal, but it didn't. If anything, it made me feel worse for Meredith, because she deserved so much better.

It's a shame, really, because there was a lot of charm in the dialogue between characters, and I really wished I could enjoy them. Unfortunately, the ickiness of the situation prevented me from connecting/liking the main characters, much less properly emotionally invest myself in the story.

All in all, the execution of this book wasn't my cup of tea. Meredith deserved better, and having her POV could have made my reading this more enjoyable.

Thank you to netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for allowing me access to this book. Due to SMP boycott I will withhold my review until the concerns have been address and the boycott has ended.

The Ghost of Us follows Cara, an 18-year-old ghost hunter, who may have the opportunity to prove ghosts are real when she finds herself in communication with Aiden. Cara and Aiden both have goals they need to accomplish but it comes at the expense of others. While some deep topics are covered, it’s done in a lighthearted way. The banter between Cara and Aiden is humorous. The romance aspect is predictable but adorable. I really enjoyed this book and the cover is definitely what drew me in.

3.5/5 ⭐️
I finished this book. Which is saying something cause I’ve been on a bad DNF streak. So this was enjoyable enough to carry me through to its entirety. However, it was not for me. I think it can definitely be enjoyed by others, and while I always will want to read stories with people talking to ghosts, I don’t think I was the audience for this specific story.
First, it kind of came across as though it was made for the Disney channel. It felt too fun and cutesy and trying too hard to be quirky. It lacked the gravity I think was needed for this kind of topic, only getting it two times from the sister of the dead boy. (If you’re looking for a similar book to this that does have the gravity, check out Lady Bird by R Raeta and Funeral Girl by Emma K Ohland).
The characters also felt like they were trying too hard to be unique that they came across as caricatures from the Disney channel and lacked depth. It didn’t help that the dialogue at times was also trying too hard that it was cringe. Like an adult trying to sound like a kid. What was also annoying was the constant italicizing to emphasize specific words in the dialogue. It happened way too often that it lost its intended punch and turned into a sink that’s constantly dripping and won’t stop.
I think this story had potential but I think I would’ve recommended toning the quirkiness of the characters and dialogue down a bit. You don’t need it to relate to the intended audience. The experiences and the struggles the characters go through that are universal is what will connect the reader to the story more than trying to sound like them. I would also recommend justifying how she talks to Aiden in the first place. It seemed a little out of left field. Maybe it’s hard at first, like they have to depend on tools to communicate. Or she could always hear ghosts. Or something strange happened like she fell through the floor at the paper mill. She would then have to try to hide her injury from her parents, but from that far she gains the ability to hear him? Also the ending wrapped up too fast. She sort of sets fire on all her relationships, but not enough time and effort passed before they forgive her.
Ok, honestly, I could probably go one with some more points I would change, but I doubt anyone wants to read what could fall into thesis paper length. So pretty much, overall this book was entertaining enough. It wasn’t that annoying or frustrating that I DNF it. I would recommend this for people. But I probably would warn them they might cringe too.
Thank you to NetGalley and Wednesday Books for providing an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

This book was really interesting and fun! I feel like the story and the characters were equally interesting without anything outshining the other, which is rare I think. It was a beautiful story.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, James L. Sutter, and NetGalley for an ARC of The Ghost of Us. This is my honest review!

The teenage characters in The Ghost of Us were all so believable in a way that shows understanding of teenage psychology. Cara, the FMC, struggles with self-esteem and abandonment issues in a way that is teenage angsty but constructive because she learns from her journey. And it was a joy to go along on that journey with her. From her friendship with Holly to her encounters with ghost Aiden to her budding relationship with Meredith, I adored Cara!

I really liked this one. I wanted this book for the cover alone. I loved that the MC had a YouTube channel hunting ghosts. It felt unique and quickly pulled me into the story. I also loved the banter between Cara and Aiden and her bestie Holly. All the characters were fleshed out well and grew by the end of the story. Although Cara’s actions were far from perfect it was nice to see her learn from her mistakes. I also liked that her BF stood up for herself and wasn’t afraid to call out Cara. The ghost parts were cool and the look into grief felt realistic and respectful.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

Wow this definitely lives up to the Cemetery Boys comparison! It has all the heart of that story that I adored so much. The main draw of the book for me was Aiden's relationship with Cara. In Cemetery Boy's the connection with the ghost is romantic, but I found Cara's platonic connection with Aiden to be just as compelling. Watching Cara's excitement about meeting a ghost turn to sadness as she becomes close friends with him and realizes that helping him means losing him was so emotional. Especially since she's a bit of an outsider, her making a close friend who understands her so well only to watch him get closer to moving on was incredibly angsty. The sapphic romance plot was also adorable. I loved watching two queer teens navigate their first relationship. YA can be hit or miss for me because sometimes the characters feel too immature to be relatable for me. However, that wasn't the case at all with The Ghost of Us. Watching Cara struggle with the change that will come when her only (alive) friend graduates high school and leaves her felt so similar to my experience. That anticipatory grief during senior year is painfully relatable and I really felt for her as she tried to build a network of people only to realize that she couldn't keep them and was guaranteed to lose at least one. I 100% recommend this book and now I'm really excited to read more from this author!