It’s a story of grief and friendship with a hint of romance. It has more of a mellow tone and at points felt just a tiny bit slow at times. If you like road trip stories then one is for you. I enjoyed this one and ended up giving it a three out of five stars.

LOVE THIS BOOK!
What an amazing story. You will experience every emotion possible when you read We Are the Ghosts. So, so good! I can not wait to get my hands on the next book by this author.
Every person out there will experience loss at one time in their lives and everyone grieves differently. This book touches on that and so much more. I want to read it again!! And I do not re-read books.

Thank you Vicky Skinner for writing a book that so many can relate to.

Luke left his family home in Eaton, Texas, over a year ago, and no one has heard from him since. Then his family finds out that he has just died in a car crash in Ann Arbor, Michigan. On the day of his funeral, Ellie receives a bucket list map - created by Luke, his sister Ellie, and his best friend Wes three years ago - mailed from an address in Dexter, Michigan. Accompanied by Wes, Gwen (Luke’s ex-girlfriend and Wes’s current girlfriend), and Cade (her once-almost-boyfriend), Ellie sets out on a road trip to find out what really happened to Luke. This should be interesting.

The group make some stops and have a series of adventures in the towns marked on the map in question: the first real stage where Elvis performed in Shreveport, Louisiana; the Mississippi River and a fortune teller in New Orleans, Louisiana; the Gateway Arch in St Louis, Missouri; the catacombs and Monument Circle in Indianapolis, Indiana; Lake Erie in Newport, Michigan; and, finally, Dexter, Michigan, where they locate the address from where the map was sent to Ellie. Along the way, they also find out a few things about themselves, uncover secrets they have been hiding from each other, and discover the truth surrounding Luke’s disappearance. None of them will ever be the same again.

The current-day story is told from Ellie’s point-of-view, interspersed with flashbacks in italics from the time before Luke left home. The relationship between brother and sister Luke and Ellie is so sweet. I especially love what Luke did for Ellie on her first day of high school. Ellie’s mother, on the other hand, is a nightmare, and we never really find out why she acts the way she does. Apart from the overuse of the phrase “scrub my hands over my face”, the writing is beautiful, heartfelt, and insightful. I found myself highlighting so many passages!

Don’t miss this story of family, friendship, forgiveness, and overcoming grief. It will leave you pondering: Who are the ghosts? Those who die or those who are left behind?

Warnings: coarse language, sexual references, underage drinking.

This book took me by surprise. This story follows the journey of a girl on a road trip as she grieves the death of someone close to her and finding out she didn’t know them or herself as much as she thought. This book tugged on my heartstrings. I could really relate to the main character and some of what she was feeling and relate it to my own personal experiences. I thought this was a great story exploring grief, love, growing up, and gaining new perspectives.

This story is so well written, There are so many twists and surprises. It keeps you guessing what is coming next.
The characters are all well-developed. It is so easy to feel their emotions. You really can feel all their feelings and all they go through. All the heart ache and loss. I totally understand how Ellie couldn't understand or control her feelings. The friends are a great part of the story.
The story flows well from chapter to chapter and is easy to follow along.
I highly recommend this book to others. It is a very good read.

I like explorations of the complexity of grief. And that's certainly a big part of this book.. We get how this death affects friends, the girlfriend, various members of the family. We learn about the secrets each of them are keeping, the different ways they all knew this young man. We see his sister's hero worship being slowly deconstructed. That's all interesting. It's also well trod territory. While Skinner adds a road trip element, it's all pretty predictable and does nothing to set itself apart from the pack.

If you like road trip adventures, this story may be right up your alley.

After she realizes her brother is dead after being missing for a year, the main character embarks on a journey with her brother’s best friend to visit al the places they planned with her brother before he tragically passed.

It’s a story of grief and friendship with a hint of romance. It has more of a mellow tone and at points felt just a tiny bit slow, but overall, I found it to be emotionally written.

I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars

A heart-wrenching, poignant story that spoke to me on different levels. I can understand or relate to each step of the journey.

Ellie is a lovely character that steps out of her comfort zone to embark on something that many of us would be too scared to do. Although she's young she has a strength about her that's quite endearing. It was a pleasure to follow her as she's discovered hidden truths and started to truly heal emotionally.

There is a possibility that you need a tissue or two handy, a box of chocolates and a drink. Don't forget a comfy chair and an empty house!!

I would recommend this for young adults.

We Are The Ghosts is about Ellie who lost her brother and best friend, Luke, to a tragic car accident and she’s been left miserable ever since. Ellie embarks on a road-trip journey with Luke’s best friend and ex-girlfriend as well as Cade who’s been secretly caring about her. During their road trip, instead of living the life and exploring the surroundings, Ellie finds herself entangled in the mystery of her brother’s accident and his life.

WHAT I LIKED:
** This book made me go on a road trip of my own. I was so engaged in all the road adventures Ellie and her friends experienced.
** Ellie’s portrayal of grief was done beautifully. It gave me so many feels. She was not only dealing with the loss of her brother but was also trying to find herself through that road trip.
** The author did a wonderful job of showing the emotions of the characters. I was able to connect to their feelings and even it made sad for them.
** I loved how the side characters contribute to the healing process of each other not only to that of Ellie’s. I loved seeing their connection grow deeper.
** The story shows that you can find your second family in form of friends too. Ellie’s real family was falling apart but she made a strong bond with the family that she created on her road-trip adventures.
** I loved Cade. He seriously deserves a medal for his patience 😀 I loved how the slow-burn romance was handled.
** The ending surprised me. What Ellie discovered, in the end, was shattering and heart-breaking.
The story flows well through each chapter and it was easy to follow Ellie’s and her friends’ journey and be hooked to the story.
** This book was not just focused on Luke’s death and I was glad for it. This was about Ellie’s inner turmoil, her complex relationships with her family and the answers she needed.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
** I find the story a little slow and dragging at some points.

Overall, Vicky Skinner has wonderfully incorporated different themes of friendship, road trip, romance mystery, grief and loss into this complex journey to find yourself. I was able to connect to Ellie on so many levels. It was an emotional ride. I would recommend this if you love your stories with these themes.

You know how they say don't judge a book by it's cover?? Well... I didn't remember the book description when I started and I guess I assumed this would be a dark, maybe murder-mystery/thriller type of read. I was even reading it with a sinister point of view. Not the case at all! While the premise does involve a missing (and then deceased) person, it's not really focused on that. This is about Ellie, a young girl dealing with the loss of her brother Luke, someone she was extremely close to who picked up and left without a trace. This is about a roadtrip she takes with Luke's best friend and a few others to the last place they believe Luke was. This is about her inner turmoil, her complex relationship with her mother and her brother, her search for answers and where it all leads her. This is categorized as YA but somehow seemed to surpass YA for me a little bit. I found myself feeling what I imagined Ellie would be feeling while I anxiously awaited the answers she was seeking. In short, this was a lightened dark-themed novel with depth to it that kept me entertained throughout.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ellie's life looked a lot different a year ago. She and her older brother Luke, who their whole school idolized, were best friends, and she was starting to date Cade. Then Luke disappeared, and Ellie's life came to a screeching halt. Her grades plummeted, and she withdrew into herself, lost without Luke. With no word from her brother in over a year, Ellie is awoken by her parents with news of Luke's sudden death. Completely devastated again, Ellie looks for answers and reconnects with Luke's best friend and his ex-girlfriend. Cade and Ellie tentatively reconnect as well. Together the four teens embark on a road trip to get away and find some answers. While Ellie, Wes, and Gwen have questions about Luke, not everything they learn is easy. Ellie must find a way to accept Luke's death and exist without her brother beside her. Even Cade gets some answers to questions about his own family. 

THOUGHTS: This emotional journey leaves readers with a lot of unanswered questions, but the mystery surrounding Luke's last year will compel readers to the surprising ending. Hand this one to fans of unpredictable plot twists.

There’s something about YA Contemporaries about grief that just call to me. In We Are the Ghosts you’ll follow four teens as they take a road trip to find the answers they’ve been searching for for the past year.

When Luke left a year ago without a word to Ellie her world fell apart. Now she’s sitting in a church at his funeral fighting the monsters inside her who feed her anger at Luke’s leaving, and now his death. Why did he leave? Why did he have to die? All the questions piling up with no hope of answers, until a few days later when she finds a letter on her desk. A letter with a return address and a map she hasn’t seen for years inside.

Ellie’s portrayal of grief will give you so many feels. She’s not only struggling with the death of her brother but the abandonment she’s been running from ever since he left. Now she’s on a road trip that includes stops her brother may have been to within the year he’s been gone. After a run in with a fortune teller in New Orleans’s, seeing a glimpse of Luke from the top of the St. Louis Arch, and finding the unexpected at the end of her journey Ellie has to come to terms with what she’s feeling and realize that it’s OK to be mad at her brother and that if he had told her where he was she would’ve begged to go with him.

The three other characters that go along with Ellie include Luke’s best friend, Luke’s ex-girlfriend, and the boy Ellie stopped talking to without explanation. You’ll uncover all the secrets each character has while they all discover how to cope with the loss they’re all feeling.

This book is a beautiful story about learning to cope with the grief of a loved one. I enjoyed getting to see how each character in this story contributes to the healing process for all of them, not just for Ellie. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves stories about self-discovery, dealing with grief, and learning to move on. It was wonderfully written and I enjoyed the road trip aspect. I think it really lent to the theme of going on a journey to healing.

3.5 Stars
Review can be found at https://smadasbooksmack.blogspot.com/

I had read the synopsis for this title months ago and it peaked my interest to read the book but to be perfectly honest, when I sat down to actually read the book it was basically like going into the book with a blank slate. I did not remember what the story was about and I had not read any reviews so I had an open mind starting this tale. And I was super surprised by had sad and despondent the story made me feel. Vicky is skilled and making her character's emotions become real and tangible to the reader, I felt everything that Ellie did and it was rough (for both of us, I think).

Ellie has spent the last year disconnected from her life, mourning her brother's presence in her life until his very real death makes her unsure how to mourn him for real. She has pushed everyone away from her, her few friends and potential crush ignored, she doesn't speak to her parents and just goes through the emotions of existing. At the start of the book, this was one sad, messed up girl. Luke was the light in her life, her best friend, her social medium to school and her life overall- and once he was gone she was hurt, sad, and broken. Where this may have been a road trip, it was overall a trip of discovery. Ellie learned some hard truths about the person she idolized as well as some truths about herself and those she pushed away. I loved that even though her actual family may have fallen apart, she created a strong made family that had her back regardless of how she acted. Let me take a second and just throw out my love for Cade- he was so dreamy. No this was not a romance, but there was a slow burning romance here with the best of guys. He deserves a medal for his patience and amazing random facts.

We Are The Ghosts was an emotional ride about learning hard truths and finding how to live again after dealing with trauma and grief. I recommend this for anyone who loves YA contemporary books that have a slow moving plot but instead focus mainly on an in depth look at the characters, making the reader connect to them and understand them. I will for certain check out more books by Vicky in the future.

I really liked this cover and I was intrigued by the synopsis, sadly I was bored.

I liked Ellie well enough. She’s got some issues and her emotions are all over the place. It was easy to want to see her get closure. Same for her friends. They’re all dealing with a death and I liked the loyalty they seemed to have for each other.

Plot wise it was a bit of a mess. I loved the idea of a road trip for answers; however, nothing was solved. There wasn’t closure. Some of the reveals were things I didn’t expect and while I did like that, the lack of build up left me wanting.

Overall, it was an idea I liked, yet this didn’t feel like it delivered.

**Huge thanks to Swoon Reads for providing the arc free of charge**

***Actual Rating: 4/5 Reborn Stars***

Just to clarify, I read this book right after finishing How the Light Gets In by Katy Upperman because you know, both are for the blog tours AND the blurbs are equally interesting. Despite the fact that both books sound pretty similar since they're all about dealing with the death of a beloved someone, I'm actually shocked how much resemblance both stories bear. Not only do the main storylines look alike, it's even harder to tell the characters' experiences apart at some point. However, I'm no way disappointed by this book because there's a lot to like about the protagonists here. *wink*

To begin with, We Are The Ghosts stars Ellie, the female main character, who lost her dearest brother, Luke, to a tragic car accident--the car skidded on an icy road and dove right into Lake Michigan--and she's been left miserable ever since. In order to find out why Luke was on his way to another city when he barely left the house (or so that's what Ellie thinks), and what he was doing, Ellie embarks on a journey to seek the answers with Luke's best friend and ex-girlfriend...as well as a last-minute partner, Cade, a mysterious guy who's been secretly caring about her.

During their road trip to the other side of the States, instead of living the life and exploring the surroundings, Ellie's been enamored with the mystery of Luke's sudden death and odd occurrence. She wraps her head around figuring out the truth and misses all the potentials of either developing a friendship with her partners or something more romantic with this Cade guy who seems quite determined to know her better.

When Ellie finally finds the person Luke had obviously been having clandestine meetings with for a long time, her entire world is flipped upside down and she might as well be drowned by the harsh reality. At first, I was very pissed off about everything Ellie and Luke's closest friends have to endure because nothing is fair. The truth is cold and ugly and simply displayed right there in front of them and yet, no one can tolerate the heartbreaking impact, let alone accept what it is/what it means.

Much to my surprise, the more I ponder on the outcome and what Ellie has discovered, the easier it is to embrace the truth. I've never thought the end of this book could be so earth-shattering that even breathing hurts. What Ellie discovers, or rediscovers, isn't something that'll sit well with anyone. It's as if all she's looking for from all the way to Michigan turns out to be some kind of betrayal, and it's pretty much a living nightmare. Thankfully, with the mindset of an optimist which Ellie and her friends pick up along the journey, they eventually get to make peace with the truth and their lives in general.

To sum up, We Are The Ghosts is such a thought-provoking book that'll certainly get you thinking and wondering about life issues/people around you/your own adventure. I really appreciate the overall concept of seeking the ultimate truth of something seemingly mysterious yet makes perfect sense. Ellie, Cade, and their friends' road trip is definitely a story you don't want to miss and I'm sure you'll realize that you are the main hero in your own story of life by the time you finished reading this.

***Thanks to Xpresso Tours and the author for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.***

Ellie never imagined the next time she would see her brother was at his funeral, and therefore, when she received a map showing their epic road trip, she went in search of some answers. The road trip was intended to help her gain some closure, but along the way, she found a way back to herself, while also mending some important relationships.

I will tell you five things I loved about this book:

1. Skinner did a fantastic job depicting all the different ways we grieve, and during this road trip, I felt like I went through all the stages of grief with Ellie. Flashbacks were used thoughtfully to help give us a better understanding of Ellie's pain, and it really increased the emotional impact.

2. Ellie had to deal with losing her brother twice, and this was a profound loss for her, because her identity was so closely tied to her relationship with him. She didn't just lose her brother and her best friend, she sort of lost herself, and this road trip was as much about her as it was about him.

3. Wow! So many secrets, and they find a HUGE one in Michigan. That was probably the biggest surprise of the book for me. I thought it was rather sad, but also felt it was a ray of hope for Ellie.

4. Cade, can we just talk about Cade. He got a gold star for patience and perseverance, and Ellie should count herself lucky to have someone like him by her side.

5. Skinner incorporated several themes in this book, such as friendship and forgiveness. Just about every character in the book was flawed, and all warranted forgiveness from someone. I was glad grace was shown to these characters and that they were given the opportunity to redeem themselves.

Skinner did a wonderful job combining elements of friendship, romance, and mystery into this story of grief and loss, and I was more than happy to take this healing journey with Ellie.

This one was actually a little slow to me. I think I usually prefer quirky contemporaries but sometimes I like serious ones, too, so I thought I’d give this one a try. But I just couldn’t connect with the MC or the story. However I think people that love emotional stories will love this one!

This was a well written young adult novel dealing with the loss of a sibling and the way that we all handle grief in different ways. The loss impacts a best friend, ex girlfriend and sibling and starts as a year long loss as there is a disertion before a death. An adventure draws the characters together and the reader gets to learn more about each of them and the way the loss has impacted their relationships. Full of many levels if emotion, I actually enjoyed this book far more than I expected. I felt like it handled some tough subject matter well and the building and rebuilding of relationships was well done. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

An honest glimpse into one girl's grief over the loss of her brother. I loved the road trip aspect and thought the novel has good pacing and structure. I also experienced many different emotions while reading (sadness, anger, frustration) and those emotions were reflected in the main character. This book offers a realistic take on the complexity of family and the highs and lows we inevitably experience with the ones we love. I would definitely recommend it to my teen patrons.

I hated how I lost interest in this since it started off appealing and differed from similar stories. It didn't take long for this book to derail and quickly follow the same tracks as other stories detailing a teen moving on from the loss of a sibling.

The two siblings in this story are wild, carefree, and adventurous Luke and meek, docile, submissive Ellie. Their mother rules their lives and Luke rebels while Ellie listens. Luke vanishes from home after graduation and a year later the family is contacted about his death. A map that Ellie, Luke, and Luke's best friend Wes constructed is sent to Ellie via mail and she decides to go on a trip following Luke's footsteps. Accompanying her are Wes, Gwen (Luke's girlfriend who is now dating Wes), and Cade (Ellie's almost boyfriend). They jet off on a road trip without telling anyone in hopes of discovering why Luke was in Michigan when he died.

The foursome made stupid decisions from the start. Leaving without informing their parents. Trusting strangers. Going to parties. Getting wasted. Changing their minds once arriving at the party. Breaking and entering. Fighting. Keeping secrets from each other. It all was redundantly annoying. The plot and secrets were predictable and I was sick of Ellie's whiplash of emotions. She never truly healed or found peace either. She just discovered what kept Luke in Michigan, then it ended.

Thanks NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this.