Thank you to Delacorte Press for the e-ARC of I Am the Ghost in Your House in exchange for an honest review!

The cover to this one is STUNNING & the concept is very unique, however, the story itself is a bit bland.

Warning: mentioned of childhood abuse, sexual abuse, and stalking.

Three stars; the book was not exciting, but it was interesting in its exploration of a fully invisible person, the moral dilemmas it comes with, the ever present loneliness, and what it would be like to go through all that with hormones added to the mix. I was expecting something wholly different from the cover, more creepy and less angsty, but angst is what we got. It did its job well, it was on me that I was expecting something different. I did almost DNF a couple of times because it takes too long for anything interesting to happen, but once Pie finds her crew things start to click. It is interesting to see how Pie sees herself, her place in the world, a little sad too. I did like the exploration of another liminal space in the world where even the invisible people could fall into. That was neat and different.

The only creepy part was Pie having this crush and basically pulling a “You” stalker levels, but she learns and repents (and it is clearly shown the behavior is unacceptable and unhealthy).

Overall interesting, and even though it is kind of slow it is not terribly long (which I know sounds terrible, but it is a unique story in a world of same, and for that it gets brownie points).

(3.5 stars rounded up)

I was really intrigued by the title, concept, and cover of this book! And I was drawn in very quickly to Pie’s story. I wanted to know all about her invisibility: how did it happen? how did it work? How did she and her mother get by in the world?

This was a neat story, and I couldn’t really predict where it was headed. I liked the found family / friendship aspect, as well as Pie’s actual family drama, and Pie’s response to making friends tugged on my heartstrings, since it revealed just how lonely her life had been.

For all I liked about this book, it felt somewhat all over the place at times. While I thought there was initially some urgency to Pie’s mother’s situation, that moved into the background for a time, with Pie’s crush and developing friendships taking centre stage. But then something would happen regarding Pie’s mom and jolt me out of one focus to another. Then there was a reveal View Spoiler », which took over. It was super interesting, but I kept feeling the focus pulled around.

Still, this was a good, very intriguing read. Recommended!

I have been very fortunate in my YA book choices lately and I Am the Ghost in Your House is yet another delightful new release that I will be reading again in the future. (I love to revisit favorites a few years down the road if I have time.) Though this is definitely marketed towards young adults and teens, I found the story very compelling and was honestly sad to see the book come to an end.

Pie is your typical teen: emotional, lonely, misunderstood. She longs for friendship and connection, yet knows that she can never have a real, true friend. The one major thing that differentiates Pie and her mother from other people is that they happen to be invisible and may be the only invisible people that exist. They can see each other but no one can see them. Unlike a typical mother and daughter, Pie and her mother don’t have a home. They don’t really need one though, because they can usually find a bit of extra space in a house or a train to catch some shut eye. And during their waking hours they’re well-rehearsed in moving silently and staying invisible; their survival depends on it.

One day Pie realizes that something is strange with her mom; she is disappearing from even Pie herself. Breaking all of the rules that keep her safe, Pie risks her anonymity when she returns to the town her secret crush Tess lives in and begins making questionable decisions that her mom would never approve of. But what if her mom never comes back?

With a little bit of magical realism, some ghostly happenings, a dash of romance and some life lessons, Maria Romasco Moore has written a haunting and strange book that I enjoyed immensely!

Review of an advance digital reading copy from Random House Children’s Books

This was very good, thanks to Penguin Canada for an e-ARC!

It’s a very interesting premise and I enjoyed this much more than I expected! A girl and her mother are invisible for reasons unknown and live a nomadic life, trying to find different places to crash where they won’t be noticed.

The themes of this one sneak up on you and it’s beautiful! As much as it’s a curious story about an invisible trait, it’s also one about coming to terms with trauma and mental illness, combating loneliness and finding a place for yourself in the world, and more simply a story of teens doing teen stuff, which is beautiful in its own way.

It feels that there are some intended metaphors here for disability and neurodivergence, especially in the later half of the book as we meet more characters. It’s not explicit representation in most cases but I would be interested in finding some own voices reviews, as the comparison here left me a little uneasy.

I did really appreciate that the mistakes and harm characters cause are directly addressed. Some of these characters do some really hurtful things and rather than brush them aside for a quick resolution, they do have to find ways to make amends and recognize why their behaviour was harmful.

**Thank you to Delacorte Press, the author, and NetGalley for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This book was released on April 19, 2022.**

It’s probably cliché to call this book haunting, but how else are you to describe a novel where the main character is invisible? Pie (short for Pietà) and her mother are utterly transparent, and move through the world like phantoms, living in people’s houses and stealing whatever items they need or want for survival. They’ve also been exorcized more than once, and don’t put down roots, as staying in one place too long will get them noticed. And for Pie’s mother, that’s the worst possible thing she can imagine—so much so that she has been completely disappearing, flickering in and out of our plain of existence, to cope with that. When mother and daughter return to Pittsburgh two years after Pie became enamored with Tess, the girl whose house they were squatting in, Pie wants to see her again despite the way their brief, unlikely friendship ended—and this time, reveal her real self.

I really loved how much this book was about not only being visible or invisible, but the risk inherent in being seen, and how that colored the lives of the characters and their choices when interacting with the world around them. A major part of that is explored through Pie’s mother, who was actually not born invisible; Pie theorizes she developed the condition as a kind of camouflage in order to avoid her father’s abuse. This is a bit of a spoiler, but the reverse also seems to be true: at the end of the novel, when Pie feels safe with Denise, she briefly becomes visible to the rest of the world. The book isn’t just a commentary on appearances—it goes a whole level deeper than that in its exploration of how we perceive others and ourselves and does so in an extremely inventive way.

Another thing I appreciated was the book’s structure, and how the reader was bounced from the main narrative to moments in Pie’s past that were tangentially or directly related to events in the present. I also absolutely did not expect this book to end as gently as it did, in what I felt was such a wholesome outcome. Pie does some messed up things which are second nature thanks to the lack of consequences in her upbringing (you never have to worry about following someone or stealing if you can’t be seen), but when she becomes aware of the ways in which her behavior is problematic, she takes steps to fix what she’s done—except in the case of Tess, which is left unresolved. This does make sense for the narrative, but I wish there had been a little more overt closure on that front. Similarly, I don’t think the scenes with Pie’s father did as much heavy lifting as they could have; between his career as an art thief and all the revelations related to where Pie’s mother has slipped away to, I thought there could have been just a tiny bit more elaboration, because they were so intriguing and had so much potential to have a larger impact.

Overall, this is a lovely and strangely tender book with a unique perspective on our appearance-oriented world, and it takes its power from its willingness to be patient.

I think this was kind of a middle-of-the-road read for me. I read it in 2 sittings, completely by accident to be honest. I did enjoy the story, and Pie as a character. It was heartbreaking at times following her because she wanted so badly to be seen but she had been raised to do the opposite. There were themes of loss, abuse, love, finding yourself, family relationships, and heartbreak that were really well written, in my opinion. I loved seeing Pie's growth throughout the story and who she became by the end. I had a different idea of what this story would be about but it didn't ruin anything for me once I started reading. Truthfully, I'm glad I was wrong about what this story was about! I loved the way it ended up unfolding so much more than I initially thought it would. I'm still shocked I read this in 2 sittings but once I started, I really didn't want to stop! It was haunting; not in a spooky way but in a way that sits in your heart and just reminds you that it's there every so often. This may not be my favorite read of all time but it's certainly one that I cannot stop thinking about and smiling when I remember my time with Pie.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

The premise of this book was very intriguing, making it one of my most anticipated reads of the year. I love the concept of the main character and her mother, Pie, being invisible and living in other people's houses, acting as a kind of "ghost".

It had a sweet sapphic romance that was my favorite part of the book and one of the biggest reasons why I was anticipated it so much. I think the complicated relationship between Pie and her controlling mother was explored and handled well. The characters of Denise, Neely, Jules, and Tess were great additions to the book. However, the feel/genre of the book was different from what I was expecting; it had more of a contemporary fantasy feel than actual horror. I really enjoyed the side characters that were introduced and became Pie's friends, but I felt like the storyline with Pie's father was not necessary at all, and I would've liked the book better if more time was spent on other things.

“It reminded me of ants or bees. Cells. All these individuals moving together, becoming one large organism. Part of something larger. I was never part of anything.”

A reinvention of the Invisible Man trope that brings to mind that meme “If the world was blind, how many people would you impress?” This book explores the idea of invisibility without the superhero nuance, as something that simply exists like any other realistic “problem novel”.

Pie and her mother are invisible. To survive they are always actively working to make all evidence of their existence disappear. She and her mother travel on public transportation (avoiding other people sitting on them), living in empty vacation houses, sometimes in large houses with empty rooms while families are still there. Always existing in the tension between having anything you want - just by taking it correctly- and never having enough of what they truly want - authentic human interaction. Pie can take anything but it doesn’t have value because no one knows she has it. “”I’d held real diamonds in my hand before,and yet here I was, getting choked up over the gift of a disposable straw.”

The plot is driven by a trip to Pittsburgh. Pie desires to connect again with Tess, a girl she became infatuated with the last time they were in the city. This time Pie’s mother, and only companion, winks out of existence and Pie works at developing true friendships, discovers more people are invisible and comes to terms with herself.

I enjoyed the world building, the explanation of how the invisibility could be transferred to objects large and small, sometimes with disastrous consequences. But, the loneliness resonated most intensely, the desperate ache for connection, visibility, authentic human contact.

This book gave me similar vibes to the movie Parasite. The idea of people moving in the intimate spaces of others without acknowledgement or authentic connection. This book feels rich with meaning and opportunity for book discussion

Thanks #netgalley for the opportunity to preview this book. Look for it April 19th, 2022.

First Thoughts:
From the start, this book is very intriguing. You get to know just enough about the main character's background and situation. Though, a plot oriented problem arises from the beginning to open up the stories potential. I felt an automatic draw and love for it; eager to read more.

Writing:
The author did such a splendid job encapsulating a lonely, confused and young girl. Too often, the right maturity in a teen main character is not found. They either have a voice that is too old, or way too young. This one was just right.

Plot:
The plot was so original! I could be alone in this but I had never read about an invisible girl. Not one that was from birth, set in a contemporary setting. No, this isn't a metaphorical invisible (wallflower) story. Pie is quite literally invisible to the common eye. She was born this way, her mother (also invisible- though not by birth) being her only companion her entire life. For her mother, this is a sanctity. For Pie, she has dreamed of being seen, finding companionship. Every teen already struggles with fitting in and finding themselves, their voice, etc. . Pie has extra obstacles holding her back. Not only do we get to explore the struggles of her invisibility and family but truly her identity. That in itself felt like a pleasure to witness.

Characters:
This kind of goes hand in hand with plot but I haven't loved a main character as much and as instantaneously as I did Pie. I feel like I tend to fall in love more with the side characters and yes, the side characters in this book were amazing too. They had their hand in Pie's life, the actions she takes and how she grows into herself. Pie really does steal the show though. There wasn't a moment I wasn't routing for her.

Romance:
There isn't anything steamy here. No spice. If that's a core value you need in a book, it might not be for you. This is a YA coming of age tale. Our characters are starting to feel out the concept of love in general - romantically, familial, and for the self. Of course, there's a bit of romance as this is a YA book. We get all the ups and downs of young love and the transformations it takes. This is also a very inclusive story of LGBTQ+

Overall:
This is one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I don't read contemporary books often. I love the insight we get on a girl who has always been a spectator herself. Here I was reading about an invisible girl who couldn't participate in the lives she witnessed while I myself was an invisible spectator on her life, watching her bloom. I will happily read anything Romasco-Moore puts out.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The concept of the book was really interesting. I enjoyed the aspect that the main characters in the book disappeared based on their feelings, or rather, dealing with their feelings (although Pie's reasoning is simply that she was *born this way*). I was expecting the novel to have more of a horror feel to it, but I ended up enjoying the more melancholy, fantasy-esque tone that it had instead (however, I would advise not going into this expecting a creepy read). I really enjoyed the way Pie grew as a character throughout the novel and learned to be brave and find a sense of purpose and belonging despite being invisible. I think the themes of feeling invisible or feeling like you don't belong were handle pretty well. Pie develops friendships and mends relationships in a way that felt realistic despite it's more surrealist tone. The first third of the novel was a bit more difficult to get through, but once Pie starts to handle the world on her own, the plot really grips you from there. I wished there was more of explanation as to why Pie herself was invisible, especially because I feel like there was an explanation for her mother that made a lot of sense. This book also has a really cute f/f romance and I would highly recommend reading this if you are looking for a tender yet eerie book about feeling seen.

I should have expected this book to be a little weird if not from the description alone than the fact that Maria Moore wrote it. Her first book was very weird as well, all be it amazing at the same time. This one was just like that it is all about our main character Pie. Pie is like all other teenagers her age, she lives with her mother, and
doesn't always agree with what she is told the only difference between her and other kids her age, is Pie and her mother are invisible. While Pie and her mother have put up rules in order to contain their problem it doesn't always work and when Pies mother disappears for good one day Pie is left on her own in a world that she doesn't quite understand. I really liked this story because it was so different from anything that I've ever read before and I loved the main character. It was really sad to see her having to always hide and watch her actions even as a small child, in the attempt to protect herself and her mother from certain harm. Struggling to figure things put Pie meets Tess and the two hit it off instantly and sparks fly. That is when the real story starts. I really enjoyed the character development in this book and I liked the dynamic between Pie and Tess. The only thing I wasn't a big fan of was the ending I felt it to be a little bit rushed, however that could be because I didn't want this story to end. Great read and I'm glad that I got the chance to read it, this is one book that is so unlike any other that anyone has read or will read. It will leave a mark that is for sure.

Interesting premise but failed to deliver. Would have liked the world to be fleshed out more but overall a pretty good read. It felt like it was going in too many directions and needed to focus. The MC was fairly compelling and I liked the portrayal of the relationships.

The cover is what drew me in. It definitely wins for one of the best covers recently. You've got to really suspend your disbelief for this, especially at the end with how some of the rules of communication now work with her mother. This is much more literary in prose style than commercial which can be off putting for some readers. This is a slower book plot wise. It did the best job in examining abusive relationships, intergenerational trauma, and exploring found family in all its facets.

I liked the premiseof the story, but I didn't like the execution. The writing made it feel detached and kind of boring.

This is one of those cases where the concept sounds really good, but the execution is mediocre at best.

I really enjoyed the process of reading this book, but it wasn’t a story which stuck with me and isn’t going to be a favorite book of mine. I really enjoy the concept and the ways the author explored it, showing how Pie and her mother used her invisibility to steal, sit in on college classes, explore museums hands on, ect.

CW: absent parent (father), child sexual assault, mental illness, gun violence
Rep: sapphic, side nonbinary, trans girl

I read this ARC via Netgalley Shelf.

Pieta has always been invisible... literally. She and her mother have lived a transient existence, stealing what they need and living in other people's houses. When her mother disappears, Pie is left alone to fend for herself, and sees an opportunity to pursue Tess, a girl she fell in love with while "haunting" her house. But as Pie becomes more and more involved in the lives of Tess's friends, she begins to look for answers about her mother and how she came to be invisible.

The title of this book had me thinking it would be a horror novel, but instead it was more melancholy and an exploration of what it means to be seen or unseen. The "rules" of Pie's invisibility were really intriguing. Pie also has to come to terms with how she and her mother lived and whether or not the things they did to survive were right, especially when Pie connects with her father (who is not invisible). I would have liked to know more about why exactly Pie's mother became invisible, it's hinted at but like many other things they are left for the reader to infer, which made this more of a quiet and introspective read. The slow development of Pie's relationships with Denise and Jude were well-done and realistic. The ending is left open, but ends on a hopeful note.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's for the Digital Review Copy of this title.

What if ghosts aren't what we think they are? What if these ghosts weren't spirits trapped in the afterlife, but just transparent, invisible people? Mar Romasco-Morre explores this idea through Pie in her sapphic story.

I genuinely wanted to like this book because the premise was unique and intriguing. Unfortunately, the execution fell flat for me. What I did like was the exploration of being seen for you are at your core, not the labels that are attached to you.
To me, the prologue was the wrong way to start, with the home birth of our main character, Pie. While it lays the foundation for the rest of the novel, Pie being invisible, it was the starting point of the turn-off for me. I think it would be more effective if we don't know from the very beginning that Pie is invisible to regular people.

Content warning: absent parent (father), child sexual assault (Chapter 43, not depicted, heavily implied), mental illness, kidnapping, home invasion

Pie isn’t a ghost, not exactly. But no one can see her, except for her equally invisible mom. All her life, they’ve been traveling across the United States, and Pie’s special treat holiday is Halloween. She chooses Pittsburg as the destination in the hopes that she’ll see the girl whose house she squatted in a few years before.

Melancholy, tender, and spooky, this novel is a great examination of family born and chosen with a dash of boundary setting in more ways than one.

The structure of this book lends well to giving a full spectrum look at the deep loneliness Pie experiences. Almost every chapter ends with a memory or an anecdote. So, we get to see her distance from people both in real time and the isolation it has caused in the past. The compassion the narration shows Pie’s mother is also incredible. Truly, a woman doing her best to protect her mother, and I would gladly read a spinoff story about her adolescence.

There are some moments which flex the suspension of disbelief, such as some of the robberies that take place. Pie’s father is an absolute scoundrel and while her supernatural abilities make it seem that he’s always going to be successful. The way this storyline unfolds as Pie learns to trust herself and others is truly heart-wrenching and I really like the open-endedness of it. Nothing is tidy, but it’s super hopeful, especially given the sadness that preceded this particular episode in her life.

If you’re looking for a read that features both loving support and stern accountability, the depiction of messy friendship is not something I’ve seen in fiction yet. While there is a happy for now, apologies don’t erase the upset. It’s an important depiction that conflict is inevitable but not relationship-threatening, especially among teen girls who are still in the process of discovering themselves.