This graphic novel caught me off guard. I was expecting a Ghostbusters vibe with maybe a Scooby Doo twist based on the title and the cover. Instead, I got a real ghost story with history and social commentary layered in. I absolutely loved it!

Chelsea gets herself peer pressured into a series of bad decisions which lead to a night in jail. Once her divorced, but strict and caring parents bail her out, her punishment is being grounded for the summer and having to help with her dad's business: Ghost Roast. Chelsea had finally felt like she was kinda fitting in with the popular crowd at her school, but her reputation may tank once they see her in coveralls and sporting EMT readers. Will the popular crown embrace her nerdy side and help out her dad's business or will they turn her back into an "untouchable"? What ghostly apparitions await her this summer with lessons in history, progressive views and tragic deaths? Read on to find out!

My favorite part: Roman, the ghost cat, and Apollo, the ghost horse. I also loved the rabbit hole of local history that Chelsea tumbles down and finding out more about the mystery of Oliver's past.

A new spin on the Ghostbuster's concept, but applied to a New Orleans' father/daughter duo, Ghost Roast takes readers on a magical realistic summer of a high school teen worried about social dynamics, history, and healing old wounds while discovering she has a talent that has been passed down to her by her great-grandmother Hazel.

This was a cute graphic novel full of ghosts, history, and typical teenage frustrations.

Chelsea is just trying to fit in with her new friends, but her dad's ghost hunting business isn't helping. When she is forced to spend the summer working with him, she discovers that not only are ghosts real--but she has the ability to see them...and talk to them. Trying to hide her dad's business from her friends while also trying to prevent him from blasting her new ghost friends into oblivion leads to some hijinks, both funny and dangerous.

I enjoyed that the story tied together elements from the past and the importance of learning about them in our modern day world. I also like that even though Chelsea's friends are the typical rich private school girls we see in a lot of books lately, they are shown with some depth later in the story.

Thank you HarperCollins Children's Books, Versify, and NetGalley for the advanced electronic review copy of this wonderful book. This is a gorgeously illustrated paranormal graphic novel with greatly developed characters and a fast-moving plot. Love the New Orleans setting and the historical fiction vibe. Can’t wait to share this book with my students and can’t wait to read more from this sister duo. Fantastic!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a review.

Ghost Roast was an enjoyable and quick read.
The art was amazing and overall visually stunning. There was a lot of suspense and plot packed into this book. Ghost Roast was a very enjoyable book and a great way to end 2024.

A fun, exciting story with very attractive art. I loved the colors, and the ghost cat! A great bunch of characters, and an absolutely wild ride. Also, it's very nice to see a YA book with parents who are both present and supportive, even though they are separated.

Fun, a little spooky, full of teenaged delight and ghostly antics.

The past was solid and while I never did like our main character's friends, I found the ghost boy to be perfect.

Ghost Roast is a fun and exciting supernatural type story that all YA/Teen readers will love. Chelsea, our main character, is trying to fit in at school and also navigate the world of the supernatural as she takes a Summer job with her father at his Ghostbusters-esque business, "Ghost Roast". She struggles with many relatable teen issues, such as falling victim to peer pressure and wanting to fit in with her friends at school, while also trying to make time for her crush, who happens to be a handsome young ghost. Not only does this book have an entertaining premise, it also addresses issues pertinent to BIPOC individuals as well (the ghostly spot happens to be a former plantation), and doesn't shy away from them. I think this was such a fun read, with amazing artwork, and great representation. Would definitely recommend for my students, and for anyone who loves a fun, supernatural story!

This is a lovely, well written, and engaging graphic novel that may not bring anything new to the table but what it does do, it does well.

Chelsea is the daughter of a struggling New Orleans paranormal hunter. When she was younger, it was a thrill to don the overalls and accompany her father on his ghost busting business. But now as a teenager, it's incredibly embarrassing. With a new school, Chelsea has finally found herself surrounded by the popular girls - something her father's business could jeopardize should they find out her connection to the ghostbusting business. But after a night out with the girls that turns into a night in jail, she finds herself having to climb into the overalls once again - this time to help out with a mysterious mansion and a very fascinating ghost.

So yes, this is a Ghostbuster sequel in all but name: imagine if Winston moved to New Orleans and had a family (though the premise in the book is a little different in that Chelsea's father had a paranormal incident when he was young and now wants to protect others from predatory ghosts). But so much of the equipment used and even the grey coveralls all really scream Ghostbusters. This felt like it was originally meant to be a Ghostbusters sequel that got changed to be more non specific when published

What elevates this graphic novel is the pathos. It is surprisingly engaging (though admittedly hokey in places) and the main character is someone you want to follow. The story is very unoriginal (teen girl with crackpot/kooky dad is embarrassed and trying to hide her connection but ends up having to deal with the parent). But there is a lot of love there as well as the usual teen peer pressures. When the supernatural elements kick in, of course a ghost becomes a love interest. The story isn't deep, is kind of silly at times, yet it all works. It's not as immature at it sounds though this is suitable for young kids as well.

In all, I greatly enjoyed the read. The artwork suits the story well and it was fairly easy to tell what was going on in the actions scenes. This is full color but in a muted purple color palette. It has good length and the pacing works well. Reviewed from an advancer reader copy provided by the publisher.

This one was really cute! I like this universe where ghosts are definitely real and everyone just accepts it. I loved the art style and this one will definitely be one I recommend to all my students looking for graphic novels

Chelsea Grant just wants to be accepted by her popular friends. She is embarrassed by her ghost hunter father and she doesn’t want anything to do with ghost hunting. Chelsea ends up having to work with her father during the summer and she is not happy about it. Soon, Chelsea and her father are thrown into a paranormal case at a mansion and Chelsea’s summer becomes anything but boring.

Ghost Roast was a fun and spooky graphic novel that I thoroughly enjoyed. This story had ghosts, spooky paranormal moments, a cute ghost crush, a haunting history, and adorable artwork. I think this would be the perfect graphic novel to read during the spooky season.

Ghost Roast is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel about a girl who is initially embarrassed of her ghostbuster father, and has to spend the summer working with him. This was the perfect read to end spooky season this year, I’m a sucker for a good ghost story! And while I enjoyed the story very much, the highlight of this graphic novel is the beautiful art!

This is a supernatural graphic novel set in New Orleans. Chelsea wants nothing to do with her dad's paranormal removal business, but after a night out ends in an arrest, she is grounded and part of her punishment is to spend the summer working with him. When he accepts a job at Harrington Mansion, a former plantation, Chelsea discovers that she can see and talk to ghosts.

This is a fun story about ghosts, history, greed and most importantly being true to yourself. The illustrations are bright and colorful in the present and muted in the flashbacks.

I will definitely be purchasing this one for my library.

CW: Drug use, alcohol use, peer pressure, murder

Chelsea has started over at a new school and is finally getting in with popular crowd. So she is horrified that her dad has created a viral commercial for his ghost busting buisiness, instantly making her "ghost girl" again. After getting caught drinking with her friends, Chelsea gets the ultimate punishment - working with her dad all summer. At first, she is miserable, but when they get a job at a house that has some serious history and Chelsea realizes she can see 'something,' things start to get interesting.

This book was really good! The characters were really cute and I loved the ending! The illustrations were super pretty, but I didn't like the fonts.

I enjoyed the overall storyline of this book. However, for a short graphic novel it did take a little too long to fully grab my attention.

I also felt like the main character's friendships were kind of overlooked. Her friends weren't particularly nice, but this was never really addressed.

This definitely makes for a fun ghost story though so I would probably recommend it to young adult readers looking for that.

Teens will relate to main character Chelsea as she navigates high school popular group friendship while trying to escape the embarrassment of working with her super geeky ghost hunting dad who is ruining her social life.
I think we all can relate to her teen angst and her want to distance herself from her dad's goofy ghost-hunt life.

I love a mystery, and this book has a couple! What or who is the strange presence that lurks in the back of the estate her dad is being paid to excise? This and a lot more are packed into this historically charged story set in present-day New Orleans.

I loved this YA supernatural graphic novel so much! Chelsea’s teenage angst and shame were so incredibly relatable; we all have to experience our own journeys with coming-of-age and being okay with being different.

Chelsea is desperately trying to fit in, at the expense of her safety sometimes though (her and her two white friends end up in jail one night😭, and she only is there to be arrested because of the constant peer pressure they put on Chelsea). After being grounded by both parents (who are divorced), her summer plans change and she must work part-time for her dad’s ghost chasing business, Ghost Roast. Chelsea has been attempting to distance herself from his business because she finds it embarrassing, but she learns so much about herself, a New Orleans plantation, and repressed history by working there!

I loved the mystery of this, and it’s unraveled quite quickly because this is under 230 pages. She meets a few ghosts on the latest grounds of a home her father’s business is investigating, and she begins wondering if there’s a different way to “exterminate” the ghosts. There is a bit of a romance subplot, which was swoon-worthy and adorable! I was not expecting it at all, and it was so precious 😭 Honorable mentions to the ghost horse & cat hehe.

The illustrations were fun and lively, perfectly capturing the spirit of New Orleans. I will absolutely seek out more work from these authors & illustrators!

cw: racism, slavery, plantation as a setting, murder, generational trauma, classism

Ghost Roast is a super fun YA graphic novel following a young girl and her summer of ghost-hunting with her eccentric father. Though Chelsea is hesitant at first--scared of what her new friends might say--she soon finds herself face-to-face with actual ghosts and they aren't so bad. While helping her father with a huge opportunity, she stumbles upon the mystery of the young deceased master of the house, Oliver, and what actually happened to him. To save Oliver's ghost, Chelsea will have to exorcize the true malevolent spirit haunting this New Orleans Mansion while running interference so her father doesn't roast the wrong ghost.

Loved this graphic novel! Would be a great addition to any collection as it is so much fun and historically inspired!

A fun New Orleans based teen graphic novel. It's nice to have more standalone scifi fantasy graphic novels to reccomend to kids and teens.