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!

This had a very unique premise and I really enjoyed how this played out. This is an adorable LGBTQ story about a social pariah and a self isolating teens who are brought together by the ghost of the brother who died suddenly. This is a positive romance with all the feels. It brought back my broody teenage years and I found myself bonding to these characters. High school was so hard.

Thank you Wednesday Books and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own. A fun read! Cara hints for ghosts, she wants to prove they’re real. But more than want, since her rejection from college, she needs yo prove they’re real. It’s her only way to get out of her town, where the incident looms large over her. After another failed attempt to find the ghost of a boy who died a year ago, she’s moping in her room. A voice starts speaking to her, is she losing her mind? Turns out she found Aiden, the boy who died, but she can only hear him and no one else can. Proving he exists will be a lot harder than she’d hoped, and when he won’t help her unless she takes his sister to Prom, it’ll be even more difficult. Cara barely knows Meredith, how’s she supposed to get a yes from her? And what happens if her feelings for Meredith start to become something more? And if Meredith finds out that Aiden’s ghost is around? I different take on grief and self-worth that’s also funny lovable! I enjoy the relationship between Cara and Aiden! I also enjoyed the budding relationship between Cara and Meredith, and with that learning more what things were like between Aiden and Meredith! There’s sadness that comes with it as you’ll spend the book learning to care about Aiden but ultimately knowing what is coming with his character. A fast read that will leave you laughing, swooning, and crying! Highly recommend!

Before the actual review, let it be 100% known that this is my favorite cover of the year. Drew me in instantly. 10/10. Whoever drew this absolute masterpiece needs to know that this is perfection, and actually what drew me to The Ghost of Us! Spooky, sapphic, and tender -- utterly stunning.

As for the book said masterpiece cover belongs to...it was, sadly, a bit of a miss for me.

Let's start with the good:
-I adored the premise. A contemporary rom-com with a touch of paranormal? Amazing
-I felt that Cara's voice was on point. Sutter perfectly embodies bitter, standoffish Cara and manages the transitions between more lighthearted moments and more serious with ease. I also loved Aiden, her ghostly bestie. Their friendship is realistically drawn and I love the push and pull between both their motives; it makes for delicious narrative tension and also leaves the narrative ripe with opportunities for Cara's and Aiden's growth
-Meredith's grief is captured very well without overwhelming the narrative. I think this goes back to how Sutter balances heavy and light
-I liked Cara's whole family dynamic and also liked her friendship with Holly. It was refreshing to have a queer YA romcom where the MC coming out is not the main conflict (although there are certainly mentions of homophobia--more on that later)
-Sutter's prose flows very nicely

So, what has The Ghost of Us hovering at 3 stars for me?
-the main thing was that the depiction of Cara's sexuality did not feel authentic. Even though I appreciated that Sutter mentions a couple sensitivity readers in the acknowledgements, there were parts that made me, a bisexual woman, uncomfortable. Namely, Cara's coming out story (trigger warning: involves cyberbullying and sexual harassment by a former friend). I also didn't like the way that Cara sexualizes Meredith. It feels...male gaze-y.
-the other thing is the relationship between Cara and Meredith. By the end, I liked them, but the pacing was off for me. Felt too fast in the beginning and lagging in the middle
-the motivation for Cara's ghost hunting is never fully clear to me? It felt like it vacillated between "connecting to Grandma" and "wanting to leave this dead end town." In the end, I'm not sure the motivation ever mattered, but it definitely weakened her arc

I would give another one of Sutter's books a try, but this one just didn't click for me like I was hoping!

Many thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press/Wednesday Books, and James L. Sutter for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Unfortunately for some reason my ARC was archived before I could really get into it. I had checked the archive date about a week before that and it showed that I would have plenty of time.

Things happen, but from the description and what I was able to read- I think that this could be a great read and I will pick it up once it is published!

This was not for me! The tone was too silly for a proper ghost story, not silly enough for a romantic comedy. I didn’t finish.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! The ending even made me tear up a bit. I will say that Cara's character and intentions throughout the majority of the book annoyed me. It seemed like too long before she hit her redemption arc and everyone forgave her a bit too fast. However, it was a very cute love story with a refreshing format.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I was very excited to read this book, the description really grabbed my attention. Unfortunately this book falls short for me. I was having a hard time getting through it and the pacing was just too slow. I didn’t like Cara or Aiden that much. Maybe if there was some chapters from Meredith’s POV I would’ve enjoyed it more.

I was so excited for the premise of this one, but it just fell flat for me. It did not hold my attention. I never felt the true urge to pick it back up and keep reading. I unfortunately had to DNF.