When I initially started reading this book, I was absolutely convinced it was going to be an instant favorite because of its unique and compelling writing style. It immediately sucks you in with great visuals and an intriguing premise, just different enough from other books in the space that it's tough to stop thinking about. I had to clear my schedule to read more because I was so excited about it!

But as I kept reading, I started wondering WHY I was reading. The plot was disjointed and the stakes felt oddly low (even though, technically, for some characters, they were quite high) because the book seems to jump from genre to genre, not quite lit fic, not quite satire, not quite traditional magical realism (and definitely not, for the record, ever fantasy or horror—those ratings are probably Goodreads-generated). At times, I thought that this was meant to be didactic fiction (think The Shack or Ishmael), but there's no moral (thank goodness). This is not a ghost story, sure—but it never really decides what it IS, and that's where it goes wrong. Because it doesn't firmly plant itself into any one genre, the book becomes hard to wrap one's head around, and that makes it hard to get motivated to read on. I would have loved to see the book really sink its teeth into some of the plot points and topics it brushes past instead of feeling like it has to take on everything!

I'm glad I read the book, and I'd definitely read more by Amerie. But definitely go into this book expecting more of a lazy river of a plot than a roller coaster.

(Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eBook copy of the book! All opinions are, of course, my own.)

This Is Not A Ghost Story by A Marie, being someone who loves books about the paranormal I couldn’t wait to read this one. I am not somebody who looks at the type of writing style and I don’t criticize especially when books are translated written by someone who uses English as a second language. which wasn’t an issue with the author. If the book is entertaining I will read it but I just couldn’t with this book I thought the beginning was OK but then it became ridiculous when he got him an agent and then that whole fake dating thing I really wanted to DNF the book but I think because I have FOMO I always finish them and wish I wouldn’t have I really didn’t care for this book it’s too outrageous I thought some of the sentences went on and on but having said that I do think this author is talented and although I don’t know her as a singer I would still read something else by her as long as it’s not the sequel to this book. #NetGalley, #TheBlindreviewer, #MyHonestReview, #AMarie, #ThisIsNotAGhostStory,

Thought-provoking. John was such an enigma the majority of the book and I found myself anxious reading what was happening next. At times heart-wrenching, definitely worth the read.

Ugh i REALLY wanted to like this book. The premise is soo interesting, but it reads a bit more Lit-fic than I was expecting. I couldn't really tell where the story was going and it felt disjointed and just fell flat for me.

Thank you to the publisher & NetGalley for the early copy!

I found this book pretty cheesy at the beginning, and I wasn’t really on board with the premise, but then I got into it and ended up enjoying it.

John lives in what he thinks of as the Gray House: a sterile, empty place on a cliff by the ocean. He sees no one and talks to no one. But one day, he is forcibly removed from his house, and he appears in LA. It quickly becomes apparent that he’s a ghost, and it isn’t long before he gets discovered and paraded around as a novelty. But all he really wants is to get back home somehow. And of course, that’s not so easy.

This book is elegant and simple in its message of finding meaning in life and redefining what your dreams are. Some of the coincidences are a bit overwrought, but overall the characters are well written and the plot didn’t go where I thought it would. It’s also an interesting exploration of celebrity culture and the commodification of anything special. John is a really interesting character and his relationships are complicated in a way I enjoyed. This isn’t a particularly revolutionary story, but I liked reading it!

Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance reader’s copy in exchange for an honest review!

Gave this 2 chances, I just have no intrigue in it. Man is dead, in a house, crosses over to real life, he's the first visible ghost, he connects with a psychic and a PR lady who are helping him. I just had no interest to continue, even trying the audiobook. The concept wasn't strong enough to propel the story and hook me.

Thank you to the publisher who granted me access to an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions remain my own.

DNF@ 54%

The plot sounded interesting to me, but I don't care about the direction that it went in. And I don't like the writing style. It's very straightforward and boring.

The beginning of the story had me intrigued...John being a ghost and searching for his House. But once Persephone came into the picture, I had a really hard time staying interested. The story began to feel disjointed and unfortunately, my disinterest lasted throughout the entirety of the book. I really wanted to like this, but it just wasn't for me.

This one just didn’t land for me, and I wish it had. I went in hoping for an eerie, atmospheric ghost story, but about a quarter of the way in, I realized I wasn’t connecting with the characters or feeling drawn into the plot. Despite a promising setup, I found myself losing interest in what was happening and didn’t feel any real investment in the outcome.

That being said, the writing is genuinely strong—vivid and well-crafted, with some beautiful descriptive moments. I can see how fans of this genre and style might really enjoy it, especially those who appreciate moody, immersive storytelling. It just didn’t spark anything for me personally, and that’s okay. Not every book is meant for every reader.

I tried. I really tried to read this book but it was kind of boring.
The story felt like it was no plot and just the vibes of John’s daily routine to figure out who he is. For that reason, I only made it about 50% through the book before deciding not to finish. It just didn’t develop enough to make me want to continue reading. Sorry

2.5 stars rounded down. I struggled with this book - and it took me much longer than normal to read just 300 pages.

The story centers around John, a real life ghost that recently was “evicted” from his purgatory-esque house, appearing in Los Angeles, and navigating the social constructs of being a ghost while also dealing with the racial and religious tensions of America.

Sounds weird, right? The premise is super cool. If you’re looking for something with an unusual cast of characters, found family dynamic, and some truly interesting and quotable moments, this book may be for you. It is very heavy on lit fic with some magical realism elements, so fans of those genres may like this book. Unfortunately, the satirical elements did not come through for me, which was the main reason I was looking forward to the book.

However, a good portion of the story feels as though it’s entirely missing a plot. The beginning meandered through the world with John becoming famous, meeting several other main characters, going through some really pointless experiences that don’t connect to the wider book.

Eventually, the plot does land and reach a destination towards the very end, with a more satisfying conclusion than I was expecting. It felt like the book tried to cover too much ground, and could have focused in on just the key plot points to really build those out into something that had more energy and momentum.

Recommend with reservations based on the above qualities. Thank you William Morrow and NetGalley for an early copy. Opinions are my own. It’s out now!

I immersive read this with the audiobook and i got the complete experience. This was an interesting book. It was intriguing, with a suspenseful, atmospheric feel. It’s a unique twist on the ghost story genre, focusing on personal struggles as much as supernatural mystery. Gripping and thought provoking.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the ARC!

I dnf'ed this about 55% in. This was not the story I thought I was getting into. 55% in and I was really bored. It didn't captivate me like I wanted it to even though the blurb was the one that initially attracted me to this book. I liked the main character but I could care less about the girl who is pretending to be his girlfriend. I felt like nothing really happened even though I was halfway done the book. The only thing that caught my eye was that John was able to start interacting with real objects of the living.

I really appreciated the unique concept and the hopeful message at the core of this book. However, I was with mixed feelings. The story of John—a man who returns from the dead with no memory and tries to find his way back to a mysterious ocean-bound House—had a lot of emotional depth and some truly tender moments. I especially liked how the characters were well-developed and brought real heart to the journey.
That said, the writing style felt choppy at times, and the chapter layout made the flow a little hard to follow. While some twists were predictable, there were a couple that genuinely surprised me, which helped keep me engaged. Overall, it was a good read with a fresh take on life, death, and identity, but I was hoping for a smoother, more cohesive reading experience.

Thanks William Morrow for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

This Is Not a Ghost Story by Amerie (book cover is in image) for me was a marketing betrayal. There is no doubt that Amerie is a talented writer, but this was marketed as a Satirical Fantasy novel. This book certainly as not that, I would classify it as magical realism.

Like in the book The Strange Case of Jane O by Karen Thompson Walker or The Names by Florence Knapp, it fell like this book was struggling to find its genre/identity and in the end was left wholly unsatisfied because it could not choose one. In addition its ambiguous ending, fell like a thud.

I had the opportunity to read the ARC and listen to the ALC at the same time, and found it easy to switch between the two. The narration by Leon Nixon, January LaVoy and Robin Miles was expertly done, and is what kept me engaged throughout the book.

Thank you Harper Audio Adult, WIlliam Morrow and NetGalley for the opporutnity to listen to this ALC and read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Rating: 3 Stars
Pub Date: Jun 10 2025

#HarperAudioAdult
#WilliamMorrow
#ThisIsNotaGhostStory
#Amerie
#LeonNixon
#JanuaryLavoy
#RobinMiles
#Fanatsy
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#YarisBookNook
#NetGalley

A very unique storyline that took some time to become clear to me.....I think. I was intrigued by the synopsis. A man returns from death, but he's not a ghost. I don't think anyone ever figured out what to call him. The story does not move in straight lines; it wanders from first-person interactions to the crowd's reactions. I'm not sure what I was supposed to take away from this story, maybe I'll read it again and figure it out.

DNF

I’ve been subscribed to Amerie’s YouTube channel for a while, and I remember how excited I was when she announced she was releasing a book and revealed the cover. I was genuinely happy for her and couldn’t wait to read it. I received an e-ARC and later also checked it out from the library, hoping it would really pull me in.

Unfortunately, I really struggled to get into this. The writing felt choppy to me, and I often found myself rereading sentences, feeling like I was missing something. I kept trying to push through. My goal was to at least make it past the 50% mark, but I just couldn’t stay engaged.

This isn’t to say it’s a bad book; it’s just not for me. I’m sure others will connect with it more, but it didn’t hold my interest the way I’d hoped.

This is more lit fic than I was expecting, so it wasn't really my favorite read.

I won't lie, I wasn't sure what the takeaway message was supposed to be. With lit fic, I figure there's usually an underlying message to the story. But in this case, the message was very muddled that I couldn't quite figure it out.

At first, I thought this novel was a satirical commentary on how instant fame and influencer status via socials won't necessarily equate to wealth offline. There might also be commentary on how being an influencer involves living an inauthentic life for the public vs. being true to yourself in private, and how that line gets blurred pretty quickly and easily to the point where people will get hurt if you're not being honest to yourself and those around you.

Or maybe this was just a story about a ghost man and his friends and I was looking too much into it.

I don't know. Two stars because the writing style was straightforward and easy to read. Other than that, this was just okay.

Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for this arc.

There's a lot going on in this book, and sometimes I think it didn't know what it wanted to be, but ultimately I really enjoyed this one.

It definitely leans more speculative fiction/lit fic, but it is beautifully written, with an interesting premise and wonderful characters. I really enjoyed John as a protagonist - he's single minded and selfish and misanthropic, but he's also unable to resist the deep and simple love he finds in his friends.

This was definitely a unique book! Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

2.5 starts rounded up

Well, this was a bit of a misfire for anyone picking it up expecting actual horror, sci-fi or fantasy. Let’s get this straight: this is NOT a ghost story, and marketing it as anything other than lit fic feels like a bait-and-switch. If you’re here for haunting chills or spectral dread, you’re going to be disappointed.

That said, the prose itself is often stunning. Amerie has a lyrical, introspective style that leans more into existential musings and philosophical questioning than anything remotely terrifying. The narrative voice is strong and clever at times, and she certainly knows how to turn a phrase.

But beautiful writing alone can’t save this novel from its overused tropes and a plot that ultimately goes nowhere. The "twist" at the end feels lazy and unearned, like it’s trying to be clever but lands with a thud instead of an impact. For a book that promised something chilling or thought provoking, it settles for being vague, familiar, and unsatisfying.

If you love atmospheric writing and don't mind when a story leans heavily on ambiguity without delivering on its premise, you might enjoy it more than I did. But if you came for actual horror or originality, this one may leave you feeling duped.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Amerie, and William Morrow for the ARC. All opinions are my own.