I thought this was a great graphic novel. The art style was cool, though I didn't vibe with animals as characters, mainly when they're a family but aren't the same types of animals to help keep track of who is who, but overall with the main characters you know who they are so it's okay. I think this was such an interesting way to go through someone's grief and it may help others process as well. As a fan of dark humor, this went over well for me. Great job.

Inspired by real-life experience, Alex Krokus's graphic novel is a heartfelt and humorous story of losing a parent and getting to know him better after his passing.

Set over the course of a year, Alex Krokus tells us a story of his father dying at a young age. It's an all to familiar story of a life that coulda, shoulda, been longer. His father had some seriously bad habits, drinking too much, eating too much, working too much. But he seemed to have been a good father who loved his family and did everything to make their lives easier and better.
After Alex's father passes, he begins to see his ghost and gets the chance to talk to him about all the things he wishes he had talked about before he left.
What a wonderful chance to have! A gift that nothing can compare to. You not only get to see that , yes, they are ok in the afterlife but that they are still here for you.
I know I would love a chhance to have a few more conversations with my dad. Maybe get some of the answers my little kid self asked that he thought I was too young to understand the answer to, who knows. If nothing to reinforce that I was loved by him and am more like him then I never knew.
Alexis Krokus has given all of us who have known greif a true gift with his story and art. Thank you.

Highly recommended. Expected publishing date August 05, 2025

Thanks to @netgalley and Chronical Books for the opportunity to read this eArc in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion.

Alex has a typical teen relationship with his father - until he dies. Through the grieving process Alex is visited by his father’s ghost, who answers some of Alex’s questions and gives him advice to help him through the grief process. Interwoven into the story are Alex’s eclectic extended family members who have their own ideas about what grief should look like. “Talking to my Father’s Ghost” is based on the life and memories of Alex Krokus, giving an honest yet often humorous look at facing death as a teenager. I definitely will include this in my classroom library.

This graphic novel, clearly a deeply personal project for Alex Krokus, offers a raw and emotional look at grief and the complex process of saying goodbye to a parent. Inspired by real-life experience, the narrative follows Alex as he grapples with his father's passing, accompanied by his dad's ghost. Their interactions, ranging from mundane life advice to more profound discussions, aim to capture the enduring presence of a lost loved one.

However, the book's strength in its authenticity also becomes a bit of a drawback. It often reads less like a fully developed story and more like a personal journal or a therapeutic exercise. The episodic nature of their encounters—strolling on beaches, camping, sharing diner meals—can feel disjointed at times, making it difficult to find a strong narrative arc. While these moments are undoubtedly significant for Alex's grieving process, as a reader, the impact can be diminished.

The attempts to weave in heavier topics like Alex's bisexuality and his father's struggles with drinking feel a bit underdeveloped. They're touched upon, but not fully explored, leaving the reader wanting more depth beyond the immediate emotional processing. Ultimately, while genuinely heartfelt and a commendable effort in navigating personal loss, the graphic novel's structure and execution make it feel more like a private reflection shared publicly rather than a cohesive story designed for broader engagement.

4.5
Alex’s father passes of lung cancer. Shortly after his death, his father begins to haunt him. His father joins him on a trip to the beach and to the desert and Vegas. They talk about life and his father continues to give him advice on shoveling snow and finding something to do with his life.

This book was funny and imaginative book about grief. Krokus pays tribute to His father. I really love all the stories that everyone in the book shares about his father. There is a whole cast of characters including childhood friends and family. He even asks each family member advice on how to cope with grief. I think this would be good to share with others that are dealing with grief.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for providing me a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Wow, I was not expecting to love "Talking to My Father's Ghost" as much as I did! Alex Krokus has crafted a truly touching graphic memoir that hits all the right notes. The story follows Alex as he navigates the ups and downs of grief after losing his father to cancer. Truly a unique take on the whole grieving process.

As someone who has also lost my father, this book resonated with me on such a deep level. Krokus captures the complexity of grief perfectly, and I found myself relating to Alex's journey. The way he processes his emotions and reflects on his relationship with his dad brought back so many memories for me. It felt like I was walking alongside him, sharing those moments of longing and laughter.

What I loved most is how Krokus blends humor with heartache. There are moments that had me laughing out loud, even while dealing with such a heavy topic. It’s like he found a way to make grief relatable and even a little fun at times. The illustrations are gorgeous, too—super colorful and reminiscent of childhood comics, which added a nostalgic touch.

The conversations Alex has with his ghost dad are both hilarious and poignant. You really feel the love and the longing in their exchanges. Plus, the way he interacts with his family brings so much warmth to the story. It’s a reminder that even in loss, our loved ones continue to shape who we are.

If you’re looking for a graphic novel that’s equal parts funny and heartfelt, this is it! After finishing it, I found myself reflecting on my own experiences with loss.

Highly recommend this book to anyone who’s ever lost someone special or just loves a good story about family and connection. Trust me, you’ll want to pick this one up when it comes out!

Thanks to NetGallery for the arc

A story about the process of dealing with grief and how it can differ from person to person.
The portrayal of grief was really relatable to me as I too once was dealing with the loss of a loved one.
I loved the use of watercolor for coloring as it gave the story a very soft look.
Overall a very touching, sometimes witty and heartfelt graphic novel.

A bit long in the tooth, the book is an examination of grief. It's very clear this is the author working through his grief, but some better editing could have been done on what stories to include, and which to leave. It'll be good for readers who like real stories told from animal's perspectives.

Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for a review.

Creator of Loud and Smart, Alex shares the loss of his father and the events/emotions/reflections that follow. Exuding his trademark humor, the comic delivers a resonating story for anyone who has lost a parent.

As a fellow member of the Dead Dad Club, there were so many ways I related to the grief on the pages. The jokes, reaching out to share stories and memories, imagining what my dad would say in a situation. Feeling like through the lessons he taught and his advice, he's never really fully gone.

So many times I would take a break from reading just to reflect on memories or funny moments from my dad, and I really am appreciative of this book for that.

A lighthearted read on a difficult topic. It felt like having a conversation with a friend, where you can joke about the dark stuff and smile while remembering.

This comic is done in such a cute style but the story is very relatable. Alex loses his father at a young age to cancer and the grieving process he goes through dealing with his death all while seeing the ghost of his father. The stories of Alex’s father and the comments he makes reminds me of my own father. Love the art style and colors used in this comic

Thank you for the opportunity to read this arc.
Alex loses his father to cancer pretty young, but he gets the chance to spend time with him as a ghost and ask his father things he never got the chance to.
This was a very relatable depiction of grief, it just left something to be desired for me I wish it was a little deeper.
The dark sense of humor was not my cup of tea, even as someone who usually has a dark sense of humor and will make dead dad jokes, it just wasn’t for me.

Talking to My Father's Ghost
by Alex Krokus
This is a very touching graphic novel about a family that ends up losing the father to cancer. The main characters, besides the father, who comes back as a ghost, are the two boys and the mother. There is a large extended family, too.
Although the core of the story is grief, the author skillfully places appropriate humor throughout.
At the end of the funeral, Alex, one of the sons, sees his dad's ghost. Later, the ghost is around frequently, and they talk. Alex talks to all the family, but he is the only one who sees and speaks to the ghost.
The book shows how different people handle grief, and everyone may not respond the same way. There is no right or wrong way to grieve. There is also help if needed.
This is an entertaining and heartwarming, but also much needed book for those going through losing a loved one.
I want to thank the publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this tremendous book!

I cannot get over how relatable this narrative is. There's a frustrating uncertainty to grief that lives in the cracks of your day to day life, so telling this story in a slice of life format allows the characters to live in their fluctuating messiness. The dark humor blends effectively with the overarching grief subject matter. Adored the watercolor art and unique character design.

Who would have thought a graphic novel depiction of the grieving process would hit so hard. After losing his father, Alex is gifted with his father's ghost sticking around to assist with the transition. I lost my father too early to cancer (just as Alex did in this story), and I was completely unprepared for how much of myself I would find in these characters. Even down to the point of us both having an Aunt Laura... eerie. If you have delt with the loss of a parent, you will most likely find yourself in these pages as well.

Super touching read. It was entertaining and candid at the same time. I think this could even be a great resource for young people who are going through the process of grief for the first time, or even people who are just trying to understand it a little better. But even outside of that, it was engaging and entertaining.

Some other works that match the vibe of this book in my mind:
Painting: Andreas Munch Studying Anatomy by Edvard Munch
Song: Pink Skies by Zach Bryan
Other book: Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Show/movie: Fantastic Mr.Fox (2009)

Talking to My Father's Ghost: An Almost True Story is award-winning cartoonist and animator Alex Krokus's debut graphic novel. Krokus uses his signature anthropomorphized characters to tell the story of how his family dealt with the loss of his father following a long battle with cancer. Over the course of a year, Krokus struggles not only with the loss itself, but emotions that arose during his father’s somewhat hedonistic life. Krokus wonders how things could have been different if his father had attended to his own health. Throughout the “almost true” story, Krokus is the only member of the family who can see and hear the ghost of his father, Jeffery. Through Jeffery’s hilarious lectures and reminiscing, Krokus learns to live by the lessons he learned from his father and say goodbye. All at once real, funny, and poignant, Talking to My Father's Ghost: An Almost True Story will appeal to fans of Roz Chast and Lynda Barry.

A fantastic graphic memoir of dealing with grief, family and the space that is left when someone who raised you is no longer here. The art was lovely in this graphic novel.

An amazing “mostly true” graphic novel memoir. The author surprised me with how much I enjoyed this book. I had so much fun with each chapter I read. Absolutely entertaining look at grief that explores how each of us grieve in different ways.

The story takes place over a year in little slice of life chapters that tend to end in some funny anecdote or line. As fun and hilarious as it is, Alex is also trying to navigate serious emotions like his grief throughout the story, remembering the best about his father as well as the “woulda coulda shouldas” that we all experience. It puts all those tough emotions out in an easy an enjoyable way. The bones of this book are perfectly well-structured so you’ll finish this book in no time without any narrative hiccups.

I liked the watercolor art and I know readers will enjoy it. Something about it is very nostalgic for an early 2000s kid.

Thank you to NetGalley for having an advanced ecopy of this book available for an honest review.

Thank you for this ARC!
I loved it. I lost my father back in 2021. Still to this day, I talk to him, I miss him, I grieve, I replay so many things in my mind. This graphic novel captured so much of my pain and illustrates what I do now, It was beautiful to see it expressed. So many little nuggets of lessons sprinkled in this book.
Perfect for anyone to read.