I really loved this book. For some reason, I was expecting something light and funny but this was surprisingly deep. The story telling was really seamless throughout the transitions between stories and really kept my interest. Alex Krokus does a really good job of putting a very realistic spin on grief. I highly recommend this.

a memoir about grief and loss delivered in comic collection? unfortunately I couldn't bring myself to finish this because the scattered memories/scenes makes the overall story feels kinda all over the place. I appreciate how the author turned his family members into antromorphic animals tho, i don't know his exact reasoning but i think it's a brilliant way to protect the family member's identities.

This book fills me will a lot of sadness but also a lot of hope when my mom passes. I think I'm going to lose my mom earlier than a lot of my peers, and I've found that reading books from people who have lost parents helps me work through those feelings. I thought it was interesting that the characters weren't necessarily distinctly human. It gave the book some whimsy that helped with the heavier topic. I worked through it a little slow, but I enjoyed it.

*thank you NetGalley for the ARC*

What a special, heartfelt, funny story this was. Having experienced a major loss a few months ago, my journey with grief has been unpredictable. Reading this story definitely helped me through some of the tough emotions I've been ignoring. It was very realistic, very authentic.

It had its funny parts and its heartwarming parts. I love the concept of being able to speak to someone who has passed on and being able to have conversations that you weren’t able to have when they were living. But the editing showed that this was definitely an arc. Some editing was definitely needed to remove filler scenes that took away from the central story, like certain anecdotes from other family members.

I really really loved this graphic novel! Alex loses his father to cancer and looks for ways to deal with his grief. He starts having conversations with his father's "ghost" in hopes of finding answers and closure in the areas he failed to while his dad was alive.

While the premise sounds, and is, fairly simple, the combination of humor and heart immediately hooked me. While it never felt like the author was trying too hard to incite an emotional response, the inner monologue Alex was having with himself, his conversations with his family members and his time spent with his father's ghost all felt so real and genuine that I immediately connected.

Losing a parents is such a specific type of grief and with it comes a specific type of humor that you can't really fake. Krokus really put a lot of himself into this and it totally shows.

Delightful illustrations complement a touching story of loss and revelation amidst the loss of a family member. The storytelling remains on the surface of emotional range that grief exerts, and it left me wanting more. A fine approach to love and loss for younger adult audiences.

My thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ebook ARC of this title, to be published August 5, 2025. An illustrated novel of the author's family - Jewish/Italian. There is lots of food in here!
The numerous characters (and thankfully there is a family tree at the beginning of the book) are drawn as clothed animals, fish, and insects.
The author is the younger of 2 sons (it appears his older brother is maybe 8-10 or more years older than him), and the "sensitive one". His brother is more a "bro", living in Colorado, and it seems he is in the sky diving business! Alex/the author is also bi. His father dies, fairly young, and Alex begins to see, and talk to, the ghost of his dad. Who was an outgoing, oversized charatcer (and accountant) who was loved by all. I wish we could have had some scenes from the open bar at the funeral! Alex asks various family members and friends how to deal with grief.
A very good book on families, and fathers and sons, and brothers - and grief.
Krokus adds a short section at the back of the book on how he develops a page/storyline/illustration. He also includes some family photos, which was nice - his dad was a big guy!
Enjoyed enough that I bought one of his earlier books, which collect some of his more recent "Loudest and Smartest" stories.
4 out of 5. Humorous, touching, enjoyable.

Such a moving and thoughtful story told in the funniest way possible. I loved the creativity of making each character into an animal too! It felt relatable yet so whimsical at the same time. I really enjoyed it!

This graphic novel was well drawn, organized and deep. I found myself really connecting with the characters. The exploration of the stages of grief and reconnecting with a lost parent really got my in my feels.

Talking to My Father’s Ghost by Alex Krokus from Chronicle Books is an easy-to-follow graphic novel that deals with the weight of grief from losing a parent. The vignettes perfectly portray the minutiae that goes into planning a funeral and familial encounters, but then moves into a ghost tale where unspoken life lessons are told. It’s honest and relatable. Any reader who has experienced the loss of a parent or someone who might just want to know about the process would enjoy reading this graphic novel.
Thank you to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for this ARC.

Really enjoyed this one! I like how the author depicted himself and his family as animals. The humor was great and I appreciated how he tackled death head on. Typically when reading memoirs about dead family members, I prefer ones where the relationship was more fraught/complicated, just because of my own experiences, but overall, this was a solid read and well done.

This was so cute! Warming and heartfelt. I do wish some of the other topics were explored. And I really enjoyed the mashup of animals in the family tree. Very touching story! 4.5/5

This episodic story was a really dynamic exploration of grief. Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, Krokus manages to infuse this story with humor and lightheartedness. It's fully earnest and heartfelt, and the love Krokus has for each character really shines through.

Thank you to NetGalley & Chronicle Books for a digital ARC. This was the first book from Alex Krokus that I’ve read. The story is a mostly true journey through the authors grief of his father’s passing. Wouldn’t we all like to have the ghost of a loved one with us as we grieve their loss?

I enjoyed the authors use of animals to portray all of the characters. The story starts with authors father dying in hospice care and brings us along with him as he copes with the lose by talking to his fathers ghost as grieves. While talking to his fathers ghost, they reflect on events throughout their lives and gives the author a new perspective on them and helps him appreciate his father more and his relationships with his mother and brother.

A touching graphic novel memoir with a good sense of humor. I loved the short chapters, simple art style, and humor that made room for the deeper feelings of grief and gratitude. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

A well written book about the challenges you face when dealing with the loss of a parent. Alex, the main character, struggles with the loss of his dad and a semi young age. Instead of just bearing through it, his dad manifests himself as a ghost that follows him around and tells him stories. This heartfelt story follows the journey of these earthy son and ghostly father as they navigate loss together. Alex learns about the different stages of grief and how to navigate each stage through self discovery. A truly compelling novel.

This introspective graphic novel was a delight. The depiction of grief and family was eloquent and the representation was beautiful and meaningful. I hope that this is the launching of a career that makes all Krokuses proud.

I was a little worried by the family tree not seeming to have a clear rational for some members on both sides of the family looking alike, but it was cleared up allegorically over the course of the book to my eyes.

ARC provided by NetGalley.

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.