3.5/5

I very rarely read graphic novels, but this is one I would read more of. I have to admit that Daphne -- a bi/pan Jewish woman -- wasn't necessarily the best protagonist I've ever read. She was rather bland, kind of like the typical 'I'm not like other girls' girl you see who takes on other people's personality traits and refuses to acknowledge her wealth or privilege. However, I did love her interactions with the ghosts and I feel like she's probably going to learn a lot about herself throughout the series.

The artwork, though... That's something else entirely. The colour palettes are gorgeous and I loved seeing the histories of some of the ghosts. Lots of LGBT rep in here which is a bonus! The ending was a little weak for me, although I can see some avenues that the story would take with it.

Ghosts, queer rep, complicated friendships and relationships. This was a quick fun read and the graphics were great.

Ghosted in L.A. has it all- Jewish rep, queer rep, fashion, ghosts! The only issue is that it set up a bunch of interesting questions (how did they die??? what is the backstory for the women???) that I have to wait to be answered in future volumes. Really great subtle hints of Judaism, from the small Star of David that the protag wears, to the rocks that she lays onto of a gravestone. I love the illustration, colors, and found the narrative very easy to follow. This is a good graphic novel for someone who is looking for something lighthearted with a hint of the supernatural, intriguing characters, and the ability to jump right into a storyline. Thanks to NetGalley for the early review copy, all opinions are my own.

Graphic novels are not just a fun change of pace from prose novel reading, they are a way to throw yourself into a world and see a story come to life in the palm of your hands. I was totally new to Grace's series before I read this volume and I have to say her characters are funny and well rounded without losing some of the deeper moments. Honestly, at this point I think Daphne and I could be friends, and I can't wait to read some of the next stories!

Ghosted in L.A. was a short and fun read with a beautiful art style, but the characters and plot lacked depth. The book gets plus points for being diverse though, and I’m looking forward to reading the sequel.


[I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review]

<i>arc provided by the publisher and netgalley in exchange for an honest review</i>

DNF

I tried to read this but the characters just felt so juvenile and the drama was immature and petty. I liked the overall concept but I just couldn’t get into the story.

Sadly, this just wasn’t the read for me!

I want to preface this review by saying I love BOOM! comics. I think they put out consistently great work to a wide range of audiences.

Ghosted in L.A. follows a girl named Daphne who follows her boyfriend to a CA school, and then is stuck there after he quickly breaks up with her. She stumbles upon an old manor which houses a number of ghosts (each with a special power) who agree to let her live there in return for errands and the like.

This is a hot mess. Daphne is incredibly unlikeable but also has no actual personality traits except for "taking on other people's personality traits." She continually complains about how rough her life is, but her ex-boyfriend even points out that her parents have enough saved up for college that she could transfer at anytime, while he has to work three jobs to pay tuition. This comic essentially reads like a series of unconnected shorts-- there's no overarching narrative, there's no consistent characterization, each page feels like it's from a different book.

However, within all this, I can't say enough about the art. Even if the story makes no sense, the art is really gorgeous. It has a cartoon realism style which communicates emotion well. It's also just nice to look at! The art carries the writing well, and if you like the art style, you might even like Ghosted in L.A. just for the visuals.

Pros
-ghosts are rad
-pretty art
-this reads like a bunch of random ideas were put in a blender and what came out was this story. I promise you, you cannot ever tell what is coming next

Cons
-nothing is consistent
-main character is not a good person
-there's a lot of action without substance, which leaves no time for character development

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

I would like to thank netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. I really enjoyed the art in this graphic novel but found the story to be a bit loose. It could be because I am not the intended audience but nonetheless I feel like it was still a decent read.

An utterly enchanting and fun first volume! Ghosted in L.A. is gorgeously illustrated with a fantastic premise that absolutely delivers with its compelling cast, great writing and wonderful use of setting and location. I can't wait to find out more about the characters and see where their stories will lead next.

Sina Grace’s Ghosted in L.A. sounded a little light for my personal tastes, but ghosts in Los Angeles are a fun concept regardless so I took the plunge.

My instincts proved correct in that the novel was too light to satisfy my tastes, but the book is marked as YA and I think it well-suited to its target audience. There are a lot of loose ends in this piece which gives the series a lot of wiggle room as it moves forward and I liked the premise despite the predictability of the plot, but there wasn’t a lot of depth to either the story or cast.

Not sure I’m gonna jump at Volume 2 the moment it launches, but I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the book to those with lighter tastes and an interest in the paranormal.

I love the story. Can't wait for the volume 2. At 1st you don't get the story but as it goes you figure it out. The charcter and story line is good. Also it is very funny!

In the first volume of Ghosted in L.A. we follow Daphne, a young woman who moves from Missouri to California to follow her boyfriend who currently lives/studies there. At first it seems like she'll have the normal collage life with parties, a room mate she doesn't click with and that sort of things, but things happen. And, oh, ghosts are real too.

I very much enjoyed the art style in the comic and the story was alright too, although not really innovative. But maybe that's the charm of it? You don't need to keep track of multiple things because the overall structure already is known and you can focus on enjoying the art and the characters! Something the dialogue/story did manage very well was flow and actual story progression which made me hopeful about coming volumes. I think this has lots of potential and it's always nice with a mystery to be solved and threads to find over the chapters.

This was not bad but not great either. The beginning was very strong and I do like the idea of this story. The Ghosts were interesting and from this first volume I don't know which of them I can trust. That to me is a good aspect. However our main character is so naive and childish it was painful to read.

Overall cute art style, most of the characters I enjoyed for various reasons but the MC Daphne was stupid and the plot direction lost me towards the end.

I might continue with this series at one point but I am not sure.