The main character was very interesting. A young lady version of ghost whisper in a different environment. Took time reading it to really sink in. how different a person could be. liked the book very much.

"Funeral Girl" by Emma K. Ohland is an enthralling and deeply moving exploration of grief, mortality, and the ethereal connection between the living and the dead. Through the eyes of sixteen-year-old Georgia Richter, readers are introduced to a world where the veil between life and death is not just thin—it's navigable, thanks to Georgia's unique and unsettling gift.

Georgia's life is far from ordinary. Growing up in a funeral home, she's always been surrounded by death, but it's her ability to summon and dispel the spirits of the deceased that truly sets her apart. This extraordinary power comes with a heavy burden, one that has imbued Georgia's existence with a profound sense of isolation and a deep-seated anxiety about the unknown aspects of death.

The narrative takes a compelling turn with the arrival of Milo's body at Richter Funeral Home. Unlike the many spirits Georgia has encountered and helped to transition, Milo's presence forces her to confront her own fears and uncertainties about death in a way she never has before. His unfinished business becomes a catalyst for Georgia's journey of self-discovery and acceptance, offering a fresh perspective on the complexities of grief and the importance of connection.

Emma K. Ohland masterfully weaves a tale that is both haunting and hopeful. Her portrayal of Georgia is nuanced and empathetic, allowing readers to deeply connect with her struggles and triumphs. The supernatural elements of the story are handled with a gentle touch, serving as a metaphor for the emotional landscapes we navigate when dealing with loss.

"Funeral Girl" stands out for its unique premise and the delicate manner in which it addresses the themes of death and mourning. Georgia's gift, rather than being merely a fantastical element, is a poignant reminder of the transient nature of life and the impact of leaving things unsaid. Her interactions with the spirits, and particularly with Milo, highlight the significance of resolving our relationships and affairs, whether in life or in death.

The novel is not just a story about a girl who can summon ghosts; it's a deep dive into the heart of what it means to live fully in the face of the inevitable. Georgia's journey is a testament to the strength found in vulnerability and the courage required to face our darkest fears.

In crafting a narrative that is both captivating and thought-provoking, Emma K. Ohland has delivered a book that resonates on multiple levels. "Funeral Girl" is a remarkable blend of supernatural suspense and emotional depth, making it a must-read for those who seek a story that challenges and comforts in equal measure. It's a poignant reminder that in the midst of death, there is life—vibrant, messy, and beautiful.

Full disclosure: I know the author and she gave me an ARC to review for all you fine folks (also go follow her on tiktok and twitter please and thank you).

HOWEVER, I am being entirely truthful when I tell you that I really really enjoyed this book. It is not my normal type of book; there is no romance, there is no action. It's quiet and subdued and explores grief in a really sophisticated way. Georgia has a debilitating fear of death, and she has to be around it all the time due to her family owning the local funeral home. She also has the ability to summon ghosts by touching the body of the recently deceased, then touching them again to send the ghost to whatever lies beyond. A boy from her school dies in an accident, and Georgia strikes up a friendship with him after he dies. Funeral Girl looks at grief from all angles: friends, family, the loss of youth, and even grieving yourself and your own Eventual death someday. Reading this book made me realize I am also afraid of death, but I just Refuse To Think About It. Someday I will think about it, and I will have a healthier response to it because of this book. Georgia also has a moment of reckoning with a lot of important people in her life, leading to some wonderful character growth.

There are some things I didn't absolutely love, but they can be overlooked. The writing style is a little simplistic for my taste and I honestly wish it was a little longer so the side characters could be more fleshed out. But overall, I really enjoyed this and it did make me cry at work! So I call that a win.

DNF @ 14%

Unfortunately I just never got into the story; I found myself bored from the outset and didn't find the characters or whatever the plot was building to compelling enough to continue reading.

I do appreciate the casual LGBT rep of the book with nonbinary individuals and queer relationships represented.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is one of my favorite ARCs I have read through NetGalley and I already purchased a physical copy for my personal collection.

I thought this book was great for the YA audience looking for growth and discussions about mental health. I was initially drawn in by the funeral home setting but this book book surpassed my expectations. The writing was great and touching in important topics without making the content to heavy is a great way to appeal to the YA audience.

Ok I didn't fully know what I was getting into when I hopped into this book, but I think that going in blind was the best decision.

Following Georgia, a teenage girl who's family runs a funeral home and lives above the public rooms of the home. Georgia is weird, not just because she lives in a funeral home, but because when she touches a dead body, that person's ghost pops into existence with her.

The story was far more character driven than plot driven. There were really not a huge amount of plot points throughout this book, but the conversations that Georgia had with herself, with her family, and with her friends were so poignant and vulnerable. This book was actually really emotional and brought up a lot of questions about death and the uncertainty of life itself.

Overall I had a really quality time reading this book and think I'll be recommending it to other readers!

Really enjoyed reading a ghost book with asexual representation. It was so refreshing to read a story that wasn't directly centered around romance, and was more about how we grieve the physicality of things and people.

We often skirt around the issue of death and don't talk about it openly, and this book was a welcomed change of pace to that general societal rule. I thought the topic was handled delicately and beautifully, and it was such a pleasure to read this.

I loved this book for both the plot and the characters. The anxiety around death is not something that is often explored and I really appreciated. The charactrs were all well-rounded and you rooted for everyone. The main character reminded me a lot of Wednesday Addams in my head.

A compelling story about grief and friendship. She is a a girl that can talk to the dead after touching their bodies. Trigger warnings: death.
After a school mate dies after a tragic accident, they embark on a journey on how to fulfill the last wish of the dead.
I like how easy and quick of a read this book is. Although it handles a hard topic for young adults, It doesn't go to deep into details which I appreciate. The story very much goes into what it means to be in community and how young people react to death. The book was interesting but not too compelling. Simply an okay read. This might resonate more with a younger demographic.

The plot reminiscent of a very early 2000s ghost whisperer episode. Georgia has the ability to talk to spirits and help them fulfil their final request before crossing over in the afterlife. When a classmate is brought to her family’s funeral home, she struggles with being able to help them while also managing her own feelings about this grief. The story has a huge focus on healing and growing from that healing whether it be struggles with parents or friendship break ups the characters learn to grow and become better versions of themselves, reaching self actualization. The pacing and reading style was enjoyable and it felt like all conflict was wrapped in a nice little bow. 3.5 stars

This is a thoughtful and emotional paranormal Young adult novel about the grief of being left behind and about accepting one’s mortality. I really enjoyed the novel and think it might appeal to readers who liked You’ve Reached Sam, City of Ghosts, or The Raven Boys.

The whole book is about death, no surprise there from the title of the book. We go from contemplations on the end of consciousness to the details of embalming a body (which was quite interesting and reminded me of the book, Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers). There’s also a little dark humor regarding growing up in a funeral home - kind of like Fun Home by Alison Bechdel.

My favorite characters were Milo and Amy. I thought their responses and actions were really believable. There are a lot of moments and plot pieces that I want to shake Georgia or just point her in a certain direction and say, “hey, why don’t you try doing this? It would make things a lot better.” She gets to it all eventually and ties up her loose ends and finds closure but it’s a process to get there.

The best part about this book is how it delves deep into death and living. It stares unflinchingly at mortality and doesn’t shy away from the fear of everything being over. I loved that part of this book and I think that’s what gives it the most power - it sends the reader off to go and live as fully as we can with the time we have.

From the description, I thought this book would be something a bit different - maybe a more realistic Jackaby? I didn't really like the descriptions about what happens to a body after it dies, but I guess with the title Funeral Girl, I should have expected it.

Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Funeral Girl follows Georgia, a girl whose family owns a funeral home, who discovers she has a unique ability to wake ghosts up. She does this with a few of the older guests to find out if they have any unfinished business. Most do not, until a classmate comes through the funeral home. Milo's spirit does have unfinished business and ramps Georgia's death anxiety up full steam ahead. Milo forces Georgia to confront her own unfinished business while dealing with his. A lighter look at the darker side of life.

What initially drew me to the book was that, at the time, I was writing a character who would probably be friends with Georgia. Both characters were surrounded by a pall of ridicule, grief and darkness and dying--and both could communicate with ghosts.

Still, there's a lot to Georgia that I really found unique--her anxiety about death and her willingness to dive in and help the ghosts who visit her--especially Milo.

What I really loved about this book, other than that it was a STUNNING debut for a young author, was the vulnerability with which the first person narrator shed upon the topic of dying. It's not often an easy thing to think about, especially for a YA audience, but that this author does so in a way that manages to be both honest and raw is what makes this book a must-read!

Foremost, I loved the asexual rep, how the central relationship was the friendship between Amy and Georgia, and the focus on Georgia's family relationships. (I wish there had been more depth to her and Peter's relationship, honestly.) The story was compelling without romance, which I think more books need to take note of! Georgia was allowed to have her anxieties and her concerns were real and treated as such, but the book made clear that this did not mean all her actions were excusable. Georgia felt like a very real character, and her flaws and development were treated with so much depth and nuance and without a black and white dichotomy, and she was allowed to change without becoming 'perfect'. Georgia is a girl terrified of death who lives in a funeral home. That's a lot to cope with, not to mention everything else atop that. The pervading tone was melancholy and fitting.

Overall, a solid book, quiet and slow with great development of the main character.

Thank god this book ended with Georgia getting therapy because the plot of the book was basically Georgia needs therapy. There are characters that are purposely unlikable, and there there are characters you're supposed to like but don't - and that was definitely Georgia for me.

Overall, the book is inoffensive, but pretty boring for a story about a girl who can talk to dead people.

Sixteen-year-old Georgia Richter feels conflicted about the funeral home her parents run. Especially now that she has the ability to summon ghosts. With one touch of any body that passes through Richter Funeral Home, she can awaken the spirit of the departed. With one more touch, she makes the spirit disappear, to a fate that remains mysterious to Georgia. To cope with her deep anxiety about death, she does her best to fulfill the final wishes of the deceased whose ghosts she briefly revives. Then her classmate Milo's body arrives at Richter--and his spirit wants help with unfinished business, forcing Georgia to reckon with her relationship to grief and mortality.

The concept of this book was interesting but some parts just felt flat. Georgia was exactly how I expected her. Nothing really stood out to me. I loved Milo and his story. I liked this and I do recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Lerner Publishing Group for the gifted e-book. ❤️

This book crushed me and made me cry, but in good ways! Georgia is a sympathetic and relatable character, and watching her grow throughout the story was wonderful.

Being Sixteen is awkward enough with having parents who own a funeral home. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg, you can also see ghosts. And that’s what happens to Georgia Richter. I love how this book handle dying, corpses, grief and depression. It handled tough issues with grace and tact. While giving a heroine that everyone could love and relate to. I don’t think you have to be a teenage girl to love and enjoy this one. Though I know I would have loved to have had this one as a teen. And it also doesn’t hurt that it gave this 90s kid Casper vibes.