Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc!

A wonderful story about death, life, and friendship steeped with a ton of Chinese lore! Very much in the vein of Spirited Away, Coco, and bit of The Corpse Bride, and reminded me a lot of Svetlana Chmakova's books except with paranormal elements. There was also an element of mystery too when July and William try to solve why William keeps having near-death experiences. This honestly makes me want to read more about hungry ghosts and Chinese lore about death and the afterlife.

Here's the location of the review:
https://noflyingnotights.com/blog/2023/01/24/ghost-book/
An enjoyable, fantastical journey into Chinese mythology and the mechanics of grief.

I went into this expecting a fun, slightly creepy graphic novel about a girl befriending a ghost and instead got a touching story about grief, friendship and moving on, with some great art work as a bonus. This follows July and William, both of whom lived when one was supposed to die twelve years ago. Instead, July's mom passed in child birth and William has been experiencing a series of near-death accidents. The two team up to his accidents and find a way they both can live. There's a ton of great lore about death and the underworld with an undercurrent of grief that makes this great for young readers but also something that can make an impact on adults.

The friendship is the beating heart of this book, and makes this a book that is more about love than death. Its about two kids who have accepted death as part of their lives, struggling with their parents' more complicated relationship in it. Jonathan's mom isn't ready to say goodbye to her dying son, and July's dad doesn't take about his deceased wife. Still, these kids care deeply about their parents and each other, and go to extraordinary lengths to protect them. And this might seem sad, but its so balanced with hungry ghost chases, dumpling-obsessed King of the Underworld underlings, and a delightful ghost pet. This story is an adventure with a ton of heart and I can not recommend it enough. It is being added to my library "to-get" list ASAP.

July Chen is tired of feeling like a nobody at school. No one seems to see her, no one ever remembers her. Even her father seems to ignore her, since her mom died in childbirth and he's been depressed ever since. While summoning a hungry ghost to get attention from girls at school, July meets a ghostly boy -- a wandering soul caught between living and dead.

I thought the panel work and art in this graphic novel were truly beautiful and the story is sweet and heartfelt. All about learning to find a friend who loves you.

Remy Lai knows how to craft stories and characters that reach students and their teachers alike! I haven’t met a Remy Lai book that I haven’t loved. Ghost Book is intriguing, entertaining, emotional and meaningful. The art is attractive and the story is engaging. Sure to be one that each person who reads it will talk up to others. It will not sit on the shelves waiting for people to check it out. It will circulate fast!

Remy Lai created such a beautifully crafted story about found family and platonic love. Ghost Book will make you laugh and it will make you cry, and it has a nostalgic feel that will make you remember your childhood fondly. With some beautiful themes surrounding the exploration of grief, Ghost Book is the perfect book to introduce a child to the topics of death and loss, and does it in a form that children will be interested in. What Ghost Book does that is unlike any other children’s book I’ve read before is it creates a fun story that holds kids’ attention and still teaches a beautiful lesson. Amazingly done!

Don't let the somber premise fool you; the cold touch of death is just there to accentuate the warmth of the narrative. July Chen was born with the ability to see ghosts, but is almost invisible to the people around her. A chance encounter with the living-ghost of William, a boy prone to near-death accidents, leads July on a wild journey into the spirit realm to discover the cause of his misfortune and her strange circumstances. Full of heart, dumplings, and some very hungry ghosts; Ghost Book is a joy to experience.

This was a very poignant but cute graphic novel that explores so many topics, both heavy and light. The idea of death, the afterlife, generational trauma, identity, betrayal, trust, friendship, belonging, and I could go on! But things didn't feel so heavy handed or shoehorned in. The characters are so deftly developed and the art lends itself to the story so well, this is a great middle grade read for anyone - but especially those interested in the afterlife and ghosts.

A wonderfully illustrated graphic novel that manages to be heartfelt, well-paced, and emotive. This was a real winner for me.

Fate has a funny way of tying people together. One night long ago two lives became intertwined and now years later July is finding out that not only are the ghosts she has seen all her life real, but that they have been searching for her for years. This is such a lovely story about two unexpected friends who are able to help each other find a way to beat death and stay with those they love. A father’s sacrifice and a mother’s love plus a new friendship what there is so much to live for.
I loved this story it just made my heart happy. The twist and turns of Joy and William’s friendship are just so believable and really this is a well told story. I can’t wait for others to experience it. I look forward to recommending it.
Thank you so much to Macmillian Children Publishing Group and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy of this title.

GHOST BOOK by Remy Lai follows July Chen, a young girl who pretends she can't see ghosts and the spirits around her. When July saves ghost William from a Hungry Ghost trying to devour his soul, the pair become friends. Unfortunately, fate and the balance of life and death have other plans for them. Inspired by Chinese mythology, GHOST BOOK will appeal to late elementary and middle school readers who love afterlife mythos, action-packed reads, and stories with a diverse and unusual cast of characters. Like all of Remy Lai's work, GHOST BOOK will appeal to a wide cross-section of young readers and be in high demand.

I chose this book as my students and I have enjoyed other books by Remi Lai. July Chen is the most unmemorable student in her school but has no idea why. She becomes friends with a ghost-but-not-a-ghost. The two of them embark on an adventure to find out how to save the ghost-but-not-a-ghost from his continuing near-death accidents and in the process discover the link between their existence. There was so much action and culture woven into the story it kept me reading and in suspense until the last page. Great addition to middle school libraries.

Fascinating, yet round-about explanation of the "Hungry Ghost". Graphic novels are a hit or miss with me, but being a school librarian, I read them extensively to preview what to purchase for our library. I believe our students will enjoy this book and I will likely add it to our ever growing collection of graphic novels.

This story was so adorable with little bits of spooky! July and William are the most adorable people and the adventure they go on is definitely a wild ride. My heart felt happy, sad, betrayed, and I also had some good laughs. The art in this story is so cute and I enjoyed observing all of the pictures and scenes from the book. Ghost Book is a book that I would recommend to anyone. It is a story that anyone would enjoy especially around Halloween.

This story was so so fun and so beautifully illustrated.

Whilst I admit, I had no idea what was going on most of the time, the story and art style were immersive and I found myself absolutely devouring this story.

The ending in particular made me tear up but I was saved by that classic good old fashioned middle grade magic. I loved what this story did and the humor interlaced with more challenging subjects that are much more difficult to express with a younger audience, such as grief and moving on. This story was gentle and warm and a gush of fresh air when it comes to graphic novels. I desperately hope that this universe will have some kind of continuation in the future even if it isn't necessarily set up for one :') I'm not quite ready to be apart from these characters or this story yet.

The only drawback for me was that most things happened entirely for the author's convenience, which is entirely fair but detracted from the story a little bit for me! I can't wait to own a physical copy.

I was lucky enough to get a copy of this book through NetGalley before its publication date. I am not a big reader of graphic novels, but the story in this one was great. It did a wonderful job of tying together a loving story of a father and daughter with a nice mix of Asian mythology sprinkled in.

The art, the story and the heart! Cannot wait to put this into the hands of the kiddos in Singapore!

A sweet story of friendship, family, and some scary ghosts. I look forward to sharing this story with my students.

July is a lonely little girl who people find forgettable, to a strange degree. Could it have anything to do with the fact that she can see and talk to spirits? When July meets William, she at first thinks at first he is just another ghost. But William isn't dead, and he needs her help. July and William embark on an adventure to right a wrong that occurred long ago, but will they both survive the land of the dead?
Remy Lai has created a fun, creepy ghost story perfect for fans of R.L. Stine and Neil Gaiman.

This entire story was adorable, full of heart, and extremely charming. I loved the characters and it was a perfect story. (Also, I am craving dumplings...)


I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.