Ghosted by Amanda Quain, a Jane Austen retelling of the classic Northanger Abbey, tells the story of Hattie Tinley. After losing her ghost loving father, Hattie put on a facade (or a mask as she calls it), of being the perfect student, daughter, and friend by never showing or sharing how she really feels. This all changes when she meets Kit Morland, a ghost fanatic, who reignites her love of the paranormal and breaks down the walls she's held up for 3 years. Amanda did an amazing job capturing a very real depiction of what happens to a family after a major loss, showing raw grief and the conflict each family member goes through as a result.

Ghosted was an adorable paranormal romance, perfect for fall! I loved the relationship between Hattie and her brother Liam, it was nice to see a strong bond between siblings and gave me all the cozy feels. I will definitely be re-reading this during Halloween! If you love the paranormal & young love, this is a must read!

I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Thank you to Netgalley, St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and Amanda Quain for gifting me the reading this book.

What drew me to request this book was the sweet description about a young adult romance, ghost activity, and the reference to Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey. I enjoyed the banter and connection between the two main characters Hattie and Kit. This book also deals with death, grief, and personal growth. I do wish the beginning would have gripped me a little quicker and been a bit more concise. I rated this book 3 stars.

Thank you again for this ARC for my honest review.

Such a fun gender-bent twist on Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey! This was quick, funny, and just all around a good time

I was expecting more of a spooky romp based on the premise of a ghost-hunter teaming up with a non-believer for a school project on whether ghosts exist, but the book struck me more as a heartfelt exploration of grief, how it can affect where you see yourself within your family and friend groups, and how to relate to the people you love who are grieving in different ways. I teared up at the three siblings discussing their father who they lost to cancer. Loved the maiwoo tn characters, their vulnerability with each other, the awkwardness!, the fun banter, the haunted school setting, and the truly horrific set-up of your parent being your high school principal. Nightmares for days on that last point! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read early!

I was excited to get a copy of Ghosted due to the X-Files listed in the promo tags (which I can see it if I squint hard enough) and I was not disappointed.

We meet Hattie at the beginning of her senior year where she has built herself a perfect construct of a life as a response to the trauma of losing her father three years earlier. Hattie and her dad had shared a special bond with ghost hunting and paranormal activity at the center of it. With the loss of her father, Hattie had decided to leave all of that behind. Until her mother (the headmistress of her school) pairs her with new ghost hunting scholarship student Kit Morland to be his on-campus guide. This is where our story really takes off.

Hattie's story is told in the first person perspective and we really do get to know Hattie very well. Her thoughts and feelings make perfect sense for a girl on the cusp of adulthood and this book truly fits the coming of age theme that is somehow missing from a lot of YA fiction these days. While we are immersed in Hattie's head, discerning readers can tell that not all of her viewpoints are going to be factual and realistic. And yet, it's so easy to take Hattie's side against her mother, her sister, and her friends. Hattie's voice is just so powerful and engaging and that while I knew that her perspective wasn't going to be totally right, I was ready for the ride and followed along with Hattie while she came to those conclusions herself.

My one quibble with this book was the epilogue felt like it was tacked on because Quain thought she needed one. I thought the last chapter was a perfect ending to the story.

I loved the story, the world building and meeting the different characters. I felt completely immersed in the story and couldn't stop reading it.

Totally fine, if you aren't reading it as a JA adaptation. Where the character names were similar that was really the outside stretch of commonality and most of those names didn't correspond to the characters' character in any meaningful way. Izzy was especially bothersome.

GHOSTED, a YA contemporary set at a haunted high school, follows Hattie and Kit as they tackle a school project debating if ghosts are real, from opposing sides. Kit, an enthusiastic ghost hunter, argues the affirmative, while Hattie, our POV MC, emotionally haunted after the death of her dad, argues the negative.

Sparks fly between the opposing students immediately, but for me, GHOSTED is about family and sibling dynamics following loss. For readers looking for:

👻 Current, youthful voice
👻 No-spice romance
👻 Complex mother/daughter relationships
👻 Parentification
👻 Fast paced, light reading

✨ Available July 25, 2023 ✨

I feel this book shines in its sibling relationships. My favourite scene, where the siblings really hash out their problems, brought me to tears. The romance is understated, but I think that’s fine, if it’s not what you’re going in looking for. ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Wednesday Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

<b>Characters</b>: 9, Northanger Abbey is one of my favorite Austen tales (I love Henry Tilney, OK?) and so when I saw this gender-swapped retelling, I jumped on it. Henrietta Tilney, the MC, resonated pretty strongly with me (especially with teenage me) and so some of her lines cracked me up partly because they were witty and partly because I remember thinking those things, doing those things, feeling that way, etc. I felt like the internal and external dialogue was age-appropriate, as well (which helped create the ambience of a private high school). The secondary characters are additive- they have personalities, quirks, loves, hates, and their own unique voices. I wish Kit Morland had gotten a little more of a character arc, but he definitely needed to be the model for Henrietta to learn from.

<b>Atmosphere</b>: 8, the setting is a gothic-abbey-turned-private-school in upstate New York, which served to support the ghost hunting aspects (though this is far more about character growth and self-awareness than the supernatural). Campus and the buildings were described but I struggled to picture it because I don't tend to think of abbeys as having a dozen separate buildings. But maybe they do? There weren't any moments where the scenery set the atmosphere- that was mostly driven by the internal emotional state of the MC, but effectively. I was immersed in the story, but not in the atmosphere, if that makes sense.

<b>Writing</b>: 9, I will definitely be picking up Quain's other Austen retellings now. The story is light and fluffy in some ways, resonant in others. It was more on the stark side than the purple side, without the "she knew exactly what he was thinking solely from the shine of the sunlight in his eyes" crap that I hate. The MC might have been a bit more primed to question her beliefs and fears than I expected, but without that we wouldn't have a story, so I didn't find it detracting.

<b>Plot</b>: 9, the pacing felt relatively good- nothing dragged, nothing rushed. I thought there could've been a little more time and tension applied to a few scenes, especially among Izzy and Priya, just to build things up so I'd care more about that B-plot, as the reader. And although I knew how it would end and a few key moments (because it's a retelling), I was curious enough about how we'd get there to zip through this. Also, I applaud Quain's interpretation of scenes from the original that weren't necessary for plot, but were a cute hat-tip to Austen fans.

<b>Intrigue</b>: 9, this was hard to rate because I only had 48 hours to read this book. If I hadn't been under that time crunch, I'd probably read it in 3-5 days, though, because it's a quick, easy, comfortable book. And with me feeling called out by the MC (a lot), I was curious to follow her progression and cheering her on. I didn't have to struggle to read any part of this.

<b>Logic</b>: 10, I think each character acts within their desires and fears, including ones whose emotional processing happens offscreen (but from the fallout, we can read between the lines). The world was clear and understandable, and I appreciated the realistically messy misinterpretations, conflicting desires, and moral greyness of every character.

<b>Enjoyment</b>: 10, I really did enjoy this story, both on its own merits and as a retelling of a beloved Austen classic.

This was such a smart, fun, romantic, heartwarming retelling of Northanger Abbey. I loved the gender-swap and the ghost-hunting angle, and watching the protagonist's character arc as she moved toward greater openness and self-knowledge was a delight!

I must confess that while I am a massive Jane Austen fan, I have never read Northanger Abbey. I thoroughly enjoy when the classics are reimagined and while I have no basis to compare it to Austen’s novel, I thought Ghosted was well executed. The characters were easy to like and I was immediately invested in their lives.

While Ghosted is marketed as a YA paranormal novel, this is more a story centered around grief, healing, searching for hope and a connection with those lost, and rediscovering yourself and life after loss. Hattie and Liam’s stories broke my heart. I grieved over what they lost, their shattered dreams, and the fractures within their family unit. There were brief moments of levity - thank goodness for Kit and his charisma and empathy - and it concludes with a message of hope, but the overall tone is a tad bittersweet.

I thoroughly enjoyed the setting of Northanger being a haunted boarding school and loved the perspective of ghost stories being a way to remember loved ones and giving those who seemed to live an ordinary mortal life, an extraordinary afterlife. While I do think the story was maybe a tad long, but I very much enjoyed this YA paranormal retelling!

This was such a cute story. I really enjoyed the characters and ghostly setting of this story. The book is chock full of teenage angst, love and dealing with grief. Overall a great read

3.5 stars! This was cute little book, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t initially so set on encountering spooky scenes and ghostly activity. It’s definitely a YA romance—not a supernatural thriller. Which, of course, I didn’t expect, but I did hope for a little more action than we received.

All that said: this was, in actuality, a very cute book. Kit and Hattie make for an excellent couple. I LOVE Sunshine Boys + Moody Girls; it’s one of my favorite tropes, and this novel delivered! Characters were believable, ghostly boarding school setting was acquired, and the family drama wrapped it all up into a riveting package of teenage angst, tricky relationships, and navigating the waters of grief.

so I say this book is a five star book and it kept me pulled into it to where I couldn't put it down at all
I do recommend this book and have told a few people that they need to read this book big time
might reread it around Halloween but not sure. Gonna try and find other books like this but looks like ill be adding some more books by this author onto my wish list.

Thank you so much for Wednesday books and Netgallery for letting me read and give my honest opinion. I loved the story from the beginning to end. Hattie felt like she was lonely after her dad died and felt that she was not enough for her mom to make her proud no matter what her path was but until one boy she met the beginning of the school year change everything and she felt that she can be herself around him and not pretend to be anyone else. I love the modern twist for a school to have ghost legend and the history behind it.

This book is really cute! I enjoyed both Hattie and Kit and how their relationship was friends to lovers in a very nice slow burn way. I liked the idea that it was a retelling, even though I have not read the original story. I did find the mother/headmistress to be pretty annoying at times. I am planning on writing a whole blog about this book. Link will be shared once blog is up.

Full Review: https://theweatherwriter.wixsite.com/blog/post/book-review-ghosted-by-amanda-quain

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Wednesday Books and NetGalley for an electronic Advanced Readers Copy of this novel.

Fans of Jane Austen and non-fans alike will enjoy this book. It's a slight retelling of Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, but other than the gothic setting (now a boarding school), ghosts and the Tilney name, not much resembles the Jane Austen novel.

Hattie Tilney is a high school senior who gave up believing in ghosts and the supernatural once her father passed away. Her mom is a no nonsense person engrossed in her work - and is also the head of the school. Hattie does her best to fit in by pretending to be "normal" and sets her sights on a prelaw track at a prestigious university. Enter Kit Moreland, who comes in as a scholarship case from a ghost hunter society. Kit believes in ghosts and the paranormal, and Hattie is drafted into being the ambassador to the new student. Reluctantly drawn into investigating the haunted history of the school, Will opposites attract?

Amanda Quain has written a very entertaining book. I had fun reading it, I wish some of the characters were a little bit more fleshed out, but I liked Hattie and reading about her journey.

Picture Wednesday (the Netflix series), but less supernatural and more introspective, and that's what reading this book felt like. It is a (very loose) gender-bent Northanger Abbey retelling, where Henrietta (Hattie) Tilney has sworn off ghosts despite attending a school that is famous for its many ghosts. In walks Kit Morland (a fan of all things supernatural) and a shared assignment on Northanger's ghosts, and now Hattie has to come to terms with her past.

To start with, I loved the creative way that Quain nods to the original Jane Austen novel. We even get a nod to the infamous Mysteries of Udolpho with Udolpho University. I also really appreciated where Quain landed with the whole 'are ghosts real' issue. Overall the story had fun, gothic vibes, mixed in with some excellent character development.

My biggest complaint is that - aside from the nods to key elements of the original story - there isn't really anything else that screams Jane Austen. Overall, I don't really see the majority of Austen fans enjoying this story because the two are so different. That being said, it was good in it's own right, but it was just a bit disappointing as a retelling.

Overall it was a fun read! The only caveat is that I would be more likely to recommend it to fans of Wednesday instead of fans of Jane Austen.

okay, so disclaimer: i have never read northanger abbey. i don't know the story, i don't know the characters, i don't know anything about it. i have no idea why ghosted is a "northanger abbey story" and i think if you go into it with that mindset, you'll be disappointed. which is super unfortunate, because it's a solid little book! and i don't think it deserves the "i was disappointed because this isn't a northanger abbey retelling" that i KNOW will flood the reviews. a "northanger abbey story" MIGHT be because quain wants to write future books with the same setting as this book, but that's just me theorizing.

so, with that out of the way, here is my review.

i really liked ghosted. i think it has a lot of heart, and i would be interested in reading future books by amanda quain. it is a debut, and i think you can kind of tell that it's a debut, but i don't think that's a bad thing.

i liked hattie. i liked how she stepped up to take care of liam and was consequently resentful because of it. i liked her relationship with liam in general. i loved the stories about her father. this really is a book about hattie dealing with her father's death and coming to terms with how lonely she truly has been since then.

i wish kit had more depth. i liked his energy and i know i would've cared way more about him if we got more meaningful time with him. i think this book should've been much longer. i did like that kit got to bad mouth hattie's mom, i feel like you don't get that in YA contemporaries because it's not as.... easy to write off. like, i remember being 16 and i think it's like, a normal thing for someone who cares about you and wants the best for you to maybe shit talk your parent. ya know? it felt realistic, in my opinion.

i do think that the izzy and priya friendship was not fleshed out enough. the friendships in general felt very surface level - and not surface level in the way that was intended. they could've both been taken out of the story. i think izzy was genuinely a bad friend and did not deserve an apology or forgiveness. izzy can't just say "we were real friends, hattie" and then continue to say that it's hattie's fault that she never opened up. her fucking dad died. like, the shit izzy pulled ruins friendships.

thank you to amanda quain and st. martin's press for my arc <3

This is a Jane Austen retelling, which is always kryptonite for me. It was a super fresh take with the paranormal aspects.

Hattie and Kit have a very developed relationship that still feels forefront, even with all the investigation aspects. I really related to Kit especially, as a fellow scholarship student. Yet also the themes of "must achieve it all to impress my mother" for Hattie felt relatable, too. Highly recommend to people who love something like Outer Banks, because it's that romance + external shenanigans we love so much in a YA.