Thank you so much Netgalley for approving me to read this arc in exchange for a review.
There were so many creepy factors that I loved about this! Absolutely devoured this book.

This book was absolutely fantastic. I've already added it to our list for order next year and will recommend it to students.

What a fast-paced, funny, romantic page-turner! I loved Sun's debut, and was on the edge of my seat through both the fantastical elements and the romantic ones.

When I read the summary for If I Have to be Haunted, I was immediately intrigued and bonus points for an AAPI author!

And who doesn't love a nail-biting rivals to lovers tale that takes you on an epic journey woven in Asian lore with ghosts?

I kind of wish there would be more books, but considering how the story ends, I don't see what for our future. Which makes me sad, but I'm happy with the ending regardless.

I don't read too much YA anymore but I freaking loved this. It had everything I want in a book: paranormal aspects (ghosts!), witty banter, a touch of romance, and a slow burn enemies/rivals to lovers trope. This was cute, quick, and so swoony.

First, I have to say I love the Chinese representation blended with one of my favorite genres. This is in the third person. It is third person close from Cara’s perspective and has a classic hero’s journey arc with enemies to lovers vibes. However, what I enjoyed even more than the angst, the growth of the main character, and the exciting adventure is the beautiful prose in this book. If you’re a writer, some of these lines are gonna make you downright jealous that you didn’t think of them. Example: “What was a group of gone beasts called? A stillness. An extinction.“ I won’t spoil any more of the beautiful descriptions.

4.5 stars

If I Have to Be Haunted by Miranda Sun is a stunning YA contemporary fantasy debut that hooked me from the very beginning. Sun's storytelling is fresh, witty, and addictive — creating a world that is impossible not to get lost in.

The story follows Cara Tang, a Chinese American teenager with ghost-speaking powers, who stumbles across the dead body of Zach Coleson, her enemy. When Cara agrees to raise Zach from the dead, she is drawn into a dangerous magical world of monsters and danger.

One of the book’s best attributes is the characters. I appreciate how much care and effort Sun put into crafting unique, realistic characters. I love how each character has a distinct voice and personality that shines throughout the novel.

Another highlight of the novel is the romance between Cara and Zach. The slow-burn rivals-to-lovers trope is executed perfectly, with witty banter, snarky comebacks, and undeniable chemistry between them. Sun does an excellent job of building up the tension between the characters, making readers easily able to root for their eventual relationship.

The character development in this book was also well done. I loved seeing Cara coming to terms with her ghost-speaking ability, and realizing it is not something to be ashamed of. Throughout the book, Cara's journey toward accepting and embracing her unique gift was a central theme that added depth to her character. Cara's self-acceptance was by far my favorite moment of the book.

Additionally, the novel explores themes of family and identity. These themes are highlighted through the expectations placed on Cara by her mother and the pressure to conform to the perfect Chinese American daughter stereotype.

Overall, I highly recommend this book. This debut is an impressive addition to the YA contemporary fantasy genre. Sun is an author to watch out for, and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next. With a perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and adventure, If I Have To Be Haunted is an upcoming novel you won't want to miss!

It took me a little bit to really get into the story, but once I did it was a pretty good time. I think where the story lost me overall was that it felt a bit flat, and it felt like younger YA (which isn't necessarily a negative, but for me it just made it hard to really connect to the story). I do think, though, that the struggles the different characters faced were well-realized, and a lot of people will probably really resonate with them in that regard.
Overall, I enjoyed this but I didn't love it. I am, however, excited to introduce this to our teens when it is released because I do think they will really enjoy this one!

This book was magical! I absolutely LOVE the enemies to lovers trope and this book took it to a whole other level! A ghost-speaker whose nemesis becomes a ghost, and she makes a deal to raise him from the dead? Sold. This was an adventure from start to finish and had me hooked from the very beginning.
Cara and Zach's banter was so funny and vou can't not fall in love with them! This is for sure going to be one of my top reads this year!

I was extremely excited to read If I Have to Be Haunted after learning of the novel's premise and seeing all the gorgeous cover art of the book's main characters, Cara and Zach. Throughout the novel, I really enjoyed their dynamic as high school nemeses. The banter from the very first chapter of the novel was electric, and really set the tone for how their relationship progresses after Zach is killed. I do wish we got to see more of his thoughts and feelings about Cara, either from a chapter in his POV, or more flashback scenes to when the two were in school together, because his feelings for Cara felt a bit abrupt given how antagonistic he felt towards Cara.

Another aspect of this novel I really enjoyed was the family dynamics between Cara, her mom, and her grandmother. The relationship Cara has with her mother felt very reminiscent of many relationships the daughters have with their Asian immigrant parents. I definitely saw myself in Cara and her experiences as a second-gen Asian immigrant.

Ultimately, the reason why I rated this novel 3.75 stars (rounded up) is because the world building and explanation of the magic in this novel felt convoluted to me. At first, as readers we learn of how Cara's family has passed down traits to see, speak to, and amplify powers to ghosts, which was super interesting and easy to comprehend. However, after Zach and Cara set on their quest, there was so much new magic that was introduced and it was confusing to catch up on all the different types of magic that operate in this world. I also think the comparison to Legendborn that has been used to market this book is not at all accurate, and also misled me on how the magic system operates in this world.

After reading the cliffhanger, it's apparent that we will be having a sequel to this story. I'd definitely pick it up if the focus remains on Zach and Cara's relationship, as well as the second-gen Asian immigrant experience rather than more confusing explanations of magic.

{3.5 stars}
This took me a while to get into, but I liked it! It did feel just a bit flat to me, but overall, I liked the characters, the worldbuilding, and the messages! Cara and her relationship with her mother and grandmother was my favorite part. I think this could make a super cool stop-motion movie, because it kind of gave me Coraline vibes!! There’s also definitely a Percy Jackson vibe, so if you’re a fan, I recommend this one!
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

This was such an amazing book. It had everything; adventure, ghosts, parent/child angst, romance, friendship and comedy. I couldn’t put this book down and I never knew where it was going next. It was so unique, so interesting, so fun, I just loved it.
Put this book on the top of you reading list. You will love it!
Enjoy!

A beautiful ghost story with top tier banter and a slow burn, enemies-to-first-love romance that will break your heart. Cara and Zach are at each other's throats when they're paired for a science project. He's walking through the woods to meet her when he's bitten by a mythical snake. Now he has seven days to find an antidote for his spirit to rejoin his body or he'll be gone forever. Good thing Cara is brave, brilliant, and a ghost talker, literally the only person who can save him. Although she's torn between a ghostly grandmother who wants her to embrace her powers and a mother who wants her to pretend she's just like any other kid and have a normal life. The romance is excellent as Cara and Zach go on their definitely-just-a-quest-not-date adventure, but the nuanced inter-generational conflict is just as touching, and there is all the angst and wry humor of the best coming of age stories wrapped in this perfectly spooky ghost package. I can't wait for the next book teased in the epilogue, but please tell me we're getting a Laolao prequel too!?!? Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the chance to read early!

I wanted to love this one, but I just didn't. I did adore the characters and their struggles and I think a lot of teen readers will feel seen by Cara's experiences (um, minus the ghost-y ones). This feels like a younger YA (I prefer older YA), which is so so needed especially in fantasy stories! 14+ is the target audience for this one and I know it will find its readers for sure. It just sadly wasn't me

this was a really good! I liked the characters, and they were super well-developed. the plot was super cool and fun to read, and the writing was also smooth and easy to understand
highly recommend

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of 2023, and it was a lot of fun! This book is a YA contemporary fantasy that follows a Chinese American teenage girl who can speak to ghosts. Cara Tang prefers to ignore ghosts and keep her ghost-speaking abilities a secret, but when she finds her classmate Zacharias Coleson's dead body in the woods, she makes a deal with his ghost and embarks on a quest to resurrect him. This story also has a strong romantic subplot, and the slowburn romance between Cara and Zach was very entertaining to read. Additionally, the descriptions in this book were gorgeously crafted. Admittedly, these overly descriptive sentences felt excessive in the first chapter when they were used to describe irrelevant actions, such as a spoon falling on Jell-O, a friend waving hello, and the movement of a fork through mashed potatoes and peas, but once the story shifted into the world of fantasy and magic, these descriptions felt incredibly necessary and helped immerse the reader into the scenery and scents of each new setting. I will be recommending this book to others and picking up Miranda Sun's next works!

I'm honestly not sure how I feel about this book. I really like the use of liminal spaces and the exploration of those being portals to other worlds; especially one where extinct and forgotten animals get to live on (and I'm glad that we get a moment where Cara realizes the gravity of knowing this place, but knowing she won't see it again). There were just certain parts that threw me off -- the liminal space filled with fog and Cara's ease with believing her grandmother was there after just witnessing not-Zach; the way Zach confesses his feelings for Cara (felt way too poetic); how Brittany was able to communicate with them via text after they all returned to their respective homes. The tone fluctuated between middle-grade and more mature at different points, and I feel like the book could have been about 20-30 pages shorter. The end dragged on a bit and the epilogue stole the feel-good ending I think most folks would have wanted.

With a god slow burn and hate to love arc, beautiful prose, and an entertaining plot, this story is a joy to read with a heroine to root for and fall in love with.

I knew IF I HAVE TO BE HAUNTED was going to be a fun adventure with great chemistry between Zach and Cara, but what I didn't expect is how beautiful and touching Cara's inner journey is as well. Between its gorgeous prose, fun action and world-building, and witty banter, I tore through this book. It feels like PERCY JACKSON for a slightly older audience. Highly recommend!

If I Have to Be Haunted was such a great book. I loved the character development of the story and the plot was like nothing I have read in such a long time.