This was delightful! Chelsea was dang adorable and I loved following her journey. I especially liked the complexities of the characters: in most other books, her friends would’ve been mean bullies so it was nice that they genuinely cared about her and didn’t ditch her when they found out about her dad’s business. And I really liked Russ! Such a nerd.

I do wonder how folks like Chelsea’s dad maintain such a business. Obviously in this world, ghosts DO exist. But they’re not believed in enough en masse. I’d love to read more of the family’s adventures!

Thanks to Netgalley for the digital arc!

Chelsea Grant doesn't want to be seen with her dad- the town's ghost hunter. When she gets in trouble her parents decide she needs to learn some responsibility and help out her dad's business for the summer. Her embarrassment turns to intrigue when she realizes she can see the ghosts in the New Orleans manor that no one else can. Instead of "removing" the ghosts with her dad's contraption what they really need is to be put to rest.

Can Chelsea settle the historical mystery before more harm comes to those in the house? Or her? This is a fun graphic novel adventure perfect for middle grades.

I read this graphic novel to see if it may be a perfect purchase for our library’s YA collection, and, as aside from the brief showing of drinking and smoking marajuana, I think it is a wonderful graphic novel that perfectly mixes teen life and history.

After a party with pals leads to trouble, Chelsea is sentenced to spend the summer working with her ghost-busting father. The catch? Chelsea can actually see ghosts, and there's a few of them she'd rather NOT have . . . busted.

This was great fun, and I hope it's the start of a series; I'd love to visit with these characters again. I only wish Chelsea had not kept her abilities from her dad, AND that she had dropped the "mean girls" as her friends.

Parents are embarrassing, especially when one of them is a paranormal investigator. After getting caught at a party, Chelsea faces challenges like fitting in with the rich kids or helping her dad catch ghosts. However, this is a typical summer break for her. This standalone graphic novel is filled with adventure and sass to last a summer. Perfect read for young adult paranormal fans.

This has a lot packed in for such a quick read! Chelsea's having a tough time shaking her reputation as "ghost girl" thanks to her father's ghost hunting business, and that, combined with her dad's hatred and fear of all things paranormal, make her extremely reluctant to use or share her gift of communicating with ghosts, but despite that she can't help but start crushing on a cute ghost boy, and then to add another layer to everything, you've got the unraveling of the devastating history behind Harrington Manor and the ghosts living there. I've seen a lot of other reviews recommending this for older teens, perhaps because it doesn't shy away from things like the horrors of slavery or underage drinking at high school parties, but I think the way this is written and illustrated makes it a pretty perfect fit for many middle schoolers, who I also think will be particularly appreciative of many of the struggles the main character has with balancing fitting in with her peers with letting herself feel proud of herself and her family. Also, at least among the kids I work with, middle schoolers always seem to love ghost romances like no other demographic........

This is a super fun graphic novel following a young girl (Chelsea) and her father as they go through life living a real life Ghostbusters dream! Great illustrations - historical context - educational about black history especially. Totally recommend this!

Thanks for the ARC, Netgalley!

For fans of ghostbusters, this YA paranormal adventure follows "Ghost Girl" Chelsea and her "paranormal removal expert" Dad as they use their DIY tech to exorcize ghosts but what if ghosts need to be saved instead of exorcised? This was such a beautiful book of gorgeous illustrations and immersive storytelling. I enjoyed everything about this from the New Orleans culture and Black history, to the discussions of racism and slavery, to the absolutely endearing exposition teenage angst and first crushes. This was an absolutely amazing graphic novel and I highly recommend it to everyone.

I loved, loved, loved the script and story for this graphic novel. Unpacking a complicated past through a ghost-busting excursion is a really good conceit. I loved how the story doesn't sugarcoat or flinch away from acknowledging systems that were built to support slavery and racism, but it also focuses on individual people in a humanizing way. I will say, I struggled with the panel work a little. I thought they were sometimes a little too busy, and I had trouble staying in the story. But that was only sometimes, the art on the whole was beautiful. This was a very good but not perfect book.

From the cover to the title to the actual book itself this one was a definitely a hit. There was great humor in it and as a graphic novel, it definitely stands to the test of incorporating that fantasy but relatable moment that we are all looking for when we’re reading graphic novels.

I'm a little late to the game with this review, but I really enjoyed this book. It touched on some heavy topics but did it in a way that made it not seem really heavy. I also love the illustrations! I bought this book for our collection and it's already been checked out!

Chelsea Grant has tried to distance herself from her father’s reputation as a Ghost Hunter, but working for him over the summer at his business makes that impossible. Her father gets a case at an estate in New Orleans, and Chelsea is not looking forward to it. Chelsea realizes she can see and communicate with ghosts. At Harrington Manor, she sees multiple spirits, particularly a handsome young ghost named Oliver, and forms a connection with him. Her father believes that all hauntings are bad and they need to be banished, but Chelsea knows that Oliver and Marie, the spirit of a young black woman, are different. Can she help protect these kindly spirits that make the Manor their home after death?

Ghost Roast is a graphic novel that succeeds on so many levels. Good writing and good art make for such a very satisfying experience. For its length, the characters are absolutely believable and three-dimensional. Initially, Chelsea is a bit frustrating, acting like a typical teen, just wanting to hang out with her friends, and embarrassed by her parents. However, the writing gives the reader a chance to get to know Chelsea and to see that she is a kind, caring girl, trying to find out who she is outside of her parents' shadow. While her values don’t completely align with her parents, their loving relationship is a welcome highlight. The color palette is warm and pastel, one that might sound incongruous with the storyline, but works so well and gives the reader a very immersive feeling of being in the bright, warm environment of New Orleans in the summer. The haunting is depicted in such a visually appealing manner, pale but vibrant blues that contrast with the overall warm background colors. The drawings are so immaculate and pleasing as well. Each character looks distinctive.

Ghost Roast does something very impactful, presenting ghost hunting from the perspective of a young black person whose heritage has inexplicably been shaped by the aftermath of American chattel slavery. This grounds the story and makes it more realistic for readers who are from a similar background, as one is likely to ask themselves what life would have been like for someone who looked like them in that time period. Chelsea interacts with Oliver realistically, unafraid to ask the hard question. How could he be okay with his family having owned slaves? The story asks the reader to ponder just what are the figurative ghosts that would haunt a property like Harrington Manor, which used to be a plantation where human beings were enslaved? The resolution made a lot of sense and adds another layer of appeal to this story. It doesn’t excuse slavery, but also reveals some nuance to the complexities of familial relationships in that time period.

Ghost Roast is appealing on numerous levels. It’s a story with a lead black female teen who is coming into her own and finding herself. But also, it’s a fun ghost story with an uplifting message. History cannot be ignored, but we can choose to learn from it to make the future more ideal. The writing team of Shawneé Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs with the illustrative team of Emily Cannon and Aishwarya Tandon has done good work with Ghost Roast.

"Ghost Roast" is a story of Chelsea, a high school girl who just wants to fit in, but her social life is struggling due to her dad's business as a paranormal removal expert. After a night out with her friends lands her in trouble, she is told by her divorced parents that she must spend the summer working for her father. While working at a very haunted manor house, she discovers that she has the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Rather than blasting ghosts to oblivion as her dad does, Chelsea chooses to try to help the ghosts while hiding her ability from her father. Helping a particularly cute ghost boy may turn out to be a bigger challenge than she thought. With lovely art and lovable characters (including a ghost cat and a ghost horse), readers will be immediately drawn in and carried along in this beautiful graphic novel.

‘Ghost Roast’ by Shanelle Gibbs and Shawnee Gibbs with art y Emily Cannon is a graphic novel about a ghost hunting business in New Orleans.

Chelsea Grant seems to finally have things figured out with some popular friends until she lands in trouble. Now she is grounded and has to spend the summer helping her father with his embarrassing ghost eradication business. When the latest job is in a creepy old mansion, Chelsea starts to believe in the supernatural with things only she can see, but her approach is different from her fathers.

I liked this story of a young girl just trying to find her way and learning things about her world and especially her parents. The story is solid as is the artwork.

The story is fun while still managing to brilliantly examine some complex history.

The bright colors and cute character designs keep anything from feeling too heavy.

There are two great messages that stick out to me: violence begets violence and sometimes people don't want to change. Not only are both of these messages important, it's important to know when each is applicable.

The art in this graphic novel is well done, easy to follow and inviting. Chelsea is a relatable character, and her parents are supportive while being realistically flawed. After a misstep with her friends, Chelsea ends up grounded for the summer and begins working with her father at a local historical house to remove any ghosts on the premises. While the dark history of the plantation is handled clearly though lightly, the interaction between Chelsea and the ghosts should appeal to young teens. I expected a little more focus on Chelsea's complicated relationship with her new friends, who seem more interested in dragging her into their entertainments against her parent's wishes, than in learning about Chelsea or what she wants to do. Instead the story ends happily, with no growth on the friend front at all. Her relationship with her parents and her father's work, however, does develop and change.

This book is an exciting ride. It manages to be both adventurous and funny which dealing with really dark subjects as the American slavery system. Chelsea feels like a real teenager, exhibiting both brattiness as well as deep compassion for others. The parents' relationship left me a bit confused. Her dad's job hunting ghosts was a major reason for their breakup, but Chelsea's mother seems supportive of his job and even forces Chelsea to work with him as part of her punishment. It just seemed very confusing to me that the mother both liked and didn't like his job, but perhaps I misunderstood something. The art is quite charming.

I'm adding this to my list of favorite graphic novels, oh my goodness. This was so so so good. 10/10.

Warning: underage drinking and drugs use for younger readers to be aware of.

Loved seeing the buzz around this teen graphic novel as a ghost story.

There are many positives to the story: multicultural interest, teen crushes, and themes of managing family and friends and fitting in.

In this YA graphic novel Chelsea Grant is insistent upon leaving her ghost hunting father and his reputation behind, as she enters a new school with new friends. Bad decisions land her right back with her dad and his professional search for ghosts.

The twist, though, is that Chelsea can actually see the ghosts which takes the reader on a fun adventure through a haunted mansion and mystery solving.

The story went a little flat with the initial ghostbuster imagery. Perhaps it’s my age (as someone who was in middle school when the original Ghostbusters movie was released), but initially it seemed a bit unoriginal. The story, though, moves in a nice direction.

Recommend for lovers of graphic novels, mysteries, YA crushes, and ghost hunters.

Thank you #NetGally and #HarperCollins for the ARC!

Thank you for the chance to review this advanced copy. I adored this graphic novel! The art was beautiful. I cannot wait to check out more from the artists and author of this book. I loved the history aspect of this graphic novel, and how the ghosts' stories came together at the end. The ghost hunting was fun to read and learn more about. I thought the main character's development was well done. Overall, and very enjoyable and satisfying graphic novel that I will be recommending to lots of patrons!