this was such an awesome story to read. the drawing style was amazing. this story follows a ghost therapist who helps ghost heal and pass to the afterlife. this story deals with some heavy topics and gives great insight on grief and the importance of mental heath and self love/care. I would highly recommend everyone go check this out when it releases. thanks to netgalley and the publishers for an e arc in exchange for an honest review

A fun ghosty graphic novel is a book I'll never get sick of, this beautiful book touched on mental health in such a perfect way. Dorian is such a phenomenal main character and I became really invested in his life and his relationship with his grandmother warmed my heart and made me feel all warm and gooey inside. I did not expect this story to be one of grief, belonging and a queer love story but I'm so glad it did. The art style was also so beautiful and I cannot wait to read more from Johanna Taylor.

Thank you penguin teen for the e-arc, all opinions are my own

This was a cute story with lovable characters. I enjoyed seeing the main character’s development to focus on self-care, and the way that this book handled grief and loss.

This was so cute and so heartbreaking at the same time. Dorian can see ghosts, and has gotten in over his head with trying to help them with their unfinished business. Torn between helping with an overwhelming amount of ghosts, his grandma, and the cute bookstore boy, Brody, Dorian is struggling with balance. A sweet look at new love, family, and grief.

The Ghostkeeper follows Dorian who, after a near death experience, has the power to see and talk with ghosts. With the stigmas against ghosts, Dorian has to balance his powers of healing with education the living on ghostly behaviors. With so many demands surrounding him Dorian has to find peace for himself before being able to help others. I really enjoyed the art style in the graphic novel and the way the art supports the storyline. At times the story felt a little stagnant with no progress and the characters complaining but overall I was really captivated by the book.

I love many things about this book. The art is fantastic and beautiful. The characters have humor and warmth and personality, relatable. The representation is great and engaging. A solid ghostly plot with twists and turns and humor and emotion.

After a near death experience as a child, Dorian can see ghosts. His ambition is to help these ghosts cross over into the next life by providing them with therapy. Along the way he meets a handsome bookshop owner who helps him come to some realizations.

This was really cute. Ghosts, a few banshees, historical setting, mental health awareness, and some MM romance (light on the romance).

Dorian has had a rough life, and he just wants to be able to help the ones he can see that others can’t. Why do so many people want to work against him and his goals?

This book does a great job of discussing mental health and the importance of setting boundaries in your life.

This gem is definitely worth picking up!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this copy of the book.

4.5 stars rounded up

Okay, this was really adorable! Spooky, sweet, and entertaining. The Ghostkeeper is about a man who is a therapist for ghosts. Because maybe they just need to talk through their baggage! But there are people who want to exterminate the ghosts, which only makes them more upset. Plus there is a gay romantic subplot that is very sweet and supportive!

This is partly a story about how, in order to give and help others in need, you must also take care of yourself and have good boundaries. Otherwise, you're likely to experience burnout. But it's also about the things we don't say or put off saying to loved ones, and about different ways people experience grief. The artwork is a lovely blend of cozy and spooky and I really enjoyed this! I received a copy for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

A delightful, adorable, and heart-wrenching graphic novel. I loved every character in this book, they all felt so vivid and lovely. The art was beautiful, and the plot was incredibly engaging. A solid graphic novel that I will recommend widely.

The Ghostkeeper is an outstanding graphic novel following Dorian, a ghost therapist who can see ghosts after coming back from Death's Door as a child. The story introduces themes of grief and compassion, and the illustrations were so vivid and beautiful that I found myself lingering on each page. Truly a unique and beautiful story from beginning to end.

Perfect for fans of unique graphic novels, non-scary ghosts, and heartwarming stories.

I received an ARC from PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group | G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Often, I read graphic novels as fluff or fillers. They tend to be pallet cleansers; however, this one was way more than I ever expected. First, I want to thank NetGalley and Penguin/Putnam for a chance to read this beautiful story.

The Ghostkeeper teaches us many things about emotions, feelings, how they affect us, and more. The artwork is BEAUTIFUL and flows with the story in such a way that you are immersed in it. I wasn't expecting much going into this, but it will be a story that will stick with me.

Thank you to G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for the ARC of The Ghostkeeper, all thoughts are my own.

The Ghostkeeper is a poignant story about loss, grief, and learning to love yourself just the way you are. I lost my mom a few months ago, and I didn’t realize how much I needed this book until I found myself sobbing through the pages.

I hope that teens will take away from this how important it is to learn how to recognize when helping others comes at a detriment to their own well-being and that it is okay to set boundaries to protect your peace and health. It is a message I didn’t come across very often as I was growing up and it has made it harder to learn as an adult.

I loved how this focused on the importance of recognizing that people’s thoughts, feelings, and hurts are valid and important, and that being dismissive of them only makes it worse for everyone involved.

It’s a beautiful story with stunning artwork that teaches the importance of community and belonging.

I can easily see myself adding a copy of this to my shelves when it comes out.

Super cute fun art style and intriguing world building. I loved how the author set up the background and supernatural world building. It was super intruging and made it hard to put down!

This graphic novel was an absolute delight! The art style was really great and I loved how much detail was on the pages. The story is about ghost therapist, Dorian, and touched on some really heavy topics. I really enjoyed the messages behind Dorian’s therapy sessions with the ghosts and found it to be really uplifting and hopeful. The story was really cute and I could tell so much care was put into this. I do wish some of the side characters were more fleshed out, but it’s fine. Overall a super cute graphic novel!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The graphic novel “The Ghostkeeper” by Johanna Taylor tells the story of the ghost therapist Dorian Leith whose job it is to help ghosts resolve their unfinished business and guide them in a gentle way into the afterlife. But one day he finds that the door to the afterlife has been shut so he has to try everything in his power to find a way to help the trapped ghosts.

I really enjoyed the spooky atmosphere and beautiful illustration style of this graphic novel. The panels are really detailed and colorful while still maintaining a cool color palette to underline the ghostly mood. I also enjoyed the variety of topics spanning from love over mental health to grief. The protagonist was a very interesting character and I enjoyed exploring his own backstory.

My main issue with this novel however is the storytelling. It felt like some scenes ended abruptly and the jumps between events pulled me out of the story at times.

I wish I had read this around Halloween but I still had a fun time and would be happy to read from the author again.

A big thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Penguin Young Readers Group for giving me the opportunity to read an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ever since a close brush with death as a child, Dorian can see ghosts, and considers his duty to console and counsel those still stuck in the mortal realm. But when ghosts start turning up claiming they've been locked out of their final resting place, he quickly becomes overwhelmed by the demands of the dead.

Sometimes a book surprises you in the best way when it charges off headlong into grappling with difficult and unexpected themes. This is definitely the case for The Ghostkeeper, which discusses the concepts of burnout and the importance of keeping boundaries while helping others, as well as grief and our relationship with death. I also liked how the author managed to pack in plenty of nuance for both the main and supporting characters, fleshing out the motivations behind their sometimes misguided actions.

And it's just a beautiful graphic novel! I absolutely loved the art, which runs the gamut from mysterious to humorous to romantic to creepy as the story calls for it, and does all of it perfectly, establishing characters and backstories in a matter of pages.

However, I did wish that Brody, Dorian's flatmate and love interest, got a little more development, as he feels flat compared to pretty much all the other characters we meet despite having an important role in the story. There's also some questions about how Dorian came to be living and working how he did that I would have liked learning the answers for.

I was not expecting to enjoy this graphic novel as much as I did. Very easy to read. The illustrations capture the characters perfectly and really make the story fun and spooky. Mental health is highlighted in this novel in an easy to understand, relatable way for the reader. Perhaps it was intentional by the author to have the ghosts rot be similar to the burdens we carry. Over time if not acknowledged will weigh you down and make you feel like you're drowning.

Thought this was an interesting graphic novel! The feel of the story and its setting felt like a comic I have been wanting for a while. A ghost therapist was a cool concept, especially for its themes of taking care of oneself.

This was such an incredibly charming tale, with absolutely incredible art. The story moved along quickly and the characters were so lovable!

I absolutely loved this graphic novel! I was lucky to receive an advance reader copy of the ebook for review purposes from NetGalley. I was drawn to the cover, the art, the title and the concept. The illustrations and coloring are rich, lovely and perfect for this ghost story. The world building was top notch and I absolutely loved the main character Dorian. This book focuses a lot on overcoming trauma, therapy, and burnout. There’s a lot to chew on with how thin Dorian stretches himself in his efforts to heal others… ultimately taking a huge toll on himself and his relationships with others. The side characters are memorable, and Lucy’s storyline made me tear up in its conclusion. This is such a thoughtful book. My biggest critique would be that it felt a bit long or perhaps repetitive at times, belaboring Dorian’s overextension and Lucy’s reluctance to return the key to death’s door. Nonetheless, this book gets top marks from me and will be remembered for quite some time.