A very interesting read. Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read this book. It wasn't really for me, but I am sure that it will be loved by the right audience.

I enjoyed this book so much I ended up screaming into James's DM's. It was a touching story that made me feel all the butterflies!

This book had me on such a roller coaster of emotions! But in a good way?! Even though this is a young adult book and I am not the target audience I still really enjoyed the story and would highly recommend it. A very powerful and emotional story that I found dealt with grief quite well.

I am very thankful to have been gifted a copy of this book; however, at this point this book will be moving to my DNF shelf. It sounds like something I would have really enjoyed, and will happily come back and re-review once I am in a better mindset for the book.

James L. Sutter's The Ghost of Us offers an intriguing premise, blending paranormal elements with YA romance as it follows Cara, an aspiring ghost hunter, and Aiden, a ghost with unfinished business. The book has Sutter's trademark wit and explores complex themes, but the rushed ending left this reader wanting for more. Still, I will look forward to reading more from this author.

Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for sharing this book with me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was a sweet romance with some fantastic elements that made the story more interesting. I enjoyed this ghost story and how Ghost Aiden tried to connect his sister and Cara to bring his sister happiness after his death. I wish Cara would have been more mature at times, but her immaturity was fitting as this is a YA novel. I wish Cara would have learned how important her friend and Meredith were to her earlier on in the book.

This was an interesting concept from a new to me author and I really enjoyed it.

Cara is a bit self-centered, which was off-putting at times, and for a long time it doesn’t seem like she would evolve away from that, but it was more about self-preservation from being hurt in the past than being a narcissist. I understand her fears, she is a good person overall, so I was able to forgive some of her actions.

Three relationships are pivotal in this story for Cara, her relationship with Meredith, with Aiden, and with her best friend Holly. And all three get pushed to their breaking points due to Cara’s behavior.

Meredith is filled with grief and a lot of anger, at both Aiden (for dying) and herself (for being angry with Aiden). I love that she opens up and stands up for herself with Cara. She is overall a very strong person, but she reveals her vulnerabilities and softness. I think Cara brings out the best in her and she pushes Cara to be a better person.

Aiden is probably the most complicated character, and not just because he’s a ghost. He cares so much about Meredith, and everything he is trying to do is for her, but he fails to see that he doesn’t always know what’s best for her. I think big brothers in general have this issue. He and Cara also develop a true friendship, which makes it all the more difficult that his ultimate goal is to cross over.

There are a lot of complicated feelings involved, and a lot of heartbreak, but this was a great read.

Disclaimer: I received an eARC through Net Galley on behalf of the publisher for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2.5 stars, rounded down

I'm going to start out by addressing the elephant in the room - this is a sapphic love story written by a man. I went into the book with a pretty open mind, but the issues I am about to raise below have left me with one really burning question - what right Sutter think he had to tell this story?

This book, on it's face, is perfectly fine. The "fake dating" trope (though it kind of only goes one way) is used to its fullest, with Cara planning multiple dates to take Meredith on and slowly falling for her in the process. The two have multiple cute scenes, including dancing at a concert and going on a prom scavenger hunt. The kids have a close-knit group, and each character feels fleshed out, with their own wants and dreams outside of the events of the story. It feels like the author really took the time to think about the people he was writing about, which I appreciate even more in a YA novel where sometimes plot can take precedence over character development.

As I read on, though, some of the language and writing made me uncomfortable - even more so as it was repeated over and over. And over. And over.

The way that Cara talks about Meredith comes off as highly objectifying at times. While some of the language is sweet, like when she notices how alive Meredith looks when she's rock climbing, other sections are downright vulgar. There's a huge focus on sweat in this book (yeah, you read that right) and the way Cara describes Meredith's body, down to the "musky" scent of her sweat, got very weird to read after awhile. Aiden, the ghost character, had a similar issue with his dialogue. The way he talked about women was gross at times, but can be written off in a "boys will be boys" kind of way. The way he talks about his sister, though, gets really gross. He innuendos multiple times about Cara making Meredith horny and encourages Cara to go further sexually with her. There's also the constant, underlying knowledge that Aiden, as an invisible ghost, could be watching any of the multiple make-out scenes between Cara and Meredith, or watching Cara get changed or take a shower.

The other big red flag for me with this book was the hiking scene, where Cara and Meredith decide to (view spoiler). This scene was much more detailed than I would expect for a YA novel, and it cuts to black much later than I am used to in this genre. Now, I'm not attempting to pearl-clutch or make a "Think of the children!" argument here - I'm really more irritated for myself. I don't like spice in my books - at all - and I specifically seek out adult books with zero spice in them. (I was really, really pissed when I got through 99% of A Broken Blade only to have an intensely spicy scene pop up.) So, when I pick up a YA title, I expect the making out and the "tongues exploring each others mouths" (ugh) thing. I do not expect the kind of detail we got here.

Past my distaste for the sexual aspects of this book, the ending felt completely unearned because of one big mistake that a lot of YA books make - Cara doesn't earn it. After being a total asshole to her friends for the entire book, she gives one half-hearted apology and all is forgiven. I didn't even like the best friend character of Holly and her holier-than-thou attitude, but the fact that she forgives Cara after she openly insults her belief system was really too much for me. I have a pretty strong objection to organized religion, too, but I think even I could find it in me not to openly insult my best friend for her choice of religion.

This book has a fairly original premise, but feels bogged down with all the overly horny writing and an unlikable main character. By the end, my overall impression was that everyone really deserved better than Cara. I'm still left with the question of why this book was written by this person, but assuming that question will never be answered, I'm going to end this review by saying that there are better sapphic romances out there for you to read.

All Cara wants is to be a famous ghost hunter so when one shows up in her bedroom asking for a tiny favor (like taking his sister to prom), she says yes. Nothing is ever simple.

I found The Ghost of Us to be equal parts funny, sad, and frustrating for everyone involved. James L. Sutter gives us great characters and then throws them together when none of them really go together. Cara even knows that none of them fit. Yet oddly enough by the sheer force of friendship…they do.

Aiden should be glad that he wasn’t corporeal because I think Cara would have hit him more than once. (chuckle) His desire to see his sister happy and move on is all encompassing. I don’t know really how much his desire to move on really plays into it, because all I received from the story was his love for his sister.

It is hard to watch Cara’s desperation to succeed at being famous at eighteen at all costs. To think that exploiting and using everyone around her is the only way to be a success and be okay with that. Cara actually has no qualms about what she is doing as long as it works. I know the trend lately is to make morally grey characters and keep them grey and have you like them anyway, but the reality is would you stick around for this person in real life.

This brings me to the secondary cast. I give mad props to Holly and by extension Elvis. Holly is a true friend. There’s a scene in the latter third of the book that just hits and makes you think, “Girl, you are a friend for keeps forever.”

There are a lot of difficult conversations had in The Ghost of Us but none more between Meredith and Cara. The funniest of events also happen between them too. I think out of all of the characters Meredith pays the highest price in this fake-dating plot. Sutter does an amazing job handling her grief, anger, disconnection, and her reconnecting with Cara and life.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up the book. The Ghost of Us is at times funny and cute. Then it can be harsh and painful. It’s life during grief, complicated by good intentions, and one person’s ambition. It’s not your ordinary fake-dating romance, it has more depth.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to be able to read and review this book!

Beautiful story with amazing storylines.

I saw the cover of this one and instantly wanted to read it. I also like the premise - a paranormal, sapphic romance. I liked that Cara, a wannabe ghost hunter, found a real ghost. And I enjoyed the banter between her and Aiden (the ghost). Meredith was an interesting character, and for me, probably a better character than Cara. I would have loved some chapters from Meredith's POV, as I feel like this would have added more depth to the story. There were aspects of the book I enjoyed, but I also felt like Cara was so selfish in some aspects that it took away from my enjoyment of the story.

I did not finish this book. I really wanted to like it, from the description, but the constant referencing of real life brands pulled me out of it. This book will be dated VERY quickly.

i got the arc for this at the beginning of the year and i’m just getting around to it but oh wow this was so fucking disappointing and straight up gross.

men should NEVER be allowed to write about sapphics. from the very first page, we have the main character saying she would let maya hawke “explore her upside down” but did the sexual comments stop there? of course not!

let’s go over some creepy comments written about teenage girls by this grown ass man:

1. “spaghetti strap camis showing off pale shoulders and cleavage that could’ve skipped a few grades”
2. “listen to asleep at the altar and tell me you aren’t snail-trailing your panties”
3. “aiden moaned with pornographic longing”
4. “sophia made a show of surprise, glossy pout forming the perfect sex doll ‘o’”

keep in mind that a MAN has written this book in a female perspective. also going to mention that the author has this fetish(?) for sweat and armpits? how did this shit get published? i’m convinced the arc readers or anyone who wrote good reviews for this book didn’t read it at all. it’s fucking disgusting.

as for the actual book, the writing was cringe with way too many pop culture references. the main character was selfish and lacked any empathy at all (which is crazy for a ghost hunter imo). the attempt at writing a redemption arc for her within the last 10 pages of the book was laughable. you could tell that all the female characters were written by a man because of their weird teenage boy lust vibes. in my opinion there are no likeable characters at all and none of them go through any kind of growth. the ghost, aiden, is just there to be a perv and he adds nothing but weird sexual comments

had i researched further about this book i wouldn’t have picked it up. period. the premise and cover had me intrigued but as soon as i saw a man’s name on the title page i knew it was so over before i even started. don’t waste your time with this weird shit. i’m anti ai like the rest of us, but i’m convinced that chatgpt could write a better book

Omg this book was an absolute ride!! I really enjoyed myself. Especially with the Stranger Things vibes I had while reading!? Say less! Such a wholesome, beautifully queer story.

The ghost of us is a young adult novel exploring identity, romance, and loss. I reall appreciated the growth ofthe main character and the intersection of humor with grief and loss. I felt that the main character was forgiven a little too soon at the end and it felt a little unnatural and abrupt. However, I ovrall enjoyed thi book.

While I can't say I have ever walked into a haunted establishment loaded down with a ton of ghost hunting equipment intent on finding spirits, I can say I have always wondered what it would be like to do this. This book gave me the chance to see it in action, while also giving us beautiful and emotional characters. Cara is a teenager who dreams of leaving her small town and making it big. She may not have a lot of friends due to one huge embarrassing moment but she does have one best friend to help her through life's trials. With a goal of having her own ghost hunting show, she really will stop at nothing to accomplish it. All she needs to do is catch a ghost like apparition on camera or a ghost hunting apparatus.

Her mission is accomplished when she actually does catch the ghost of a high schooler, Aiden, who died and has not moved on. Aiden is looking for closure, and the only thing he knows is that he needs to see his sister, Meredith, happy before he gets it. Once he figures out Cara will do everything in her power to have proof of ghosts for her show, he knows his sister's happiness is not too far away. The only problem is, Cara isn't ready for the emotional upheaval that comes from messing with Meredith.

I absolutely loved the character development in this book. Sutter gives us fantastic high school drama and emotions while also showing what happens when a person's feelings are stomped on. Cara is so focused on her show that she doesn't stop once to wonder if Meredith is ok. And while this works for a short time, Cara begins to change, and she ends up wondering if she likes who she has become. Drive and ambition are great until they are the only thing left. Meredith's sweetness and Cara's directness are great contrasts and deliver a polarity much needed in a young adult story. Also having Aiden and Holly (Cara's best friend) alongside the drama was refreshing, especially Holly's determination to see beauty in a messed up world. This story definitely needed the side characters to help move it along.

This really is a sweet story and I liked the ghost story involved. But what really makes this story special is the relationship between Cara and Meredith and the lines that neither are able to cross.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Holiday House for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

what's it about? ⬇️

Cara has been hunting ghosts ever since her grandmother's death, hoping for some proof of the supernatural and of souls sticking around after their deaths. But despite regular trips to the most haunted places she can get to close to home, she has never actually interacted with a ghost. Until a trip to a local paper mill where a boy from her school died the year before leads to Aiden--the dead boy in question--following a fresh link to the living world straight back to her. Suddenly, the world is full of possibilities. Cara just needs to find a way to gather data to prove that she sees and hears what she says she does.

But Aiden, who has been alone with no one to talk to, will only agree to work with her on one condition: Cara has to befriend his sister Meredith and take her to prom, to help her get through her grief and move forward. So of course Cara agrees, and suddenly they're recreating a new ghost-friendly version of She's All That... But can Cara really get through to Meredith when she has all of her walls up, and when the feelings start to become real, can she handle the guilt of only courting her because of her brother? And will Aiden really be able to keep up his end of the bargain before he potentially fulfills his purpose and moves on for real?

my thoughts? ⬇️

I have a hard time really knowing where to place this one, because it was a fun concept and wasn't poorly executed by any means, but man did it have it's issues. The banter between every character was hilarious and fun, but it did get a little to juvenile even for a YA for me sometimes, and the relationships between Cara and Meredith, Cara and her best friend Holly, and Cara and Aiden were so well fleshed out and really fun to delve deeper into as the story progressed.

My favorite character was easily Holly--the way the author handled her approach to her YouTube channel and her approach to Christianity and teaching others about her religion was refreshing and written so respectfully. And after Holly, I have to say I adored Meredith as a character--she was strong and didn't take crap from anyone--especially Cara--and I really enjoyed watching her story unfold and seeing her work through some of her grief.

However, I do really think the book struggled in two big places. For one, Meredith's grief was meant to be a main focal point of the story, and though it was mentioned enough, I feel like the book was trying so hard to take a macabre, sad concept and make it funny that it lost a lot of the emotional payoff and vulnerability that could have taken the story to the next level.

Second--and maybe this one is more a me problem than anything else, --but despite adoring most of the characters, I really despised having to read it all from Cara's point of view. I love a problematic, messy character, and Cara definitely qualifies between her selfishness and her lack of compassion and consideration for the people around her, but there was something about her that tipped her too far on the scale and, more than that, she never learned to be better. Even when it seemed like she was learning, there was still so much about her that was hard to swallow, and I actually think most of that came from the chip on her shoulder over being bullied for being outed as a lesbian and the fact that, at the end of the day, she was a teenage lesbian written by an adult man, and it often felt like she read more like a teenage boy or even a frat guy in college....which just isn't it.

So...yeah. Banging banter and a handful of really great characters, but it was a mid-miss for me overall, I think.

trigger warnings ⬇️

Death, child death, grief, injury/injury detail, bullying, outing, homophobia, lesbophobia, toxic friendship, sexual harassment, sexual content, mental health, toxic relationship, gaslighting, emotional manipulation, drug use.

The Ghost of Us" by James L. Sutter is a YA paranormal romance that follows Cara, an awkward ghost hunter, as she strikes a deal with the spirit of Aiden, a popular guy from her school. Cara’s mission? Help Aiden’s sister Meredith heal by taking her to prom—oh, and prove ghosts are real. The story has a fun premise with a unique mix of ghostly matchmaking and unexpected romance, as Cara starts falling for Meredith herself. While the book had some predictable moments and the pacing felt a bit off, I still enjoyed the characters and the heartwarming journey of healing and love throughout the story.

The Ghost of Us

Rating: 2.5/5⭐️

🔦 Vibes:

· Ghost hunter meets a real ghost

· LGBTQIA

· Grief

If you have issues with a man to write lesbian sex scenes between high school girls, this probably isn’t for you. That immediately gave me the ick about this book when I read it and have been attempting (and failing) to get over that issue before writing this review. So, here we are.

🔦 Summary:

High school outcast Cara thinks the way to being cool is to prove ghosts are real. Lucky for her, she has stumbled upon the ghost of Aiden, a popular boy from school who passed away the year before. As the only one that can see, hear, or interact with Aiden in anyway, Cara is determined to scientifically prove the existence of Aiden’s spirit.

Aiden, on the other hand, believes he only remains in order to help his younger sister, Meredith, get over his death. Of course love is the answer to grief!! With Aiden as their matchmaker, Cara tries to win Meredith over, all in the name of science since Aiden refuses to cooperate with her ghost experiments unless she asks Meredith to prom. As they get closer, Cara has to decide what matters most to her, someone she has been lying to about her intentions for talking to, or proving ghosts exist.

🔦 My Feelings:

I can’t really get over how selfish and uncaring Cara was about Meredith. Meredith was very clearly suffering from the loss of her brother, and also the fear and blame that comes with angry words before the loss of a loved one. Cara comes along with pretty much the intention of stringing Meredith along all so she can get a little evidence of ghosts. And as soon as Aiden starts to disappear with his purpose completed, Cara goes and hurts Meredith more!

I can forgive characters being crappy, I mean aren’t we all a little crappy at some point (especially in high school)? But when a man writes girls, you can just tell. And for me, there will always be a little weirdness in a man feeling the need to write intimate lesbian experiences when they are in high school. Yes LGBTQIA stories are important! No, white men don’t need to be the ones writing these stories. Especially when, again, these are high schoolers. It just feels yucky to read now that I am an adult.

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘞𝘦𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘈𝘙𝘊 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸.

She's a bit of an outcast with only a best friend who thinks it's her Christian duty to be by her side. A Ghost hunter go to abandoned warehouses and factories with a ghost-detecting machine. Typically, to no avail. In a moment of desperation a real ghost reaches out, the ghost of a popular high school football star who died in a fall at that very factory. Thrilled to find a real ghost and the need to experiment, he only allows it on one condition, she has to take his sister to the prom.

This read as a sort of Casey McQuiston clone. It is exciting to watch them date and the drama that ensues, but doesn't have quite the whimsey or exciting conclusion.