Cara has a ghost hunting YouTube channel that she runs with her friend Holly (who weirdly wears a mask?)
Unfortunately they have yet to find proof a single ghost.
That changes when she returns home after exploring an abandoned paper mill where a student died the year before and hears the voice of Aiden (aka ‘the dead kid from the factory’)

Aiden makes a deal with Cara - he will do his best to help her prove the existence of ghosts like him, so long as she helps his younger sister Meredith move past mourning him and get back to her life - making Cara promise to take her to prom.

Of course as Cara starts spending time with her she starts to fall for Meredith, making it something she’s doing as much for herself as for him. But the closer this gets to wrapping up Aiden’s unfinished business, the weaker his spirit gets. Can she prove he existed before he doesn’t anymore? And what happens if (when?) Meredith finds out Cara has been talking to her dead brother this entire time?

This has way more humor than you might expect from a book with a dead kid.
Aiden is a typical teen boy whose death has helped him excel at dark humor. Occasionally obnoxious, but in an endearing way. You want him to succeed and move on, but also maybe not? Because as Cara gets to know him better you know she’s going to end up missing him almost as much as his sister.

I found myself getting annoyed with Holly more often than not. I felt bad because, while she was sweet for having made friends with Cara after everyone else turned her into the town pariah, her judgmental and religious side is … a bit much. Still miles more likeable than extreme mean girl, Sophia though. The retelling of what she’d done had me wanting to fight a fictional child.

Overall, this was a nice coming of age story. I liked following the building relationship between Cara and Meredith. As high school seniors, they’re just crossing the border between young and new adult. Moving slowly past sweet, but where everything is still new.
It also had a lot more humor than I expected from a story where one of the main characters - or should I say main side characters? - was no longer alive and had zero chance or hope of changing that.

Thanks to NetGalley and Wednesday books for the arc!
(I also posted the review on goodreads, but there is no share button so I can’t get the link)

This is a fun and different ghost story where the ghost's goal is to set up his sister with romance. One girl can hear him so it's his chance to give her all sorts of tips and advice on how to approach his sister. Not an easy task at first, but fun. It's an easy-to-read, entertaining ya novel with an unusual take on a ghost story.

The Ghost of Us by James L. Sutter is a sweet, surprisingly funny novel about grief, mistakes and the art of letting go. There’s romance, friendship and a ghost. The cover art by Sivan Karim draws you in. The banter between Cara and Aiden brings the humor. The relationships between Cara and Holly & Cara and Meredith shares the heart. ARC was provided by Wednesday Books via NetGalley. I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Full disclosure, I chose this book based off the cover, which is beautiful. The Ghost of Us is a cute story which follows a ghost hunter after she finally finds a ghost, or rather, a ghost finds her. I thought Cara was a pretty unlikeable character, while the friends and parents were much more compelling. Cara does have a redeeming arc at the end, but it didn't feel like enough. I also thought some of the dialogue felt kind of weird/off to me, which took away from the story.

I received this book for free for an honest review from netgalley. Thank you for the opportunity

Sexy and entertaining all the way.

3.5 Stars
Firstly, Happy Pride! Secondly, when I saw the cover of this book I knew that I needed it in my life, sapphic and ghosts yes please.
This story kind of gave me 10 Things I Hate About You vibes but sapphic and with ghosts hahaha. Like the same type of story where someone is dating someone else to get something from someone a then they fall in love. I found the book pretty quick paced, it is YA so easier to read topic wise and content wise.
As for the characters Cara is interesting because of her want to talk to ghosts despite being less than successful. I did enjoy Aiden, but sometimes he was totally the teenage girl with his comments lol. I really liked Meredith, like I want her story I liked her so much. Maybe pre- Aiden’s death would be a cool side of the story to get and we could get more of both of them.
I would recommend this to YA paranormal lovers.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for the copy

4.5/5 stars

I was so excited to get this book that I got a papercut opening the package!

James L. Sutter’s “The Ghost of Us” is everything my high school self would want in a book. It has paranormal elements, a very cute sapphic romance, AND it’s funny! This book is about 18-year-old Cara Weaver who is an outcast at school, just looking for a way out of her small town. Her best friend, Holly, is her closest confidant and by proxy, Holly’s boyfriend, Elvis, as well. While hunting ghosts for a YouTube video (her hopeful ticket out of this small town), she gets stuck with the ghost of Aiden attached to her. After figuring out that Cara is the only one who can hear him, they both develop their own motives; Cara to prove ghosts are real and ride the fame out of this town, and Aiden to make his sister happy by getting Cara to take her to prom and enable him to move on to the afterlife. Along the way, Cara might just catch ACTUAL feelings. What could go wrong?

This book had me actually laughing out loud in public to the point where I felt like I was Cara talking to Aiden and people were looking at me like I was nuts. I found myself wanting to keep reading to the point that I fell asleep by accident from pure exhaustion. Cara and Meredith’s relationship journey is truly adorable and a joy to read, as long as you don’t think about the fact that Cara is really deceiving Meredith even when her feelings become real.

I give this book 4.5 stars because some actions/descriptions made me a little uncomfortable in the book and the ending fell a little short. I found myself disagreeing with Cara more as the book went on. In the beginning, she started by thinking of others and then became more selfish as the book went on. One of my biggest pet peeves with books is when things are wrapped up only in the last 20 pages or so. It makes it so it doesn’t really feel like things get resolved and there is so much more left to be said. Or maybe that is just me wanting more. None of this hindered my enjoyment of the book though and I definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys sapphic romance with a paranormal aspect.

James L. Sutter's The Ghost of Us earns a solid three stars for its unique premise and engaging characters, though it falls short in some areas of execution. The story follows eighteen-year-old ghost hunter Cara, who stumbles upon the spirit of Aiden, a popular upperclassman who died the previous year. Aiden's spirit lingers because he needs to ensure his depressed sister, Meredith, finds happiness before he can move on. Cara's mission: seduce Meredith, take her to prom, and gain the evidence she needs to prove the existence of ghosts.

The novel's strength lies in its intriguing concept and the emotional depth of its characters. Cara's journey from outcast to reluctant romantic lead is compelling, and her accidental falling for Meredith adds a layer of complexity to the plot. Sutter handles the emotional turmoil of dealing with grief, identity, and first love with sensitivity, making the characters' struggles relatable and heartfelt.

However, the story's pacing and development leave something to be desired. The initial setup is promising, but the middle sections can feel repetitive and slow, as Cara and Aiden's interactions become somewhat formulaic. Additionally, the resolution of the story feels rushed and lacks the depth needed to fully satisfy the buildup of emotional tension.

Another issue is the ethical dilemma at the story's core—Cara's deception of Meredith. While it's central to the plot, the resolution of this conflict is handled too neatly, glossing over the potential for deeper exploration of trust and forgiveness. This diminishes the impact of what could have been a powerful and thought-provoking conclusion.

Despite these flaws, The Ghost of Us succeeds in creating a hauntingly romantic atmosphere. Sutter's writing captures the bittersweet nature of love and loss, and the supernatural elements add a refreshing twist to the typical YA romance. Cara's growth as a character, from a girl desperate for validation to someone who genuinely cares for another person, is one of the book's highlights.

In conclusion, The Ghost of Us is a mixed bag—an inventive and emotionally charged story that stumbles in its execution but still offers a worthwhile read. Fans of paranormal romance and YA fiction will find much to enjoy, even if the book doesn't quite live up to its full potential. With its unique premise and heartfelt moments, it's a story that lingers, much like the ghost at its center.

The best romances give you that little flutter of remembering what it's like to fall in love, and this one does that. First love is hard and pure angst, and Sutter captures that without descending to annoying spirals. There's plenty of drama due to immaturity, but that's how high school works. For all that she has a giant chip on her shoulder, and is in many ways driven by selfish motivations, Cara still makes you want to cheer for her to let down her walls and trust that high school pettiness isn't going to rule your life forever and you win by learning to make your own happiness.
The supernatural aspect of the story works well--the ghost Aiden is a delight. He's a perfect mix of concerned big brother and know-it-all popular kid. And who can blame Cara, as an aspiring ghost hunter, from being super excited to have actual contact? You can't really blame her for agreeing to an attempt to cheer up Aiden's grief-stricken sister. Obviously, it's all going to go horribly wrong; you know the train crash is coming, it's just a matter of when and how bad the fall out will be. My biggest complaint is that the forgiveness/reconciliation felt a little too quick and easy. It's a romance, so you know it's going to happen, but you want it to feel believable. Regardless, I did enjoy the final resolution--it wasn't surprising, but it was satisfying.

The Ghost of Us is a sapphic YA romance by author James L Sutter. A paranormal romance following an 18 year old high school senior whose worry for her future keeps her from focusing on what really matters.

Cara is an aspiring YouTube ghost hunter. She only has one friend plus friend's boyfriend and with them both going away for college she's dreading being left behind. When she actually makes contact with a ghost she thinks this is her big ticket to fame. However the ghosts wants her help to move on by making sure his sister his happy. What starts off as a mission to fake date a girl and take her to prom turns to so much more. But when she confesses the truth in order to keep her ghost she might just lose everyone in pursuit of fame.

There was so much about this one I loved. The banter between Cara and her ghost Aiden, I freaking loved Cara's nerdy and awesome parents, especially her dad he made me smile. I loved her best friend Holly and the fact that she represented a queer accepting religion. I absolutely loved Meredith! I felt her character was really strong and well developed , she felt like an 18 year old who was struggling emotionally. Everything about her character worked for me. I really enjoyed the relationship growth between her and Cara. Them letting down their walls with each other and being each others firsts.

My biggest struggle was with our MC Cara. A lot of the times she didn't feel like 18, but much younger. How selfish and self centered she was was so frustrating. It took her way too long in my opinion to get her priorities straight. Which is why I loved that Meredith didn't trust straight up forgive her at the end but said they could "try". Because Cara sucked hardcore through much of this book.

Overall, I quite enjoyed The Ghost of Us by James L Sutter. A sapphic paranormal romance with friendship, grief, healing, rock climbing, promposals, lies, and forgiveness.

How far would you go to prove that ghost exist? Would you strike a deal with the ghost of a classmate to ask out his sister to prom in exchange for him helping you with your ghost hunting show? Cara is an 18 year old ghost hunter who is determined to escape her town. She wants to make it big as a ghost hunter so when she stumbles upon the actual ghost of Aiden, a popular upperclassman who died, she knows this is her chance to finally make it. Ever since Aiden passed away his younger sister Meredith has become a depressed recluse and he can't pass on until he knows she'll be okay. Aiden thinks that the best way to solve his sister's state is by having a cute girl ask her out. Aiden offers her a deal: If Cara can seduce his sister and take her to prom, get her out of her shell, then he'll give her all the evidence she needs to make her famous. Cara knows she has her work cut out for her, Meredith is standoffish and it's not going to be easy to win her over. Yet with Aiden's coaching, Cara manages to slowly win over Meredith... and actually begin falling for her. Yet the happier Meredith becomes and the closer Aiden gets to completing his goal, the more Aiden's ghost begins to fade. Can Cara keep dating Meredith under false pretenses... or will telling her the truth risk her losing everything? This was an overall cute romance read with elements of ghosts and the friendship in it was nice. My only thing was that I really just didn't like Cara all that much. I loved Meredith and Cara's friends Holly and Elvis were amazing, Cara just wasn't all that great. The romance was okay and I enjoyed the friendship dynamics and the sibling relationship between Meredith and Aiden. Overall if you are looking for a sapphic romance with a touch of ghostly mischief, give this one a go!

Release Date: June 11,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and St. Martin's Press | Wednesday Books for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

This was a very cute YA queer love story with a side of ghosting. And by that ghosting, I mean a real ghost. And the ghost was easily my favourite character in the book. Top notch.

It was fun but also pretty cheesy which isn’t as much my vibe.

Thank you NetGalley and @Wednesday for the arc in exchange for my review.

This book was not for me.
I did enjoy the characters - just too heavy on the male perspective writing about two high school lesbians.

3 stars

I really enjoyed Sutter's last book, so I was excited to read this newest effort. While I did not dig this one as much as its predecessor for fairly niche reasons, it's still a good example of YA paranormal romance.

Cara, the m.c. lost her grandmother, and while this prompts most of us to experience some introspection, reminisce, and eventually establish stronger bonds with others, Cara instead...becomes a ghosthunter. Why she thinks this will help her gain social capital with her peers is beyond me, but it's her strategy. In a wild twist, a formerly popular kid who tragically passed away comes into Cara's orbit and gives her the opportunity to (1) provide proof of her theory and skills and (2) fall in love (don't worry - not with the ghost).

I liked the premise, the lighter than anticipated tone, and especially the overarching messages. That noted, I found Cara difficult to read often, especially in terms of her horrible language choices. One that did me and almost forced DNF? "No-No Zone." This is really a phrase she - an 18-year-old - uses to refer to her body during a physically intimate situation. I might be the next ghost to come out of this book since I think I may have actually died when reading that phrase. Horribly distracting and not isolated. I don't ever want to read an adult character - even a young adult character - using language that I assume very small children use to refer to their body parts under these circumstances. This might seem like a small detail to some, but it grossed me out a lot and changed my perspective of the main character.

While I clearly experienced some challenges with this book, Sutter's previous book and some elements of this one, will have me coming back (cautiously) for more from this author.

When a dream college application falls through, building her ghost hunting YouTube channel seems like Cara’s only shot at escaping her small town of Stossel, Washington. It’s while she and her bestie, Holly Pham, are checking out the old, unused paper mill, that she makes a breakthrough. Actually, the ghost hunting for the channel turns out to be a bust, but the real McCoy winds up following Cara home and making his presence known there.

Aiden, the boy who died in that place a year before has been hanging out, anchored to the world he died in by unfinished business. Finally, he can talk to someone who hears him, and that means they are somehow tied together.

So far as Aiden knows, the business leaving him restless involves his younger sister Meredith. Something of a wallflower, he wants her to be happy. Have a date. Find love, or at very least go to the school prom. He offers to be Cara’s ghost-proof if she will take Meredith to the prom.

Luckily, Meredith is lesbian and Cara is bi, or this plan would not work. But there seems to be something connecting the three of them. Holly, who is a considerate and caring Christian, believes this may be God’s will. Cara thinks it may be something else, but she agrees to give Aiden’s plan a try.

After some stumbles and some “coaching” from Aiden, Cara finally decides to do things her own way, being her own weird self, and soon enough, Meredith seems to open up. And even more surprising, Cara (who is something of a misanthrope) finds herself falling in love for really real. Unfortunately, Aiden demands she keep his presence a secret, and Cara finds herself keeping one too many secrets for comfort ...

Can she make this situation work out, or will someone suffer heartbreak and heartache? James L. Sutter helms a heartwarming YA romantic-comedy with plenty of charm, hope, and challenges (with a supernatural twist) in The Ghost of Us.

The opening could have gone one of two ways: The Ghost of Us could easily veer into horror movie territory. Two young women go to a haunted site in search of ghosts … and find one! Perhaps in some alternate universe there is that version of the book. I’m sure it’s a creeptastic read. However, I am grateful for the author’s text in the universe we currently occupy. It is so sweet and earnest, crass and funny, and hard to put down. This is the kind of book that makes me yearn for the obligatory happy ending. It follows the mode and plot points of many a category romance, but the characters’ voices and choices make it an engaging read despite the familiar flow of events. There is a level of commitment on the author’s part that is exemplary: the highs are terrific, the moment when Cara reaches rock bottom is potent enough to bring tears, and the subsequent rise earns its HEA/HFN.

This is totally Cara’s story, told in the first person. She is the child of a libertarian/prepper sort of happy family, with parents that are funny without being either straw man arguments or the butts of jokes. An atheist or agnostic, Cara does not question her friend’s Christianity (and is not converted in turn). This is the kind of world I want to live in, where politics and religion can be a personal choice instead of a cause for schism and argument.

Which is not to say that Cara’s story is happy go-lucky and carefree. She has been outed by the school’s mean girl, and dubbed Scarf Girl for a mistake she made when younger and more trusting. She is an outsider and made to feel constantly ridiculed and degraded by that mean girl. She is at a low point when the book opens, manages to ascend to a good one, finds another lower than low point late in the proceedings and then finds her footing all over again. It’s a classic romance structure, but the author builds our sympathies by giving us a character with tragedy, flaws, and plenty of spirit. She’s not the bravest, but she is nevertheless a strong character.

While the text is first person we do not get the sense that she is an unreliable narrator. Instead, she is a beset and overwhelmed one, earnestly reporting what happened, her hopes and aspirations, her hurts and her schemes. The dialogue is a tad stylized, as groovy as the lines in old Buffy the Vampire Slayer episodes, demonstrating the author’s ease with cleverness, crassness, and regional color. They sound good, though they might not necessarily sound like the teens who live down the block.

The presentation of the supernatural is particularly intriguing. As a teenager when he died, the ghost of Aiden is still just the same as he ever was. A teen boy whose ideas and opinions are as often informed by his compassion as by hormones (or habits born from hormones, perhaps). Aiden can be a jerk and a thoughtful character, sometimes in the same paragraph.

The Ghost of Us overflows with honest emotion and cleverness. It is easy to see how much fun the author had composing this yarn because we cannot help but be carried along with it. While the ending is never in doubt (this is a romance novel, after all, and that means the heroine and love interest end up together), we want to see how the pieces fall into place as well as the ups and downs Cara and her friends undergo. Also, we want to see the mean girl get hers. And we are not disappointed on any front.
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Thank you to both NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll start by saying that I DNFd this authors last book. It’s safe to say I was wary about this one.

The cover immediately drew me in, it’s absolutely gorgeous.

I really loved this one up until like 80% in. So I guess if I ignore the rest of it I would say this would’ve been a 5⭐️ read.
But holy shit I have never encountered a book with a selfish character like Cara.
I have never wanted to jump into a book this badly. I do not care that this girl is 18 years old. In my opinion she was an awful person and it almost ruined this book for me.

The story was light and funny despite its heavy subject matter. Overall I enjoyed it (mostly). I would still recommend it but don’t say I didn’t warn you 😅.

Sapphic paranormal YA romance with good banter and comical respites.

We are following a wannabe ghost hunter high school senior, Cara, who was outcast by her peers due to being outed as lesbian through the cruel trickery of a fellow classmate. After finding that she did not get into her college of choice and would be forced to attend a local community college, she feels that the only way to get out would be to contact a ghost, capture proof of her encounter, and make it big.

The story takes flight after she travels to an abandoned factory where Aiden, a former classmate, tragically met his end. She unknowingly made contact with him and her whole world became a new thing, she suddenly felt that she had what she needed to get out. But Aiden had plans of his own!

The cover of this book is not only amazingly beautiful, but the colors actually fit the mood of the story. It sets the tone.

Thank you to the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I love the cover so much. It’s so pretty and eye catching. Really makes you want to jump right in. I didn’t get to read James’s first book so I was so excited to get to read this one. Sapphic ghost stories are one of my favorites. This is such a sweet and sad story. Cara trying to Meredith after her brother died is so sweet and I wanted the best for both of them. The romance and grief mixed together is so beautiful. I have to go back and read more from this author now!

I love the cover for this YA book and it absolutely drew my attention. Cara Weaver is eighteen and a senior in HS. What she wants most is to get out of her small town suburb of Seattle. But she didn’t get accepted to her universities and will be staying in-town for junior college. She thinks a ticket out of town is to prove there are ghosts and she has been ghost hunting all through her teens. She is surprised after an evening trying to contact a boy who died the year before that she actually can hear him. Aiden, was a year ahead of her and died in a fall at an abandoned warehouse. She wants him to help show ghosts exist but he wants to help his sister Meredith to feel happy again. He wants Cara to take his sister to prom.

The problem is that trying to befriend and date Meredith is all based on lies. And even after best friend Holly points it out Cara is determined to see it through. Aiden and Cara actually have a funny, bantering relationship which is one of the strengths of the book. With his coaching he helps Cara with Meredith. Cara is the harder person to like in this story. She is often angry and lashing out and doesn’t ever consider that she may be wrong. At the 90 point of the book I’m still not sure I like her, so it is hard to root for a relationship with Meredith. Her language is coarse and tone mocking even to her best friend. I was perplexed about her applying to big cities and international colleges if she didn’t have the ability to get into her own state university.

I did enjoy Aiden’s personality. The story could just have easily been helping Aiden and Meredith have a moment so he could move on to the afterlife. Considering the story has a lot of tragic moments from the past the novel reads lighter. I’d recommend it for high school and up. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books for the ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review. (3.5 Stars)

Cara is a ghost-hunter determined to escape her small town and the terrible social standing she found herself in by finding evidence of the supernatural. She should be excited when she stumbles upon the spirit of Aiden Reyes, a popular upperclassman who died last year. But Aiden has goals of his own and claims he can’t pass on into the afterlife until he knows his little sister Meredith is happy. Naturally, the high school brain assumes romance is the fix-all, and Aiden encourages Cara to ask Meredith to prom. Thus, a deal is struck: Meredith is helped by her grief and Cara gets the proof of ghosts she so desperately needs.

I want to start this by saying I got a major ick reading a male author write a sapphic romance between two high-school-aged girls. It felt very slimy to me, especially the details of Cara's thoughts. I'm not sure if this is my ace showing, my ex-high-school-teacher-self cringing, or a genuine issue with the writing. But it was hard to get past, especially with how unlikable Cara was. I understand she's a teenager overcoming serious trauma and near-constant bullying, but every single aspect of her character is centered on selfishness, and this never really changes, despite all she loses as a result. It felt like there were never real consequences for the horrible things Cara does to not only Meredith but Holly as well.

Overall, just a miss for me. I was optimistic and intrigued by the concept, but it fell flat in my eyes.