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.

The Ghost of us by James L. Sutter
Pub Day: 6/11

3 stars

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Wednesday Books, and James L. Sutter for this #gifted eARC.

This cover is ABSOLUTELY stunning! It's what first drew me to the book. Then hearing that this a queer paranormal romance?? Sold! I really enjoyed the premise of the book overall. I did feel like it was an fast easy read. It did surprise me by how many times I found myself smiling and laughing as this book does centralize around the death of a sibling. I found myself doing this often when Aiden was present.

I enjoyed seeing Cara and Meredith's relationship continue to grow as it was so sweet. And I LOVE seeing queer representation in a book! However, I do feel like there was a bit a depth missing with this book. I feel like Cara was a bit immature and selfish at times (in a typical teenage angsty way) and it prevented their relationship from growing a deeper emotional connection. I also was hoping and expecting that this book would have more emotional depth. With part of this story focusing on death and a grieving sister I honestly wish the story would have shared more about grief and Meredith's pain. I think it would have made the story more enjoyable.

Overall, it was a good young adult sapphic paranormal romance & I'm happy I read it.

I've read some really great reviews of The Ghost of Us. The synopsis sounded fun. But I was irritated with the story within the first few pages of the book. As a mood reader, I am dnfing for now. As a Librarian I will still recommend to our patrons looking for Queer reads.

Thank you to Netgalley and Wednesday Books for providing me with a review copy.

This was quite predictable and the ending did feel a bit rushed but apart from that I did enjoy it. It was a sweet book and a light and funny read!

This reminded me a little of the Ghostfacers from Supernatural. The characters were nuanced and relatable. I particularly loved Cara’s voice and sense of humor, even if she dwelled a little too often on the superficial (she IS a teen after all). I enjoyed the banter between her and ghost Aiden. And Meredith was a sarcastic loner queen I couldn’t get enough of. I absolutely loved her and was rooting for her to get the HEA she so clearly deserved.

The one exception was Holly. While I appreciate the acknowledgment that some Christians choose compassion by cherry picking the golden rule and not judging parts of the Bible, I felt like Holly being a “cool Christian” was laid on too thick to the point where I didn’t quite believe it was entirely sincere. Though I have some dear friends who are the loving and accepting sort of Christian—and honestly good for them if that brings them comfort and they aren’t pushing it on others or hurting anyone—I prefer my books without any Jesus talk whatsoever.

And although I understand the story structure importance of the false defeat, I do wish Cara’s hadn’t been so spectacularly devastating since it seemed like a huge step back for her character. I wish she’d come to the decision to do the right thing and put Meredith and Aiden first just as the logical result of her earlier character growth.

Despite my reservations about Holly and Cara’s screw up, I definitely enjoyed the story as a whole. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a ghost story that’s more funny than scary, with some sapphic romance thrown into the mix.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher and am voluntarily leaving this review.

ARC Review: Ghost of Us By James Sutter - @james_l_sutter
Release: June 11, 2024
Rating: 4.5/5
Format: e-book via @netgalley
The Low-Down: F/F. Young Adult with a saucy scene. One-sided fake dating. Strangers to lovers. Paranormal. Loss of a sibling.

A sapphic ghost hunting tale with the mysterious ghost playing match maker for his sister? Sounds gay, I'm in.

I can't tell you how much I adore James Sutter. I loved his last release, Darkhearts, so when #netgalley gave me the opportunity to get my hands on an ARC of this, I may have squeeled.

Ghost of Us By James Sutter follows our MC's POV, Cara. Cara is a ghost hunter and wannabe YouTube sensation. When she stumbles upon her first real evidence, she'll do anything to prove his existence, even if that means making a deal with a ghost and dating the ghost's sister, Meredith.

The relationships in this book were chef's kiss 👩‍🍳💋. They are that of a typical coming of age story, so expect angst and drama. I did see a lot of myself in Cara's personality, and now I really need a Meredith 😭. My favorite relationship by far was Cara and her best friend, Holly. Holly could not have been more of an opposite from Cara, but their friendship still worked.

As much as I loved the relationships, there was an element of the book that I felt made it challenging to know where the book was going. I thought this element also took away from Cara and Meredith's story. I was lucky to talk through it with the author, but I want to see if others pick up on it. Since it's not released yet, I'm not going into more details. When you do read it (and you should,) dm me, and we'll chat about it!

Side note: I would ☠️ for artwork of Cara and Meredith rock climbing (James, you know exactly which scene I want.)

Took me 3 days to finish this book! It was an easy read that reminded me of your typical romcom with ghost movies. The book was very fast paced and moved you along the struggles of trying to find yourself while wanting others to accept you. It felt like One Last Stop for a younger audience in the best way.

The ending was predictable but it truly ended how it was supposed to . The reason I didn’t rate it 5 stars is because I would’ve liked a little more character development .

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

3.5/5 for me. I wanted to like this more, and I think my main complaint is Cara. I felt like her character was written unrealistically and usually when there's a questionably unlikable FMC, I tend to dislike the book. Some of her reactions to situations and how she acted in general just felt overly juvenile to me. I get it was supposed to lend support to her character growth, but overall it just felt off to me.

That being said, I did overall love the concept of the book, how it ended, and the cast of supporting characters! I'm glad Cara got her redemption and won Meredith back, I'm glad she and Holly are still friends, and I'm glad that Aiden was able to pass on peacefully.

Having enjoyed Sutter's debut book, I was excited to read The Ghost of Us especially after seeing that cover. Isn't it gorgeous?!

Cara is an outcast at her high school, but does have one friend in Holly who constantly stands up for her. Cara is not only an outcast that gets bullied by classmates, but she's also a ghost hunter and has her own YouTube channel.... but she has yet to find any ghosts. Until Aiden. An upperclassman that died tragically and is now speaking to her one year after his death. All Cara wants is to prove that she's found a ghost and to get it all for her YouTube Channel. But how can you prove something that you can't see? But there's a reason Aiden is here and it's not to help Cara. It's to help his sister Meredith find happiness again. Can Cara and Aiden make a deal?

I liked the idea of this book and the fact that the setting was in Washington state. Although this book wasn't written for my age demographic and it was quite obvious in some of the writing and conversation, I still think teenagers would enjoy it. Especially if they enjoy a bit of paranormal. It had that very high school feel with relationships, prom, bullying, etc. The story itself is easy to relate to.

As for the characters, Holly, although a side character is very straight-laced. More so than I see in most YA books, but that was her religious character and she held true to who she was. I appreciated that about her and her linear growth.

Both Cara and Aiden were a bit selfish in what they wanted to accomplish, but it was more Cara than Aiden because she wanted something just for herself and Aiden wanted someone else's happiness so he could cross over. It took a bit to connect to Cara because of that, but I liked seeing her develop true feelings for Meredith even if it started out as a lie. And since Aiden was kind of a main character, but also a ghost, it was more fun getting to know him and who he was in the past and what he wanted to do in the afterlife. I enjoyed the banter and friendship that Aiden and Cara came to have.

And then there's Meredith. She is a loner but also tough as nails. She hasn't opened up to anyone after the death of her brother and doesn't want to. Because those she cares about will just leave. When Cara approaches her out of the blue, that's when an added friendship to a deal starts and we begin to see more developing within the story.

Overall I liked the book, but it did take me longer than expected to read it. I could appreciate the story for what it was, but it did seem a bit juvenile at times. The pacing of the story worked and I didn't feel like we missed out on much, even with a few minor jumps in time. I did kind of hope we would get more of Meredith and Aiden's parents, but they were barely touched on. Cara wasn't always likable and that might be what held me back a bit. She definitely had character growth, but also took a HUGE step backwards towards the end that was almost not redeemable. I liked that we got a sapphic romance in the high school setting and I liked the small friend crew. Meredith and Cara were super cute together and a very opposites attract sort of couple, but I DID NOT like the way their relationship began on lies. I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop.. Did Aiden know that they would fit together?? Because he did good even if it was initially for selfish reasons. I also liked how everything came together in the very end, but I didn't particularly like how we got there. There were some uncomfortable parts (the Ghost hunter dude that Cara met up with? Not cool).

If you like stories about high school outcasts, Ghosts, love, friendship, family, lgbtq couples and grief this is for you. 3.5 stars

thank you to the publishers and netgalley for the ARC of this book. all opinions are my own.

I wish I could put into words how much I enjoyed this. What a great book. Highly recommend.

I’m going to start out by saying this book did take me a WHILE to get through. However it was an encapsulating story of self discovery, self improvement and romance. While Cara was an asshole sometimes. she was an enigma to read and I loved her snark. The side characters were well developed and interesting! A well written book!

This was beyond good. Great if I must say. I can’t wait to rave about this to everyone. If you are looking for a good book, pick this up.

The cover of thsi book is what drew me in first, followed by our description. However, I felt that the main character was too selfish for me to care abiut her and the fact that the relationship started on lies? Not into it.

I loved this. The premise is a neat one and Cara is such a realistically flawed protagonist. I could see all of the characters so clearly, and it’s a wonderful story about learning what really matters. Also, always here for more bi/pan representation, esp. in YA.