Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

This was very much a character driven novel, with far less focus on the story so much as the people and their who, where, when, how, and why. The characters in this jumped off the page, and were incredibly well fleshed-out and expanded on throughout the story. I do feel like the teenagers were better written than the adults in this book, and there is definitely a maintained sense of wonder at the obscure world of the things that adults *do* within this world.

Jett is the main character, a young man with a hormonal growth disorder that has resulted in him having a bumpy road through puberty. I feel like this book is a prime candidate for studying in the classroom at a similar age to the characters, and there's definitely a lot here for younger teen readers to connect with. Him and his friends face a number of bullying incidents, abuse, and many other issues throughout their young lives, and it certainly shapes them into the people they become through the book.

I will say that I found some of the themes a bit repetitive and there was definitely some things that this book faltered in because of the reiterations, but it is definitely a solid character book that is well worth the read.

‘Ghosts In The Glades treats the reader to a southern account of the life of Jett, a successful businessman who has had to overcome his dreadful sense of self-worth and carve a place for himself in this world while growing up with a debilitating health issue, a growth hormone deficiency, that placed him in the center of bullying nightmares growing up while at the same time, being made to feel responsible for his family losing everything in order to pay for his medical bills.

Don’t let this cover fool you. It looks like somewhere we all might wanna be; like a good time on a beach somewhere… but it's anything but.

Ghosts in the Glades is told from a singular POV (until it's not) by the MMC, Jett, and is largely in reflection of a childhood wracked with sickness and bullying with chapters that are long and expressive, detailing both struggles and how they intertwine to create his own personal hell on earth. Both the premise and atmosphere intrigued me and I was eager to get lost in its pages.

As the story unfolds though, the repetition begins. I understand that getting the point across regarding the relentless bullying is critical, but it became redundant as did the incessant reiterations of Jett’s poor health as well as the guilt he feels about his family’s monetary misfortune after years upon years of hospitals bill in effort of aid and solace. That along with his internal dialogue about how he just wants to be normal, he’s tired of being the freak, etc, etc. I understood early on his feelings on the subject and didn’t need to be reminded every other page. But the majority of the book continues to expound on these things, over and over and over. And it was not just unnecessary for the obvious reasons, but also because Andrea is very illustrative and vivid in her storytelling. The superfluous recaps were unneeded and sadly, they wore me down.

I have enjoyed previous reads by this author, so perhaps this is just a me-thing. I’m not sure. Regardless, this will hardly stop me from reading whatever she puts out there in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Kingsley Publishers for the opportunity in exchange for review.

This was a strong suspenseful novel, it had that element that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of this mystery novel. The characters were everything that I was looking for and enjoyed the overall feel of them in this universe. I was engaged from the first page and enjoyed the overall feel of this story. Staci Andrea has a strong writing style and was glad I read this.

This was an emotionally compelling novel involving some heavy topics. I was engrossed the moment I opened my kindle and started reading the exceptional prologue.
The characters are well-developed, each bringing their own experiences and beliefs to the story. The combination of human emotions, misconceptions and past/present relationships provided depth as well as making one think about the legacies we leave behind. Our pasts shape our future.
The long-lasting intergenerational friendships were built on trust, mutual respect and love. Mr. Scroggs and the Pencil Man 🥹
The epilogue was a complete shock and blew my mind!!
Being from Florida, I loved all of the familiar references and slang.
Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.