Songs for Ghosts was an unexpected treasure. I went into it with no prior knowledge, and I’m so glad I did. This beautifully written novel is a testament to meticulous research and precise language, pulling me into an emotional journey I wasn’t prepared for—but thoroughly enjoyed.

The story made me feel deeply. I laughed, cried (mascara was ruined), it made me want to start playing the biwa (which is an expensive and extremely hard to find instrument!), and I even found myself inspired to book tickets for a performance of the piece that inspired this novel (yes, I know it appears on the description, but I‘d like to give people a chance to read it with little to no prior knowledge). It’s rare to find a novel that captures both the mind and heart in this way.

The prose was exquisite, filled with highlight-worthy passages that had me longing for a physical copy to annotate. While I won’t spoil anything, I will say that the less you know going in, the more profound the experience will be.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this early copy.

I am incredibly grateful to both NetGalley and Head of Zeus for the opportunity to read and review Songs for Ghosts. Being selected to explore this captivating story before its official release has been such a treat, and I can’t wait to share my thoughts on it with all of you. A huge thank you to the teams at NetGalley and Head of Zeus for their generosity and for making this advanced reading experience possible.
Adam has just broken up with his boyfriend, Evan. He is not looking forward to the excruciating awkwardness at school for the rest of the term or a whole summer stuck at home with dad, stepmom and baby brother.
But then Adam discovers a diary in some boxes in the attic and is quickly enthralled by their poignant story. The diary was written by a young woman living in Nagasaki in 1911. Adam becomes absorbed in her story then he starts to be haunted by her ghostly presence.
Songs for Ghosts totally and utterly consumed me. I was so engrossed in this story.
I most certainly need either a break from reading for a hot minute or to read something super light as a palette cleanser because I have an extreme book hangover right now.
This story made my head and my heart hurt but in the absolute best way. It was so beautifully written.
The story itself was intriguing and I just couldn’t stop reading because I needed to know what happened. This is a story that will stay with me forever, everything felt so real.
Songs for Ghosts is nothing short of a masterpiece. It is so tragically beautiful, I truly recommend that everyone read this book.

Songs for Ghosts is such a good story. Loved every single detail of this book. Loved everything about this book. The plot, the characters, super impecable.