A book that is slightly too unfriendly to the reader, so I shall be the pleasant one and save you getting to about page 40 and finding it is set in the early 1980s. It features a girl and a ghost who – almost the same length of way in – we find was a woman. What we're not told by then either is what has paired the two together – why is this girl the only one who can see and converse with the ghost? We get a sense of why the ghost is with the girl, but not the other way round. Nor do we really get told why the mother is a complete bitch, either – even if her sexism is perhaps an indicator of the first issue I brought up.

Either way, this is a few issues of comics, split up into stories of just a few pages each, showing a lot of girl issues – the younger brother that is automatically gifted everything the heroine earns, bullying, the clown doll collection she's forced to gather and the ineffectiveness of the ghost in protecting her from it… She lives in an awkward cardboard fort, too, which is the most obvious sign that she really is her own girl, living apart from all the peers that dislike her and that she dislikes in turn.

Ultimately the book is about just that – the isolation a girl feels as a tweenager, and the many reasons that combine to cause it. But while this could have been a great way to show it and to perhaps talk about it in clever, different ways, it is mostly a collection of episodes where the creator is clearly working through her own back story, with a too-abrupt ending tagged on. The girl doesn't have enough charm and sympathy for us to really rate her, the ghost isn't clever enough and lacks agency, and the whole just doesn't feel as rounded and successful as it might have been. At its better moments the ghost and child couple are well worth spending time with, but not amounting to a hill of beans is the phrase that comes to mind – ultimately, neither the ghost nor the book does.

First off, thanks to Netgalley for the E-ARC edition of this book. Secondly, WTF. Gracie is abused, mistreated, and forced into gender conformities by not only her peers but also her mother. The only redeemable characters in the book are the ghost and the Dad, although he needs to step the hell up and take care of his daughter. I had a lot of feelings reading this book as I understand what it is like to work hard and still feel like the people around you are getting everything for practically nothing. This story is not heartwarming; it's Dark AF, and the more I write about it, the stronger my feelings are towards it. I think the blurb needs to be a little more forthcoming, stating that this is not what life should be like for any girl growing up. EVER.

3.5 stars rounded up. This had a much darker tone than I was expecting. I personally would not call it "A heartwarming tale" when Gracie is consistently overlooked, mistreated, and abused by all of her classmates, her mother, and her teachers and she basically just had to wait it out while no one stepped in or stood up for her, This was a series of interesting glimpses into the life of a struggling girl and how she created a ghost friend as a coping mechanism. It brings up some real issues like bullying and gender inequality, but I didn't feel like there was a very satisfying arc when it came to those issues which may be relevant to real life but didn't make for the most satisfying read.

Gracie keeps having a hard time so it's good she has a ghost in her life to support her. She gets bullied, she's allergic to the dog, just one thing after another, and I could so relate. This was odd and warm and wonderful. I smiled at the unique illustrations, and I smiled at the end. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this

Man, this hits hard with all the injustices of being a kid. Bullying at school, unfair treatment at home. Gracie's mom was a real hot and cold bitch and it enraged me. Her dad was so sweet but he really should have stopped the unfair treatment. Despite all of this, Gracie is a great kid and rises above the abuse (mental at home, mental and physical at school). A bit of 80s nostalgia in this too. Definitely recommend. Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC

Gracie's Ghost explores the emotional complexities and situations that are completely out of control. This is an amazing graphic novel that contains themes of bullying, gender inequality and dreams as well as hobbies being differentiated on the basis of gender. This is a powerful theme vividly expressed and it was definitely worth reading.

Gracie’s Ghost was a sad and powerful graphic novel about Gracie a child who is being bullied and constantly reminded of her place as a “girl”. A ghost stays with her most of the time to give her advice and support her.

Wow. I didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I started Gracie’s ghost and during the whole book, I kept feeling sad, revolted and scared for her.

This is an interesting book. I am not sure my library would purchase it but I would recommend it to patrons. Gracie's ghost takes place in an not so distant past where poor Gracie never seems to catch a break. A ghost (who follows Gracie around but is not able to be seen by others) makes wise remarks to Gracie to help her. Gracie struggles with her mother having different expectations of what she should like (clowns/dolls instead of Legos,) I know a few readers off the top of my head who I could give this to as it requires a reader who is willing to take their time to fully understand the story.