I received this free eARC novel from NetGalley. This is my honest review.

This has been on my TBR pile for so long, and I'm glad I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed the storyline and seeing the characters change throughout the story was a great character development. The plot was great and kept my attention. I'm glad I got the chance to read this and will be on the lookout for more in the future!

I wanted to like this one. Even though the title is odd (and a bit wordy), I was thinking an emotional read would pull at me and I would love it. Instead, I found myself not liking Duke. I didn't feel his draw to her nor did I feel the sadness and emotional pull I should have. But the cover is lovely and if you like emotional reads, this one still might just be for you.

If you're intrigued, go ahead and give it a try!

It was an ok read. The story as a whole is ok but I struggled to finish the book. Could have been better.

I had to DNF this one. I found the premise was good bIt it failed to deliver and I wasn’t a fan of the writing style.

I am working through and clearing out my list of galleys and unfortunately not interested in reading this any more.

I received a copy from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was an okay read. I thought the story was good. However, it could have been better. Also, I thought that it was not as engaging as I thought it would be, which made me bored. I thought the characters were okay. I did not love them nor dislike them. I just did not feel a connection with them, and that influenced my rating. I hope to read more books from this author. Overall, an alright read.

No longer interested in reading this. Clearing out old galleys.

I alternately read a digital copy and listened (via audible) to this story. I have found that if I'm not crazy about the audio version, it negatively effects my reading experience, as well. Such is the case here. The actual reading and inflections by the single male narrator are fine, but I did not care for the voice changes for the additional characters (ie. females and children.) I'm inclined to say that this would probably have been a 5 star read, but I had a hard time connecting when just listening.

There are three main characters in Ghostboy, but it's truly Duke's coming-of-age story. Ghostboy tackles death, grief, teen male/female relationships, and parent/child relationships. Nothing feels too heavy-handed since all of the poignant moments share the spotlight nearly equally. POSSIBLE SPOILER: [Even the idea of death feels less overwhelming when viewed as almost inevitable. Sad? Of course, but not unexpected. (End possible spoiler)] I appreciate the lack of dramatic surprises for entertainment's sake and that more time was invested in character development. Ghostboy was a realistic account of a young man's teen life and the events that help him mature and develop empathy. Since my audio tastes are subjective, I won't deter anyone from also listening to the audio. What I will suggest is listen to an audio sample before you decide, but don't let that in itself stop you from reading this stor. (This is my voluntary and unbiased review of an advanced digital copy and complimentary audio)