They’re of the Caspar variety rather than resentful spirits, and interestingly drawn as vague, without distinct features. This is with the ghosts very sparingly used over the first half of the book named after them. Her statement of “I want to know what happens when you die” has a heartbreaking quality.Īll Telgemeier’s books promote tolerance, understanding and inclusiveness, but it’s unusual to have this applied to ghosts in a form of junior magic realism. Even the theme of Ghosts is given a resonance via Maya’s reasoning for her interest in ghosts. The family’s Mexican heritage isn’t a convenient box-ticking peg, but explored, along with the conflicts between immigrants and their children who grow up embracing different ideals and beliefs. Maya’s condition isn’t just used to generate sympathy and danger, it’s explained and the treatments are shown. Under lesser talents Ghosts could have turned out as a superficial story with just the one thread, but Telgemeier is thorough and understanding. Despite her condition, Maya is far more adventurous, and embraces the idea of a town where ghosts are attracted to the foggy conditions, and where the population celebrate this. Ghosts is told from Cat’s viewpoint, the older of two children who’ve moved to Bahía de Luna in Northern California, a different climate more tolerable to her younger sister Maya, who’s afflicted with cystic fibrosis. She has a natural facility for building flawed, but likeable characters to crisis points and thoroughly entertaining while doing so.

It’s all the more unusual considering her immensely successful track record.

Paperback (September 13th, 2016): $10.Given what a broad church comics is, it’s worth noting that at the time of Ghosts’ 2016 publication Raina Telgemeier was almost unique in transferring the concerns of young adult stories for girls to graphic novels.

Juvenile Fiction / Social Themes / Adolescence & Coming of Age.

Juvenile Fiction / Comics & Graphic Novels.

'Raina Telgemeier's characters fizz with visual energy.' - The New York Times Book Review Product Details

' gem of a graphic novel' - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books * 'The story is consistently engaging, the plot is tightly built.' - Publishers Weekly, starred review * ' A can't-miss addition to middle grade graphic novel shelves hand to fans of the author and newcomers alike.' - School Library Journal, starred review * 'Telgemeier's bold colors, superior visual storytelling, and unusual subject matter will keep readers emotionally engaged and unable to put down this compelling tale.' - Kirkus Reviews, starred review

* 'Telgemeier has her finger on the pulse of middle-grade readers, and this might be her best yet.' - Booklist, starred review

Ghosts a graphic novel raina telgemeier