Ghost Book

by Remy Lai

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

Gorgeously rendered by the ridiculously talented Remy Lai and perfect for fans of Suee and the Shadow and Anzu and the Realm of Darkness, this eerie and empathetic ghost story is steeped in Chinese mythology.

Perfect for fans of Spirited Away, Coco, and Ghosts comes a spooky fantasy graphic novel about the friendship between a girl who can see ghosts and a boy who is stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead.

An Indie Bestseller! An Amazon, School Library Journal, and Chicago Public Library best book of the year!

Twelve years ago, the boy and the girl lived. But one was supposed to die.

July Chen sees ghosts. But her dad insists ghosts aren’t real. So she pretends they don’t exist. Which is incredibly difficult now as it's Hungry Ghost month, when the Gates of the Underworld open and dangerous ghosts run amok in the living world. When July saves a boy ghost from being devoured by a Hungry Ghost, he becomes her first ever friend. Except William is not a ghost. He’s a wandering soul wavering between life and death. As the new friends embark on an adventure to return William to his body, they unearth a ghastly truth—for William to live, July must die.

Inspired by Chinese mythology, this dark yet resoundingly hopeful tale about friendship, sacrifice, and the unseen world of ghosts is a dazzling heir to beloved Studio Ghibli classics.

"Absolutely gorgeous and a completely unique adventure. Remy Lai is a master storyteller!" —Christina Soontornvat, two-time Newbery Honor Winner

"Spooky, spellbinding and full of heart!" ―Kayla Miller, bestselling author of Click

"A deliciously spooky, funny adventure." ―Jessica Townsend, bestselling author of The Nevermoor series

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250810434
Publisher:	Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Publication date:	08/15/2023
Pages:	320
Sales rank:	23,218
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Remy Lai absolutely does NOT recommend truancy, but when she was in high school, she sometimes skipped school with her friends to watch horror movies in theaters that were eerily empty (because um . . . everyone else was at school). She lives in Australia with her two dogs, who sometimes freak her out by barking at nothing in the corners of rooms. She is also the author of the critically-acclaimed Pie in the Sky, Fly on the Wall, Pawcasso, and the Surviving the Wild series.

Editorial Reviews

2023-05-09
A girl helps the wandering soul of a boy escape death.

“Twelve years ago, the girl lived. The boy lived. One should have died.” July Chen might as well be invisible, as she’s usually forgotten by everyone around her. Using her ability to see ghosts, July tries to summon one in hopes of making friends. In addition to calling a hungry ghost, July meets the wandering soul of William Xiao, a boy whose physical body lies in a coma. William has experienced multiple near-death incidents, and he collects information on the underworld in the notebook he calls his Ghost Book. Using the Ghost Book, July helps William evade hungry ghosts and underworld underlings who are trying to claim his soul. While trying to find a way to get to the underworld and back to save William, the friends discover an unfortunate secret truth about their intertwined lives. This full-color graphic novel skillfully balances dark, humorous, and heartwarming elements. Themes of friendship, kindness, sacrifice, and being remembered, both in life and in death, are prominent throughout. July and William’s adventure exquisitely captures Chinese mythology, traditions, and beliefs surrounding the afterlife, like burning joss paper offerings during Hungry Ghost Month. The clean and expressive illustrations complement the story, being a bit eerie and scary but leavened with humor and lightness.

A delightful balance of spooky, sweet, and funny. (Graphic fantasy. 8-12)

Kirkus Reviews

★ 06/12/2023

Lai (Pawcasso) navigates profound questions of fate and friendship via Chinese mythology in this playful graphic novel ghost story. Twelve-year-old July Chen goes largely unnoticed by kids at school and even her own father, making her feel invisible. But thanks to her ability to see ghosts, she meets tween William Xiao, her first friend, whose soul is trapped between life and death following a near-fatal experience. July offers to help William return to his body, resulting in the duo journeying through the underworld. There, they learn that because of a secret deal July’s dad struck with the King of the Underworld’s henchmen, the fates of July and William, born on the same day in the same hospital, have been twined since infanthood. In Lai’s richly imagined underworld—populated by silly and creepy ghosts, tile-roofed houses, and stands selling cuisines such as Dancing Soup and Honesty Soup—the new friends must outsmart the shepherds of the underworld if they hope to uncover the secrets of their past and save William. Animated illustrations featuring dreamlike backdrops and bold hues render both a youthful adventure and a mature meditation on the double-edged sword of memory. Ages 8–12. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

An Indie Bestseller!
An Indie Next List Pick!
A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
An Amazon, School Library Journal, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Little Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List Pick
A 2024 Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Awards Nominee

"Absolutely gorgeous and a completely unique adventure. Remy Lai is a master storyteller!" —Christina Soontornvat, two-time Newbery Honor Winner

"Spooky, spellbinding and full of heart!" —Kayla Miller, bestselling author of Click

"A deliciously spooky, funny adventure. I adored this story of friendship, loss, love, and dumplings! July Chen is a kid I would gladly follow to the Underworld and back." —Jessica Townsend, bestselling author of The Nevermoor series

"Lai finds that razor’s edge between life and death, light and dark, fairy tale and ghost story." —The New York Times

* "An entertaining, engaging read with echoes of Miyazaki's film Spirited Away." —Horn Book, starred review

* "Lai navigates profound questions of fate and friendship via Chinese mythology in this playful graphic novel ghost story [with a] richly imagined underworld." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Lai is a master of middle-grade sensibilities . . . An unforgettable adventure full of surprises, laughs, ghosts, and dumplings." —Booklist, starred review

* For kids who eat up graphic novels like Anya’s Ghost, Pilu of the Woods, and Ghosts, Ghost Book will make a perfect addition to their shelves." —BookPage, starred review

* "Ghost Book expertly balances eerie ghoulishness with lighthearted fun for a memorable middle-grade adventure." —Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Fans of Disney’s Coco and Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away will find this graphic novel filled with humor and love, with unforgettable characters and unbreakable friendships." —BCCB

"A delightful balance of spooky, sweet, and funny." —Kirkus

Praise for Pawcasso

An ALA Best Graphic Novel for Children * Booklist Editors' Choice Winner * NYPL Best Book of the Year * CPL Best Book of the Year * TLA 2022 Little Maverick Pick

"A skillfully woven story of acceptance and forgiveness." —New York Times Book Review

"It's tail-wagging entertaining!" —Kelly Yang, New York Times bestselling author of Front Desk

* "Brightly colored, inviting artwork." —Booklist, starred review

"Move over, Jeff Kinney . . . Lai’s finger is always precisely on the pulse of kid humor." —Horn Book


Praise for Fly on the Wall

A Best Book of the Year for Kirkus, Booklist, CPL, and SLJl!

“Funny, enthralling, and a great reminder that being a little odd isn’t a bad thing.” —Kayla Miller, author of Click and Camp

"Bright, funny storytelling." —The New York Times Book Review

* "Henry’s character development in this illustrated novel leaves Greg Heffley in the dust." —School Library Journal, starred review


Praise for Pie in the Sky

Winner of the Sid Fleischman Award for Humor! A Parents Magazine Best Kids Book of the Year! A NYPL Best Book of the Year! An NPR Best Book of the Year! A Horn Book Best Book of the Year!

"Heartwarming and rib-tickling." —Terri Libenson, bestselling author of Invisible Emmie

* “Perfect for fans of Gene Luen Yang and Victoria Jamieson.” —Shelf Awareness, starred review

From the Publisher