Lee Cushing's Blog - Posts Tagged "ghosts"
Phantom Hearts
When students in Malia's class are killed in a bus crash driven by her father, he survives but into a coma. As her father is blamed for the crash, Malia endeavors to prove his innocence. Together with the local mechanic's daughter Keezy, who is also Malia's crush, they investigate the lives of the deceased students and uncover potential motives for their murders. An added twist is that the ghosts of the students visit Malia to assist in identifying their killer. Malia is conflicted between her growing feelings for Keezy, the quest to the murderer, and her guilt over not visiting her father in the hospital. The pressures of school, family, friends, and uncovering the truth about the crash weigh heavily on Malia, with her only solace being her time with Keezy. She grapples with whether to express her feelings for Keezy or if doing so would add to the chaos in her life.
The premise of this graphic novel fascinated me. The incredibly detailed graphics added extra depth to the story and brought the to life (no pun intended). It's a cross between Cemetery Boys, Heartstopper, and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I loved those stories and felt this novel had the best aspects of each. I loved how the ghosts came to Malia to settle their unresolved issues, in turn helps her investigate the crash and with her own problems. The story addressed important topics such as drug addiction, coming out, transitioning, school/career pressures, and family issues. I quickly connected with Malia and rooted for her to find her way, while also hoping that the romantic storyline Keezy would work out. They were super sweet together.
The ghosts - Russ, Shepard, and Emil were all very different, complex and at times flawed characters but ones that pulled you in and made you want to know their stories. I loved how Malia and Keezy interacted with them as the dialogue was snarky, frank, and hilarious in certain moments. That said, big heads up for the ending, which was bittersweet, emotional, yet hopeful. Overall, a poignant and beautifully drawn story.
The premise of this graphic novel fascinated me. The incredibly detailed graphics added extra depth to the story and brought the to life (no pun intended). It's a cross between Cemetery Boys, Heartstopper, and A Good Girl's Guide to Murder. I loved those stories and felt this novel had the best aspects of each. I loved how the ghosts came to Malia to settle their unresolved issues, in turn helps her investigate the crash and with her own problems. The story addressed important topics such as drug addiction, coming out, transitioning, school/career pressures, and family issues. I quickly connected with Malia and rooted for her to find her way, while also hoping that the romantic storyline Keezy would work out. They were super sweet together.
The ghosts - Russ, Shepard, and Emil were all very different, complex and at times flawed characters but ones that pulled you in and made you want to know their stories. I loved how Malia and Keezy interacted with them as the dialogue was snarky, frank, and hilarious in certain moments. That said, big heads up for the ending, which was bittersweet, emotional, yet hopeful. Overall, a poignant and beautifully drawn story.
