Anya's Ghost in DC Public Library

Jun 07, 2011 Tony rated it it was amazing

Shelves: graphic-storytelling, teen, novels

This is a great graphic novel for young teens -- especially girls -- with a well-paced story and plenty to say about social anxiety, body image, friendship, and ghostbusting. Anya is a 9th or 10th-grader at a lower-tier private school (not unlike the one I went to), who is embarrassed by her immigrant past. Her family came to the US from Russia when she was five, and she has worked very hard to lose any accent, eat American foods (while not becoming plump), dress properly, and generally fit in a This is a great graphic novel for young teens -- especially girls -- with a well-paced story and plenty to say about social anxiety, body image, friendship, and ghostbusting. Anya is a 9th or 10th-grader at a lower-tier private school (not unlike the one I went to), who is embarrassed by her immigrant past. Her family came to the US from Russia when she was five, and she has worked very hard to lose any accent, eat American foods (while not becoming plump), dress properly, and generally fit in as an American teen. However, the signs of her angst are literally postered all over her bedroom: Belle & Sebastian, Camera Obscura, Neko Cake, The Shins, Metric, etc. -- all perfectly good bands, but indicative of an underlying wistfulness. (Had she been of my generation, there surely would have been at least one Smiths and one Cure poster.)

One afternoon, she falls down a hole in the park and makes the acquaintance of a ghost from 1918 named Emily. She's been hovering over her skeleton for years, mourning the death of her fiancee in WWI, and herself at the hands of a murderer. One of Emily's bones gets into Anya's bag by accident, and when she'd rescued, Emily is able to hitch a ride to the surface. Before too long Anya and she become friends, with Anya spilling her insecurities to her new gal-pal ghost as Emily tries to help her succeed at school, fashion, and with the boy she has a crush on. Of course, as anyone who's watched a teen makeover comedy knows, there's always danger when the geeky girl tries to rebrand herself according to the conventional norms.

The final third of the book takes a rather menacing turn as Anya starts to realize that even the shiny popular kids have issues lurking just below the surface. This is all kind of John Hughes 101 type stuff (there's even a subplot involving a nerdy Russian kid whom Anya shuns but then has to turn to for help), but it's well done and the high contrast artwork brings it to life in a way that's neither too cartoony nor too realistic. Based on the brief author bio on the back, it sounds like many of the themes are autobiographical, as are many aspects of Anya's personality -- which is probably why it feels so dead on. Great stuff for girls in the 10-14 range or thereabouts, and still fairly entertaining for others. ...more

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Oct 11, 2011 Jennifer rated it really liked it

Clever tale about teenager Anya, who falls down a well and makes a new friend - a ghost. It seems someone shoved her down a well a long time ago and Anya has been the first to discover her.

It's great to have a graphic novel with a fiesty, smart but vulnerable teenage girl who's relatable and interesting. Anya's best friend is also hilarious - a wise-cracking girl who takes advantage of Anya too often.

If you think you know where this story is headed, think again. The 3rd act offers a lovely and s ...more

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Dec 29, 2017 Jamie Jones Hullinger rated it liked it

As short as this graphic novel is it packs some very important lessons. A worthwhile read!

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Jan 24, 2017 Robert rated it really liked it

Shelves: graphic-novels

Teenage Anya is dealing with typical high school troubles. Body image issues. Trouble fitting in. Yearning for the kind of boys she probably shouldn't be yearning for.

Everything changes when she falls down an old well and meets a person who has spent the past 90 years living at the bottom.

This is a really terrific read. I hadn't realized beforehand that it was targeted at a teenage audience, but it works in that fantastical Neil Gaiman sort of way. Plus, the author does well to include some sub ...more

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Nov 25, 2013 Kristen rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy-and-folktales, graphic-novels-comics

A cute story and a quick read, with a great (actually kind of scary) twist! It scratches at a number of surfaces — young love/lust, immigrants, family, fitting in, rebelling, bullying, how much grade-school P.E. sucks — but doesn't particularly develop any one of them, and leaves them all hanging. I think it would make a fine lead-in to other books or graphic novels that spin those threads a little more. ...more

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Sep 17, 2012 Susan Schuler rated it really liked it

This is a funny quick read. I don't read a lot of grahic novels and this encouraged me to read more of them. ...more

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Mar 26, 2012 Mandi rated it really liked it

I loved the art in this, and the story was pretty great too. I saw the twist coming a little early, but it was still done very well. (Except that it was resolved a little too quickly in the end for my liking.)

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