Ghost Friends Forever #1 by Monica Gallagher
Release: December 19th, 2017
Format: Ebook
Publisher: Papercutz / Charmz
Source: NetGalley
Ghost Friends Forever #1 Synopsis:
Sophia Campos is only just getting used to her new life with her divorced dad and managing their business of helping ghosts, when she meets a ghost girl who changes everything. Not because she’s a ghost – but because of what it brings out in Sophia.
Soon her brother, her best friend, her old crush Jake, and her parents are all entangled together on solving the case of the dead girl. Because she’s not just any average ghost girl. She also holds a piece of the puzzle to something Sophia cares about very much -what was the paranormal event that caused her parents to split up in the first place?
Ghost Friends Forever brings together YALSA-nominated writer Monica Gallagher and rising star Kata Kane. For fans of Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo
Review:
A BIG Thank You to NetGalley, Papercutz and Charmz for providing me a copy of “Ghost Friends Forever #1” by Monica Gallagher in exchange for my review.
This was a very cute book to read that reminded me of the old Scooby Doo mysteries. The main highlight of the book was the relationship between Sophia and Whitney. I admire that this book was lesbian themed and targeted towards a younger audience. What’s really cool about it is that the author didn’t even make it sound like a big deal. The relationship between the two is very fluid and described like a normal relationship between any couple. The story is very light hearted and you immediately build a soft spot for the two.
I also liked how the story blended the murder mystery of Whitney while forming the bond between Whitney and Sophia. Honestly, I didn’t expect the killer to be who it turned out to be, so that was a fun surprise. I enjoyed the action packed climax and the positive note that it ended with. Most of the characters are also very likable (except Felix, who was very annoying!). Whitney was my favorite character and I hope she returns in the future installments.
However, there were some minor things that irked me while reading this graphic novel. The main problem I found was the pacing. The story immediately jumps into the plot, without providing any introduction to the characters or history to their work. This might work well for some, but I found it confusing. Secondly, some story-lines are not explained, like why the parents got divorced, or what supernatural activities occur in Spectreville. I also don’t get why Felix got angry at Sophia just because their parents divorced. Thirdly, the parents look way too young! It’s hard to believe that parents of two teenage children would look like teenagers themselves. I just couldn’t take anything they said or did seriously because of this aspect.
The book also provided previews of other series such as “Stitched” and “Scarlet Rose”. “Stitched” seems like a fun book with a creepy theme, and I have added that to my list.
Overall, I felt this was a fun book to read, but had the potential to be executed much better. Perhaps if the illustrations were drawn in a finer way, then it would have made for a memorable read. I give “Ghost Friends Forever #1” 3.5/5 stars.
