Book Review: Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier

 Cat and her family are moving from sunny Los Angeles California to the northern California town of Bahía de la Luna. She is very unhappy to be leaving her friends, and the home that she knows. However, the big reason for the move is her younger sister's health. Maya, has cystic fibrosis which affects her lungs, and the cool salty ocean air is something that can hopefully help sooth her breathing issues.

Bahía de la Luna, is not what Cat expects. She and Maya meet a boy Cat's age Carlos, who turns out to be a new neighbor. He and his family share that Bahía de la Luna is a place where ghosts are found, as they like the cool foggy weather and that the mission above the town is a gateway between the worlds of the living and the dead. The town celebrates The Day of the Dead with a big party every year.

Cat, and her family have a chance to reconnect with the Mexican traditions of her mother's heritage. We get to know the more pessimistic Cat and her optimistic sister Maya, and in the process learn that some of Cat's wariness to embrace the idea of ghosts comes from the fear of losing her sister to her illness.

This is a story of discovery, and family rooted in tradition amongst change. Like other Raina Telgemeir graphic novels the artwork is very very good. As a non-native to California I didn't get some of the cultural references that other people I know who have read and reviewed the book who grew up in California mentioned. But I did think it interesting that the ghosts as introduced are primarily Mexican and enjoy being spoken to in Spanish. It almost felt like the Mexican identity was being forced into the story.  I think if the focus of Maya's Cystic Fibrosis and the introduction of the topic of death for such a young age had been told a slightly different manner it might have been a stronger more authentic story and not had that slight feeling of cultural appropriation it left me feeling.

I am glad that I read it, and I will recommend it to others, as it does approach the idea of a degenerative disease suffered by a young person in a sensitive and gentle way.