Anya's Ghost by Vera Brogsol Spoiler-Free Review


Yesterday I read Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol in one sitting. That's usually how long it takes me to read graphic novels, which is a breeze! 

This is a urban fantasy/horror story that draws some inspiration from the author's own life. The story is about a Russian-American girl named Anya who is having a hard time at school--from having a friend who is a bad influence, to crushing on a guy who doesn't like her back the same way, and having less than stellar grades. One day when trying to skip school, she falls into a well and finds a skeleton and ghost there. They belong to a girl named Emily Reilly, who died there 90 years earlier. At first they don't get along, but Emily's ghost and Anya become friends, and her life starts to improve a little...or so she thinks. 

That's all I can say before it gets into spoiler territory. 

This was a really good book and I really enjoyed it! You're probably wondering where the parts inspired by the author's own life come in. The author--just like Anya--immigrated to the US from Russia when she was really young, and she--just like Anya--had a difficult time at school because she felt self-conscious about the way she looked, the way she talked, and how she sometimes did things differently. This is very relatable for a lot of people who's parents are immigrants! Or if you're an immigrant yourself. I also like how the author inserted aspects of Russian culture into the book when Anya was with her family, like when they eat Syrniki for breakfast in the beginning. 

I gave this 4 out of 5 stars. I took several points off for this book for the following:
  • I didn't like the main character's friend, Siobhan! She was such a bad influence. 😠
  • Anya and Siobhan were smokers. Anya stops smoking at the end, but Siobhan does not. 
    • Then again, the author did pull inspiration from her own life. I'm guessing she has a friend like this when she was in high school?
  • Some of the male characters were kind of creepy. (Not all of them! Dima, Anya's new friend, is a nice guy). So just watch out while you're reading this.
  • Without revealing too much, there were some plot threads that were left unresolved at the end, and that was a little disappointing. 
    • I mean, the ending was still good, but it could've been better!
So do I recommend this book? Yeah! Just with a few caveats, which are listed above.

What is your favorite graphic novel? 

 

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