There are not many ghost stories where I end up siding with the ghost, but I did in this one!
Kyle was a sweet boy in 1997. He was a gifted singer, a good friend, and had a bright future ahead of him after high school. In high school, he’d had his fair share of bullies. This wasn’t abnormal for him as the boys hadn’t left him alone after they found out he was gay. Nevertheless, he had his friends to protect him. Soon, he even had a loving boyfriend. Everything seemed to be going well for him until it wasn’t. One thing led to another, and Kyle was dead before even finishing his senior year. In the present day, a boy named Zane is about to attend high school. He’s nervous as a gay boy in a new school, but his father promises that he will be protected in the school. Little does Zane know, the kids are going to be the least of his worries in high school. Soon, he keeps seeing this young boy everywhere at school, a boy no one else can see. He doesn’t know why this boy keeps following him around, but he knows that nothing good is going to come from this situation.
I’m trying to delve into horror more, and I’m glad that this was the book I chose to pick up! This book does have some gore but the way it was described did not make me need to put it down. It was something that I could overlook as I was generally involved with the main storyline. Just know, if you are sensitive to gore or body horror, this may not be the read for you.
Kyle’s story was so heartbreaking. He didn’t deserve anything that happened to him, which was why I was so sympathetic to him even though his ghost was committing heinous acts against people. I also loved how this book explored how the loss of a child can affect people for decades after the fact. Those that Kyle had been close to never forget him and those who were partially to blame for his death could never get over it. You don’t just move on from something like that, even if it might look like you have to those on the outside.
It was also special to read from the perspective of a happy black gay male character. As a black girl, I rarely get the chance to read black LGBT+ characters, much less black male LGBT+ characters. This book also didn’t have the usual stereotypes of “unsupportive POC dad, everyone hates gay MC, etc.). Zane’s dad was supportive since day 1 even though his mom wasn’t on board, and Zane has a good time at school. Even though he has some run-ins with a ghost, that has nothing to do with what he has done as a character. There is a strong theme of acceptance, love, and forgiveness in this story. Even though it is rooted in pain, it is rooted in pain from 1997. The present-day is very different from that past, and Zane gets to live his life far happier than Kyle ever was. This book even subverts the stereotypes that black parents only started being accepting of gay kids in more recent years. Kyle’s parents always supported him, they just couldn’t fully protect him from the evils of the world and the less accepting general public of 1997.
The only thing that keeps this book from being a 5-star read for me is the general writing and the ending. A few patches of the book’s writing felt really rough to read, which is understandable for a new author. I was able to get through it without too much trouble, but it did interrupt my reading experience from time to time. I also didn’t love the ending of this book, especially the attitude towards a specific character, but it was overall an ending I could accept.
I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a new creepy read this fall.
I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary review.
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 books.
You can also find my review on my Reedsy Discovery profile! https://reedsy.com/discovery/user/alexmack
