2.) Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

 

Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol (First Second, 2011)

Genre: Horror, Humor, Graphic Novel

Honors: Eisner Award (2012), Cybils Award for Graphic Novels (Young Adult) (2011), Horn Book Fanfare (2011), YALSA Great Graphic Novels (2012), Kirkus Reviews Best Teen Books of the Year (2011) School Library Journal Best Fiction Books (2011) [Honors Information found at Goodreads.com]

Review: A graphic novel about a young teen girl who is trying to fit in at her private school. It doesn't help that she is came from Russia as a young girl and has been doing everything she can to "be normal" with no accent, and avoiding any humiliating Russian customs. One day while ditching school Anya falls into a well where she meets the ghost of Emily, another young girl who died when she fell into the well nearly a hundred years earlier. Anya brings the ghost home with her and finds her incredibly helpful with cheating on tests and even finding out the school schedule of the boy she likes. But soon Emily begins to turn pushy and obsessed with Anya's love life. She begins to scare Anya. With the help of another Russian boy who is an outcast she finds out the truth of Emily and must find a way to rid herself of this harmful intruder before Emily hurts Anya or Anya's family.

Opinion: This book is funny, witty, and in all aspects except the ghost part, very truthful of a teen's life. Anya is an incredibly relatable character. She struggles to fit it, she wishes she could be different, and in the end she realizes that being herself is the best course of action. This book has universal messages for any teen who reads it. The book reads very quickly but the characters growth is notable. I definitely did not like Anya when the book started. I thought she was selfish and trying to be stuck-up, but as the book continues you can tell that she truly cares about her family and is more then just a selfish kid.

Ideas: This book is great to give to girls who are interested in graphic novels. Also good for teens who like ghost stories. This book would work very will in a graphic novel display, especially for people who only think of superheroes when they see graphic novels.