GNW: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol

 When Anya Borzakovskaya falls down a well, she learns she isn't the first one to fall down it. However, the last person to make this grievous mistake didn't fair so well. It's Emily Reilly's skeleton she finds at the bottom of the abandoned well and it's Emily's ghost who materializes just as Anya starts to lose her cool.

When Anya escapes, she accidentally takes a piece of the skeleton with her, Emily's little finger and Emily's ghost with it. Though initially annoyed by her presence, Anya starts to realize that there are perks to having a ghost for a friend. But when Emily becomes a little too clingy, Anya realizes that Emily hasn't been entirely honest about how she came to be at the bottom of that well. Anya quickly realizes that if she doesn't do something quick, Emily could wreak far more havoc than she could ever have imagined.

In her debut novel, Vera Brosgol has created quite a lovely and dark graphic novel about a girl and her ghost that kept me riveted from beginning to end. Anya is a strong-willed, fairly rebellious teenager who just wants to be normal and cool, but can't seem to quite grasp either one. She struggles with her self-esteem and figuring out how to do what's right, even when it means putting her social ranking on the back burner. I really loved reading about her and her adventure.

The story itself was interesting and stayed that way from beginning to end. It reminded me quite a bit of Hope Larson's Mercury, but better. The mystery was much more rounded out and the escalating danger ended up being more and more suspenseful. It was well done all around.

The artwork was absolutely beautiful. I love everything about it. Each of the characters looks entirely different, yet beautiful in their own way. And don't even get me started on how well the panels were planned out, especially the one in the example above, when Emily reveals herself.

This graphic novel was definitely quite a good read and it's perfect for Halloween. I suggest getting your hands on a copy as soon as you can.

Rating: ★★★★★