Synopsis: Catrina and her family move to the town Bahia de la Luna in northern California due to her younger sister, Maya's, cystic fibrosis. There, they encounter ghosts because of Dia de Muertos (Day of the Dead).
My Thoughts: This graphic novel represents Raina Telgemier foray into magic realism (also known as fabulism) where most of the issues the characters face parallels that of reality with dollops of fantasy elements. Its poignant depiction of the struggles of dealing with a loved one with a genetic infirmity which you know will perpetually cripple them as they age intermixed with a respectful illustration of traditional Mexican culture were top-notch. Near the end of the story, the emotions conveyed were heavy enough for even somewhat stone-cold snark like myself to almost come to tears
The art was, in a few ways, what one would expect from the author, simple yet charming character designs. However, the backgrounds including primarily those from the Dia de Muertos celebration were more vividly detailed than usual which is another strength of this book.
Final Thoughts: Ghosts is a gem of an emotional tale worth picking up even if you aren't a big Raina Telgmeier fan (or as I'll be calling them from now on, Rainers). I definitely look forward to seeing more works from her in the future outside of the conventional coming-of-age genre.
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