THE GHOST OF YOU

A trans teen mourns his brother’s death.

Sixteen-year-old Caleb is being haunted by a cat. Ever since the heroin overdose death of his older brother, Jack, the white high school junior has been followed by a mysterious black cat, whom he names Ghost. No one else can see the cat, which has a blurry, shadowy face, but it subtly seems to guide Caleb toward making connections with different people who can help him deal with the aftermath of loss. His grief over his brother is ameliorated somewhat by his best friend, Tanya, a trans girl who immigrated from India with her supportive parents, and his love interest, Emmett, a white, trans, nonbinary, and genderfluid musician. The book has moments of rich emotion, mostly in the description of Jack’s relapses and the trauma that spurred his addiction, but the storytelling is flat overall: Caleb describes how he feels without making readers feel alongside him. All the characters are carefully drawn to the point where they feel less than robust and real, particularly Emmett, who comes across more like an idealized adult than a smitten adolescent. The quiet plot unfolds slowly, with the most minor of revelations pulling it along.

More cautious than powerful.