GHOST BROTHER

Garza’s YA paranormal novel follows a ghost as he struggles to connect with his grieving mom and twin brother.

A two-car collision in Malton, Texas, takes the life of high-schooler Carlos Pérez. According to the local police, Carlos’ brother, Cris, had been racing with another teen driver, who also died. Carlos, who was Cris’ passenger, returns as a ghost; he distinctly remembers a third vehicle suddenly appearing and causing the fatal accident. He does what can to communicate with his family, but he finds it very difficult. Months later, the twins’ mother remains distraught about Carlos’ death; Cris soothes his sorrow by pursuing a relationship with Selena, a new girl at school. He’s also determined to meet his father, who left the family when the boys were young and whom Cris’ mom avoids mentioning. When Cris faces potential threats from members of local law enforcement and other people in Malton,Carlos works to help his sibling, having quickly mastered some ghostly abilities; however, simply getting non-ghosts to hear him is much harder to accomplish. Garza offers a profound depiction of grief in this supernatural tale, showing how Carlos’ mother is overwhelmed by sadness, while Carlos makes connections with other as a way of coping and moving on. Mysteries effectively unravel; more than one character harbors a secret agenda, which stirs up distrust among others. The mystery surrounding the third car in the accident receives less attention than one might expect, although the story doesn’t entirely disregard it. The author’s prose is unadorned but gets assistance from an unwavering pace. Cris and Carlos alternate first-person narrative perspectives, which not only showcases the brothers’ strong bond but also their very different personalities; Carlos had been an outgoing athlete, and Cris remains reserved and bookish.

An understated but insightful ghost story that shows how misery affects people in unpredictable ways.