The Ghost of You

Gr 9 Up–A moving novel about grief and the possibility of hope after loss. Caleb’s brother Jack died of a drug overdose the summer before his junior year of high school, and Caleb is struggling to cope with life without him. Caleb hasn’t spent time with his best friend Tanya in months and is close to failing his songwriting class. As if that wasn’t enough, Caleb is being haunted by a black cat only he can see. With the cat’s interference, Caleb is paired with Emmett, the lead singer of a local punk band, for a final class project and their new friendship might be the help Caleb needs to open up about Jack’s death. Caleb and his family experience a devastating loss, and Caleb deals with his grief in healthy and unhealthy ways. Bulla brings up many tough topics like addiction, suicide, and self-harm in this novel. Caleb’s anger and despair feel very dark at times, but Bulla adds a welcome gentleness in Caleb’s interactions with other transgender and queer peers. Caleb and Tanya are transgender, and Emmett is trans and identifies as genderfluid. Bulla creates an open and inclusive narrative for the characters to share their experiences as LGBTQIA+ teens.