Verdict: A funny, fast YA ghost story with a sweet sapphic romance at its center, let down by a heroine many readers can’t forgive and an ending that wraps up her lies far too quickly.
Best for: Older teens and adults who like snarky narrators, ghost-hunting premises and banter-driven romance, and who can stick with a selfish protagonist until her late turn.
Heat level: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5: young adult, one intimate scene and a lot of frank talk about bodies, no romance.io entry)
Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.2/5: a 3.45 Goodreads average across 956 ratings, with Cara’s selfishness the loudest complaint)
Tropes: Ghost matchmaker, dating under false pretenses, grief, small town, ghost hunting, bisexual heroine, prom deadline, secret deal, quirky parents, standalone.
The Ghost of Us by James L. Sutter is a 2024 standalone young adult novel from Wednesday Books, a sapphic paranormal romance set in the small Washington town of Stossel, where an 18-year-old YouTube ghost hunter finally meets a real ghost and agrees to his one condition: take his grieving little sister to prom.
It sits at a 3.45 average across 956 Goodreads ratings and 306 written reviews, and it collected reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal. Half of those readers gave it four or five stars. Another 17% gave it one or two, and they’re loud about why. The split tells you more than the average does.
What Is The Ghost of Us About?
This is YA paranormal romance in the light, comic register. The ghost is real, but it’s not a horror book and it’s not a mystery. Nobody’s trying to solve a death or banish anything. The supernatural part exists to set up a deal, and the deal exists to throw two girls together. Think rom-com engine with a ghost bolted on, which is pretty much how the publicity pitched it.
Cara Weaver is the narrator, and she’s defined by what she doesn’t have: college acceptances, a way out of Stossel, and any proof that the ghosts on her channel, Caranormal Activity, are real. Meredith Reyes is defined by what she’s lost. Her older brother Aiden died in a fall at an abandoned paper mill the year before, and she’s withdrawn from almost everyone since. The book stays in Cara’s first-person voice the whole way through, which gives you all her jokes and all her rationalizations, and leaves Meredith’s grief mostly seen from outside.
What Makes This Sapphic YA Ghost Romance Work
- The banter: The back-and-forth between Cara and the ghost of Aiden is the thing readers praise most often. LoveReading4Kids singled out the sharp dialogue, and plenty of Goodreads reviewers call it plain funny.
- The side cast: Cara’s offbeat parents and her best friend Holly come up again and again in positive reviews, and School Library Journal liked them too. Holly’s religious faith is treated with respect, which YA Books Central called out.
- Meredith: Even readers who couldn’t stand Cara tend to like Meredith, and the reviews that work best for this book are the ones that fell for her.
- Pace: Kirkus praised the solid pacing, and readers keep describing it as fast and light. At around 320 to 336 pages in the US hardcover, it moves.
- The premise: A ghost who plays matchmaker for his own sister is a fun hook, and readers who came for the hook mostly say it delivered the comedy it promised.
Book Synopsis
Cara Weaver has a plan, and it’s falling apart. The college letters have come back wrong, her small town feels smaller every week, and her ghost-hunting YouTube channel has never caught anything a skeptic couldn’t explain away. So she takes her camera to the old paper mill, the place where a popular senior named Aiden Reyes fell to his death a year ago, hoping for footage that will finally make people pay attention.
What she gets is Aiden himself. He’s a voice only Cara can hear, he’s bossy, and he has opinions. He also has a theory about why he’s still here. His younger sister Meredith hasn’t been the same since he died, and Aiden believes he can’t move on until she’s okay again. His fix is simple, at least to him: Cara asks Meredith to prom, gets her out of the house, and reminds her how to be happy. In return, Aiden will give Cara the proof she’s been chasing.
Cara says yes for the wrong reasons. Then she starts to like Meredith for real, which makes the secret much harder to carry. And as Meredith slowly comes back to life, Aiden starts to fade, taking Cara’s evidence with him. Cara has to decide how long she can keep dating a girl under false pretenses, and what it’ll cost when the truth gets out.
My Review
The setup is good, and I want to give it that first. A ghost hunter who’s never seen a ghost, a dead boy who won’t stop backseat driving, and a deal that turns into a real crush is a strong comic premise. Sutter writes quick, jokey dialogue, and the scenes where Cara argues with an invisible Aiden in public are where the book is most alive. Kirkus called it a light paranormal story with a sweet queer romance, and when it’s being light, that’s exactly what it is.
The supporting cast is the other real pleasure. Cara’s parents are odd in a warm way, Holly gets her own life and her own faith instead of existing to give advice, and Meredith is quiet and funny once she lets anyone close. School Library Journal liked the same people I’d point to. Publishers Weekly said the personalities are distinctly drawn, and I think that’s fair for everyone except, oddly, the ghost, who drops out of the middle of the book once the romance takes over.
Where it struggles is Cara, and this isn’t a fringe complaint. It’s the single most repeated criticism in the Goodreads reviews I read, from three-star readers as much as one-star ones. She lies to a grieving girl to get content for her channel, keeps lying well past the point where she’s fallen for her, and several readers say she gets worse around the 70 to 80% mark rather than better. Her turnaround comes in the last stretch, and a lot of reviewers didn’t buy it. On top of that sit the secondary problems: grief that PW and readers both found handled on the surface, a subplot about intimate photos being shared around school that wraps up in a single scene, a college storyline that one reviewer says just gets forgotten, and pop culture references and slang that SLJ expects to date fast.
One expectation to reset is the age label. The audio publisher lists 12 and up, PW says 13 and up, Kirkus files it at 14 to 18, and Australia’s Reading Time recommends 16 and up because of the swearing, weed and sex. A good number of readers were also uncomfortable with how often Cara’s narration lingers on bodies. If you want a sweet, low-stakes ghost romance for a younger teen, look elsewhere. If you’re an older reader who likes messy narrators, you’ll be fine.
My honest note: A three-and-a-half-star premise held to three stars by a narrator who spends most of the book being hard to root for. If you need to like your heroine, skip it. If you can enjoy watching someone be wrong for 300 pages, the banter and Meredith make it worth the trip.
| Element | In The Ghost of Us |
|---|---|
| Central relationship | Cara Weaver and Meredith Reyes: a bisexual ghost hunter and the grieving sister of the boy whose ghost she’s working with |
| Core tropes | Ghost matchmaker, dating under false pretenses, grief, small town, secret deal, prom deadline |
| Setting | Stossel, a small town in Washington near Seattle, and an abandoned paper mill |
| Heat level | 2/5: young adult, one intimate scene, frank talk about bodies |
| Series | Standalone, set in the same world as Sutter’s Darkhearts; ends on a hopeful note rather than a full HEA |
| Content notes | Death of a sibling and grief, depression, bullying, intimate images shared without consent, sexting, marijuana use, swearing, sexual content, deception in a relationship |
How Spicy Is The Ghost of Us?
I’d call it a 2/5. There’s no romance.io entry for it, which is normal for a YA title and tells you it isn’t being catalogued as adult romance. So I went by the publishers and the readers. The age guidance runs from 12 and up to 16 and up depending on who you ask, and readers describe one intimate scene between Cara and Meredith. One reviewer said it was handled tactfully, and another pointed out that it happens while Cara is still lying, which bothered her more than the scene itself.
What lifts it above a kisses-only book is the narration. Several readers flag that Cara thinks about bodies, sweat and sex a lot, and a few found that uncomfortable in a book about teenagers. There’s also a sexting subplot. No reviewer I found describes anything graphic. If you want other sapphic YA at the low end of the scale, The Falling in Love Montage and Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating both sit at 1/5.
Who Should Read This Book?
You’ll likely love it if: you like a snarky, joke-a-minute narrator, you want a ghost premise played for comedy rather than scares, you enjoy dating-with-a-secret plots, and you’re happy with a hopeful ending instead of a tied bow.
You may want to skip it if: you need to like your main character, you want grief explored in depth, a romance built on a lie sours the whole thing for you, or you’re shopping for a younger teen and want something with less sexual content.
In short: a fun ghost premise and a lovable love interest, carried by a narrator who’ll split you down the middle.
What Readers Are Actually Saying (October 2026)
There’s no viral moment around this one. Web searches turned up no Reddit discussion of it at all, and I found no sign of a BookTok wave. What it does have is a full traditional publishing run: Wednesday Books in the US in June 2024, Andersen Press in the UK, reviews in Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and School Library Journal, and a slow build to 956 Goodreads ratings. The audiobook came from Listening Library the same day as the hardcover, narrated by Bailey Carr and running 10 hours 52 minutes. At least one widely followed Goodreads reviewer listened to it, praised the audio and called the book a favorite of the year.
Prefer audio? Listen to The Ghost of Us on Libro.fm, the audiobook shop that supports independent bookstores.
Why readers love it (according to the discourse): The banter, first and most often. “Funny” is the recurring word, and the Cara and Aiden scenes get singled out most. Then the side characters, especially Holly and Cara’s parents. Meredith wins over even the critics. The pace earns praise, the cover gets mentioned in several reviews, and at least one reader says it made them cry. Bi readers point to Cara’s representation, and one reviewer liked how it handled queer first experiences.
What readers argue about and complain about: Cara, above everything. Reviewers call her selfish, self-centered and manipulative, and the complaint shows up across the whole range of ratings, not only in the one-stars. The second theme is the lie itself. Many readers say the romance is built on using Meredith’s grief, and that’s where the trade press and the readers part ways. Kirkus said the premise avoids manipulative territory, and a good chunk of the reader base says the exact opposite. Third: the ending. Readers call it rushed and too easy, and PW and SLJ agree, which makes it the most reliable criticism here. Beyond that come pop culture references and slang that readers expect to age badly, a grief arc that stays thin, and a recurring discomfort with how sexualized the narration feels. A smaller but repeated group of negative reviewers say they were uneasy with a man writing a sapphic teen romance this way. That’s a minority, but it’s not a single voice.
The standalone question worth asking first: it’s a standalone. It shares a world with Sutter’s earlier YA novel Darkhearts, but you don’t need to have read it. Readers report that Aiden gets the closure he was waiting for, and that Meredith doesn’t simply forgive Cara. They agree to try, which makes this a happy-for-now ending rather than a big HEA. If you want more from Sutter, Darkhearts is his better-rated YA book, around 3.66 on Goodreads in the author listing I could reach, against 3.45 here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Ghost of Us a sapphic romance?
Yes. The romance between Cara, who is bisexual, and Meredith is the center of the book, and the ghost plot exists to bring them together. Aiden fades into the background once the romance gets going.
How does the ghost work in The Ghost of Us?
Aiden died in a fall at an abandoned paper mill and is stuck until he knows his sister is okay. Only Cara can hear him. He makes a deal with her to get Meredith to prom in exchange for proof of the supernatural, and he fades as Meredith recovers.
Is The Ghost of Us YA or adult?
It’s young adult, but on the older end. Age guidance ranges from 12 and up from the audio publisher to 16 and up from Australia’s Reading Time, because it includes swearing, marijuana use and sexual content.
Does The Ghost of Us have a happy ending?
A hopeful one. Readers report that Meredith doesn’t simply forgive Cara for the lie but agrees to try again, so it’s a happy-for-now ending. Many readers found it rushed.
Is The Ghost of Us part of a series?
No. It’s a standalone, though School Library Journal notes it’s set in the same world as Sutter’s earlier novel Darkhearts. You can read either one first.
Is there an audiobook?
Yes. Listening Library released it in June 2024, narrated by Bailey Carr, with a runtime of 10 hours 52 minutes.
If You Loved The Ghost of Us, Read These Next
If the ghosts are what pulled you in, The Dead and the Dark also features the daughter of ghost hunters, but plays its haunting for real dread in a small Oregon town. If the dating-with-an-agenda plot was the draw, Hani and Ishu’s Guide to Fake Dating runs a similar engine with a bisexual lead and better-liked heroines. And for a YA romance where the leads go in with a plan and fall anyway, The Falling in Love Montage is the warmer, steadier read.
For more, browse our sapphic YA books list or the full Book Reviews collection.
The Bottom Line
The Ghost of Us wants to be a funny ghost story and a sweet first love at the same time, and it gets halfway there. The banter is sharp, the side cast is warm, and Meredith is easy to fall for. It’s also narrated by a girl who lies to a grieving teenager for most of the book, it treats grief and a nasty sexting incident lightly, and it hurries through the fallout. Whether that trade works depends on how much patience you have for a selfish narrator. If you have plenty, it’s a quick, funny read with a hopeful ending. Check The Ghost of Us on Amazon
The Eikna Overall Ranking
On the Eikna scale, The Ghost of Us ranks as a fun-premise YA ghost rom-com. It’s quick, funny and generous with its side characters, held back by a narrator many readers can’t warm to. It’s best read for the banter and Meredith rather than for the ghost or the grief.
The Evidence Scorecard
Overall ★★★☆☆ 3.2/5
- ✓ 3.45 average across 956 Goodreads ratings
- ✓ Kirkus, PW and SLJ all reviewed it
- ✓ Half of raters give four or five stars
- ✓ 17% one and two stars, mostly about Cara
Romance ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Sapphic romance is the center, not a subplot
- ✓ Meredith is the most liked character
- ✓ Kirkus calls it a sweet queer romance
- ✓ Built on a lie many readers resent
Characters ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Cara’s parents and Holly widely praised
- ✓ PW praises distinct personalities
- ✓ Bisexual narrator with a real voice
- ✓ Cara’s selfishness is the top complaint
Writing ★★★☆☆ 3.3/5
- ✓ Sharp, funny dialogue
- ✓ Kirkus praises the solid pacing
- ✓ Fast, light pacing, per readers
- ✓ Slang and pop culture expected to date
Emotional Impact ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Sibling grief drives the whole plot
- ✓ At least one reader cried
- ✓ Meredith’s recovery gives the ghost stakes
- ✓ PW and readers call the grief surface-level
Heat Level ★★☆☆☆ 2/5
- ✓ Young adult, no romance.io entry
- ✓ One intimate scene, per reviewers
- ✓ Frank narration about bodies and desire
- ✓ Several readers found it oversexualized
Ending ★★★☆☆ 2.9/5
- ✓ Happy-for-now, the girls agree to try
- ✓ Aiden’s ghost gets his closure
- ✓ Standalone, no cliffhanger
- ✓ Rushed, per readers, PW and SLJ
Re-read Value ★★★☆☆ 3/5
- ✓ Banter holds up on a second pass
- ✓ Bailey Carr audiobook runs under 11 hours
- ✓ Short enough for a quick revisit
- ✓ Knowing the lie makes Cara harder to like
Genre notes for the ghost story shelf: The ghost is Aiden Reyes, a dead teen only Cara can hear, who stays behind until his sister is okay and fades as she heals. The sapphic relationship is central. It’s young adult, a standalone, and it ends happy-for-now.
Find it on AmazonListen on Libro.fmListen with AudibleBuy at Bookshop.org
The store links on this page are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Find more like it: this book is on our list of sapphic ghost stories.