Rapid Review: Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Anya’s Ghost 

by Vera Brosgol

Finished reading: 31/12/20

3.5/5 stars.

Anya’s Ghost is a graphic novel that follows Anya, a Russian-American high school student who accidentally falls into a well one day and discovers the ghost of a girl who has been dead for many years.

This book really surprised me! I was expecting a whimsical and magical story about a young girl and a ghost. But in actual fact it is very dark and spooky…and at times pretty scary! (Definitely not one for younger readers!) Which is funny because if I’d known this, I probably would never have chosen to read it. And yet, I read it and I found it really enjoyable! It’s definitely not my usual style of book, but I really appreciated it for what it is.

The colour scheme was really inky and dark but very striking. I loved the high contrast on the glossy pages, for some reason it made the experience somewhat more eerie. I loved the bold style of the illustrations. Similarly, the dialogue was boldly sarcastic and actually kind of entertaining considering how dark the story is. Everything felt very intentional and precise and I think the novel really succeeds in creating a very specific tone from start to finish.

I think my one criticism would be that I really wanted more character development from Anya. I felt as though certain scenes set up a really good opportunity for Anya to experience a personal journey and change her ways. However, instead, the story is very much presented as this random bizarre occurrence that happens to Anya but is forgotten as quickly as it arrived. This seems very much in line with tropes within the black comedy genre though, which certainly matches the tone that is created. But I still would have liked something a little deeper to reflect on towards the end.

Having said this, the plot really made up for what was lacking in character. The twists and turns were intriguing and unexpected which really made me keep turning the pages. I would have liked a little more closure at the end though to match the build up created at the start. But even without this, the story was still interesting and well executed.

Overall, this book was a really enjoyable read. I liked that it surprised me, even though it isn’t necessarily something I would normally reach for. It has definitely encouraged me to want to read more outside my comfort zone.