Ghost Book by Remy Lai

Title: Ghost Book

Author: Remy Lai

Genre: Fantasy/Magical Realism

Publisher: Allen and Unwin

Published: 1^st August 2023

Format: Paperback

Pages: 320

Price: $19.99

Synopsis: A thrilling contemporary fantasy graphic novel about a girl who befriends a boy ghost stuck between the worlds of the living and the dead, from the bestselling creator of Pawcasso.

Twelve years ago, the boy and the girl lived. But one was supposed to die …

July Chen sees ghosts. But her dad insists ghosts aren’t real. So she pretends they don’t exist. Which is incredibly difficult now as it’s Hungry Ghost month, when the Gates of the Underworld open and dangerous ghosts run amok in the living world. When July saves a boy ghost from being devoured by a Hungry Ghost, he becomes her first ever friend. Except William is not a ghost. He’s a wandering soul wavering between life and death. As the new friends embark on an adventure to return William to his body, they unearth a ghastly truth – for William to live, July must die.

Inspired by Chinese mythology, this resoundingly hopeful tale about friendship, sacrifice and the unseen world of ghosts is a dazzling heir to beloved Studio Ghibli classics.

~*~

As Hungry Ghost month starts, July Chen, a girl wo isn’t seen by anybody, sees ghosts, but because her dad doesn’t believe in ghosts. Yet the Gates of the Underworld have opened and the Hungry Ghosts and the henchmen of King of the Underworld, Oxhead and Horseface, keep appearing. They’ve been trying to collect the ghost of a boy, William Xiao, for twelve years. And twelve years ago, July’s mother died. William isn’t really a ghost though, he’s a wandering soul who is caught between life and death. But now, Oxhead and Horseface have to collect the second soul they skipped the day July was born – before Heibai Wuchang arrives to collect the ghost of Nobody. Because if William is going to live, the two friends soon realise that July must die. Yet they are determined to find a way for both of them to live and appease Heibai Wuchang and the King of the Underworld.

As July and William embark on their journey to the Underworld to help each other, the story that is infused with Chinese mythology and traditions comes to life. Remy brings Chinese mythology, beliefs, and ghosts, as well as the world of life and death – such as one life, one death into being with vibrant colour, humour, and a touch of fear – after all, a ghost story always has an element of scariness in it. Set in the contemporary world, but with a timelessness about it, I liked the way the illustrations worked with the text, and the page layout made it easy for my eyes to track across each panel – this is something I often struggle with in graphic novels, so having a clarity in the order of panels helped and will help readers who are new to graphic novels or who are still getting used to them. I think stories like this make other cultures accessible to a wider audience, and also shows that there are many ways to explore and tell a story about all sorts of things. There are so many layers and aspects to Chinese mythology, and mythologies of all types, that I feel we need a wide range of books to tell us about these stories in a variety of ways. It means that there will always be a book that explores a mythology for everyone, and there is room for many more as well.

I also love reading books that explore mythologies that might not be as well known by some people based on their background. And I think books like this will spark readers to explore the mythology behind the story further. I went to research Heibai Wuchang after reading this book, to see where this figure fits in., Heibai Wuchang is two deities – Black and White Impertinence, and in Remy’s book, they are a whole who can split themselves into the black and white. Oxhead and Horseface are also key underworld figures – and their clever way they are used to illustrate Chinese folklore as it collides with July’s world and her life. I enjoyed the ups and downs of July and William’s journey, and the friendship that developed as they tried to help and save each other. Another interesting and fun graphic novel that will have a wide appeal.