Ghost Stories

Whoever thought that this little read would be about actual ghosts, excuse me, but sometimes you need to pay attention because the cover represents the whole tone of the written work. I mean, seriously..... 😦 So, this isn't about ghosts in the literal sense of the word, but about the fears and hopes that haunt our lives throughout the years. These “ghosts” are everywhere, in our souls, in our families and they hurt and frighten us so much more than any spirits from beyond.

In three sweet and poignant- at least, for me- stories, Taylor tackles a multitude of themes. In “Ghost”, a young woman wishes to speak to three well known figures who have passed away but whose heritage remains alive. Through conversations that are witty, nostalgic and bittersweet, our heroine tries to heal her mind and soul in the aftermath of a brutal experience.

In “Wallpaper”, a child's voice shares agonies, anxieties, insecurities, the fear of acceptance, the death of a loved one. The wallpapers of the house-which is possibly haunted- symbolize the various levels of sadness, knowledge and the new – found courage to discover your place in the world from an early age. The artwork in this story is beautiful, dreamy.

In “Makers” -possibly the saddest story out of the three- we have the ghost of friendship. The bonding between two girls turns out quite differently through the years. It was sad to come face-to-face with the selfishness and negligence of a woman who claimed to be an artist but betrayed her principles along the way.

Every story aims at our hearts. There are no given answers, the stories are left open-ended for us to make of them what we will. I'm not a fan of comics, quite the opposite. I don't know about artwork and image quality, I have no interest to learn. What I'm interested in are quality in stories and themes. I admit I don't consider comics as Literature. This one is.Questions of loyalty, sexuality, personal trauma and remedy are communicated in a simple, yet so effective way...Some stated that the artwork is childish. Why is this bad? What can be more beautiful than the creations of children? I don't think that flying men wearing blue tights or blond muscled hunks with a Mjölnir at hand can stand side-by-side with the scribblings of a child that has poured heart and soul on the paper. If you're looking for a ghost story, this isn't it. If you're looking for a glossy comic book, try Marvel instead. This one requires an open mind and an open heart. It's not one for fun, but for thinking....And I think you will enjoy it...

Many thanks to Rosarium Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange of an honest review.

My reviews can also be found on https://theopinionatedreaderblog.wordpress.com

I picked this up without looking inside. The art style is not my favorite and the three stories are separate but they're disjointed and bland.

In the third story about Tessa and Hope I get that no one died and that she's being ‘ghosted', it's the death of their friendship but Tessa is boring and flat while Hope is fleshed out.