Anya's Ghost

Anya, a teenager, just wants to fit in and constantly doubts herself image and heritage. While out one day she stumbles upon the ghost of a young girl. The two become friends, but soon Anya thinks she may have become ensnared in a potentially dangerous plot.

I was pleasantly surprised by this

Show More

graphic novel. The graphics were great and the story played with very real issues that all teenagers have dealt with: wanting nothing more than to fit in. As the story develops a darker plot unfolds that I really enjoyed. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes slightly dark graphic novels.

Show Less

This comic book reminds me so much of the books I used to read as a kid. It's pretty special and I love that a woman wrote it because she captures the exact emotions of a teenage girl. The idea of a personal ghost is brilliant- every kid's fantasy, until the ghost's dark history is revealed. I

Show More

really enjoyed every part of the book. The back story of an immigrant girl trying to fit in is familiar yet done well. The drawing is superb! I can't believe this is her first book. I can't wait for the next!

Show Less

Anya is trying to erase her ethnicity and blend in - a task not made any easier when he acquires a ghost of a murdered teen girl. Anya and her ghost find ways to fit in at school, but things take a turn for the sinister. This is a fun story about growing up feeling different, and trying to fit in,

Show More

but still realising the value of your cultural heritage - all without being preachy, and adding some delicious creepiness along the way. I found the art simple and pleasing, reminding me a little bit of the lines in Persepolis.

Show Less

What a beautifully drawn book. The storyline is a little lacking, but I did enjoy the characters and I found it to be a good, relaxing read.

Anya is from a Russian immigrant family, trying to blend in a private American high school. Of course, this is not easy and Anya becomes a bit of a loner. One day, after taking a short cut, on the way home from school she falls into a well. There she meets Emily, another teenage outcast, who also

Show More

happens to be a ghost, with a very dark past.
Emily helps Anya escape from the well and soon after, they become fast friends.
Sounds light & breezy, huh? It’s not. This wonderful, well-drawn graphic, is very insightful and takes some unexpected twists and turns. Seek it out.

Show Less

I first started hearing about this graphic novel a couple of months ago and it immediately caught my attention. How often does Neil Gaiman lend his praise to a work? And then I started seeing the sample pages that First Second released and I was captivated by the illustrations. So needless to say I

Show More

was really looking forward to reading this book (I kept trying to find someone that would let me read it an ARC because I was so excited about it.) And the book doesn't disappoint at all. It's the perfect story for young and old alike that deals with so many of the same issues that we all face--anxiety about who we are, body image, who are friends are, and growing up just a little bit.

Anya is a young teenage girl in high school who is embarrassed by where she and her family came from...Russia. She's trying hard to fit in by losing her accent, wearing the "right" clothes, going on diets, and trying to hang out with the "right" people...in other words not the nerdy Russian boy in her class. But...try as she might she doesn't fit in with the crowd that she really wants to...the popular ones. And then one day, she falls down an abandoned well in the park and meets a skeleton...and the ghost of the young girl from 1918 named Emily. Emily has been forgotten about and can't wander far from her skeleton and was just waiting for someone to come back and visit her. She keeps Anya company as she waits to be rescued, which she soon is, and one of Emily's bones hitches a ride...and Emily's ghost follows. Although there's trepidation at first Emily soon becomes Anya's confidant and helping her get the right answers on exams, making suggestions about what to wear, and help Anya get the attention of her crush. But things soon take a darker turn when it's revealed Emily isn't who she said she was and Anya must protect her family from Emily's darker nature.

This is a powerful debut full length graphic novel for Vera (she's done a couple of short stories before) and it's a wonderfully told story. It's a tightly woven tale with mystery, intrigue, and some growing up as well for all of the characters, not just Anya. It moves along at a nice pace and we get a strong sense of who the characters are and what motivates them. It's one of the best stories I've read in a while and unlike some other writers going from short features to full length, Vera doesn't suffer from having gaps in the tale or missing elements. And the illustrations are reminiscent of some old black and white horror films with juuuust the right amount of depth to them without being overly cartoony.

It's a fantastic read and I can't say enough good things about it. I highly recommend it to all and I look forward to seeing what Vera does next.

Show Less

Anya falls down a well, and finds a skeleton - and a ghost. The ghost is friendly and charming at first, helping Anya at school and getting her invited to parties. But then her new ghostly friend turns mean and things get bad.

Anya is a normal girl with normal problems (weight, fitting in, getting "that one boy" to love her) until she falls down a well and picks up a hitchhiking spirit named Emily. Emily turns out to be a bonus at first (helping with tests and boy-tracking) but soon she turns out to be something Anya

Show More

didn't expect. Easy-to-follow and realistic, this book is a treat for comic book fans who like a little something sinister.

Show Less

As many graphic novels are prone to be, this was a really fast read, but with lots of interesting depth. Anya's challenges in coming from an immigrant family are not lost on the reader. Early on in the story we find Anya tossing out her mother's ethnic food, in favor of what she deems more "normal"

Show More

and then heading off to school. Along the way, she falls down a well and meets the ghost of a girl that died from falling down the same well. What seems like a sad little ghost of a previous sweet girl though, might not be all she's led Anya to believe.

Obviously, Anya is saved from the well, but her little ghost friend is not left behind. Rather than helping Anya to fit in better, this ghost has not been as forthright about her death as she should have been, leaving Anya with way more on her hands than just her cultural difference. The story does turn spooky, giving Anya bigger things to worry about than her own ethnic background. In true graphic novel fashion, this spooky story still has a light-heartedness about it that we know will somehow lead to a happy ending.

I really liked Anya's Ghost and found the story to be one that I fell into pretty quickly. The pictures are well done and the dialogue propels the action forward. Besides the action, we still understand the emotions felt by many of the characters. Anya just wants to feel "normal" like most teens, but with a ghost hanging around, that leads to more abnormal than one might expect! In the scope of storytelling, graphic novels, and the supernatural, this was a fun and spooky tale that pulled me out of my own little reading slump. Thanks to the creativity of artists and authors combined, their vision came together in an engaging story that plays with the modern and old, with the dark and the light. If you're looking for a fun ghost story that still gets marks for being creepy, then this is a nice one to try out.

Show Less

Anya is a Russian immigrant going to a private school. She has just one good friend, and the geeky Dema, in her life. Then one day as she's walking through the woods, she falls into a well. At the bottom of the well she meets a ghost, who follows her home once she's free. While at first the ghost

Show More

seems to be a blessing, Anya soon discovers that she is not all that she says she is. This funny story is peppered with all the issues of being a teenager, and the excellent drawings that accompany make the book a stupendous read. Appropriate for teens ages 12+.

Show Less

A strange little coming-of-age story about an un-popular immigrant girl and the ghost who befriends her. But does the ghost really have her best interests at heart?

I love a good graphic novel. And Roaring Brook imprint First Second brings some of the best writers and artists on board to create graphic novels for kids and young adults. One of their latest is ANYA’S GHOST by Vera Brosgol — as usual, it blew me away.

ANYA’S GHOST is the story of Anya,

Show More

Russian immigrant teen at a private school where she is constantly teased and virtually friendless. When she falls in an abandoned well on the way home one day, she discovers perhaps the most unlikely companion: a pile of bones. At first terrified that she’s laying in a well next to a human skeleton, Anya is soon charmed by the ghost, Emily, whose sad story of the death of her family mostly makes Anya want to befriend her, or at least help her move on.

When Anya is inevitably rescued from the well, she accidentally takes Emily home with her, soon discovering that Emily can be wherever her bones are, and that she is in the possession of one of the ghost’s finger bones. At first, it’s great having Emily around. She helps Anya cheat on her tests and gives her secrets about her crush. But Emily isn’t everything she appears. She has a lot of secrets. And it turns out Anya has more than she can handle with her new friend.

With beautiful art and genius writing, ANYA’S GHOST is at heart a story of self acceptance and the tough high school social theme, with themes of cultural and class identity. Out today, this is definitely a book to head out and pick up. Don’t miss it!

Show Less

Brosgol, V. (2011). Anya’s ghost. (Ill. by the author). New York: Roaring Brook Press/First Second. 222 pp. ISBN: 978-1-59643-713-5. (Hardcover); $19.99.*

Anya falls into well that serves as the home for a lonely ghost. When Anya is rescued, the ghost hitchhikes its way into her life. The ghost

Show More

provides Anya with useful information that helps Anya find ways to be successful in school, just as she had been wishing. Ghosts, however, often have their own agenda, which often makes life very dangerous and frightening.

Anya’s Ghost is a graphic novel drawn mostly with black and gray, but employing delightful dollops of eerie purple to evoke the ghostly mood that makes this story work. While we obviously celebrate the art (which even Neil Gaiman complements), the text of this story should not be overlooked. The exchanges between Anya and her mother are prototypical teen/parent conversations, despite the fact that Anya is a Russian immigrant who believes her ethnicity is somehow preventing her from fitting into her school. The strength of this book isn’t so much the evil ghost story (although I predict most teens will like this element best), but the very ordinary story of a young girl who feels like she doesn’t fit in, believes that boys do not find her attractive, yearns to make friends, and is annoyed when life doesn’t go out of its way to make things easy. Along the way Anya is forced to come to terms with opportunistic friends, evaluating her own family culture, and recognizing that our real self worth is something we create and not something others decide. While the text is strong, the artwork in this book is exquisite in the way that it shows emotions and character growth (I especially like the humiliation that is drawn so well during the scene in which Anya and Liz are at the party). Secondary characters are fully alive both in art and plot. Our ghost is delightfully, increasingly creepy. Purchase this one for both middle school and high school libraries.

Show Less

VERY impressed by this graphic novel debut. It's a nice blend of funny and a little scary. The theme of trying to figure out how to be yourself and fit in is one that will resonate with teens. Expressive art pairs with a nicely-paced plot to make an excellent graphic novel. Highly recommended.

I had heard wonderful things about this graphic novel, so when I saw it at the library I picked it up. It was a very well done book and I enjoyed it a lot.

Anya has trouble fitting in at school: she is a little on the plump side and Russian and just all in all can't seem to fit in. Then she falls

Show More

down a well and meets a ghost. When Anya is rescued the ghost follows her and starts helping her out; telling her what the cute boy likes, helping Anya cheat on tests, and just making Anya's life a little easier. That is until Anya finds out the truth about the ghost and realizes that maybe that ghost is more trouble than she is worth.

The story is a good one and aimed at young adult girls; but can be enjoyed by all young adult and older readers. At first I wasn't completely sold on all the high school angst that Anya goes through in the beginning, but Anya has a great sense of humor and as things started getting creepier with the ghost I really got sucked into the story.

This story has a great mystery surrounding the ghost's origin, but also has some great life lessons. Through it all Anya basically starts to realize she should be happy to be who she is. Like many teenagers Anya struggles with being different; in this case it is her weight and her nationality that really has Anya in the dumps. This is easily translated to any teenager who feels alienated for any reason.

The illustration is all in black and white, it is fairly blockey, and (while it wasn't my favorite) it did a good job of conveying the emotion and story without being confusing. The black and white starkness of it all matched the tone of the story well.

Overall I enjoyed this graphic novel and would recommend to teens who like a little ghost story with their teenage drama. Adults should also find some here to enjoy since the mystery behind the ghost and the way the ghost story is done is creative and engaging. The first part was a bit slow, but it really sucked me in by the end. I can't wait to see what Vera Brosgel comes up with next.

Show Less

Anya is a delightfully cynical teenaged girl with an embarrassing family, a non-existent social life, and... a ghost? When she falls down an abandoned well, Anya meets the ghost of Emily, who has been dead since 1918. When she is rescued, she takes Emily with her. At first, having a ghost for a

Show More

friend is great. Emily can get her test answers and details to exclusive parties. But Anya's relationship with Emily turns sinister when Anya finds out a little too much about Emily's former life. But the author takes the story beyond ghosties and ghouls and teaches readers about family loyalty, self-confidence, and spending so much time focusing on other people's lives that you forget to live your own.

Show Less

Summary: Anya's unhappy with her body, her immigrant family, and her complete lack of a social life. And to top things off, on her way home from school, she falls down an abandoned well. She's not alone down there, either; the well is haunted by Emily, the ghost of a young woman who was murdered a

Show More

hundred years before. When Anya is rescued, however, Emily tags along, determined to be helpful to the first friend she's had in a century. But is Emily's version of help something that Anya really wants?

Review: I enjoyed this book quite a lot. It reminds me a lot of Raina Telgemeier's Smile, both in the style of artwork and the general coming-of-age self-acceptance message. Anya's very sympathetic and relatable, more so because she feels like a real teen: not always making the best decisions, occasionally unreasonably surly, but with a good heart underneath it all. Brosgol's also very good at tone; this book manages to be creepy and sweet and tense and funny, all in turns, and it's all done very subtly through the artwork as well as the story. For instance, on my first pass through, I didn't notice how subtly Emily was changing in appearance until she was completely different; flipping back, I could see the changes that I'd missed at the time. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot on all fronts, and will be interested to see what Brosgol does in the future. 4 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: I think fans of Smile will really like Anya's Ghost (and vice-versa), as will anyone who likes ghost stories, or who's looking for one-shot graphic novels that you don't necessarily have to be a sci-fi/fantasy/superhero fan to enjoy.

Show Less

I became aware of Anya’s Ghost at Comic-Con when I saw the author speak on the “Diversity in YA” panel. This is her first book, although recently she was a storyboard artist on the movie Coraline. And, Neil Gaiman has described this book as “A Masterpiece!” Although I haven’t read many

Show More

graphic novels, I knew I needed to check this one out, so I put it on hold at the library. I devoured the book in one sitting and was charmed by the drawings and the imaginative and creepy story. This YA graphic novel is a fast moving page turner and I think has crossover appeal to fans of both YA and graphic novels.

The illustrations are appealingly drawn in shades of black, white and purple and done in a clean and easy to follow way. Anya is someone anyone who has ever had trouble fitting in can relate to. She has always felt like an outsider and has worked hard to hide her Russian heritage to avoid standing out at her snooty private school. She rejects her mother’s traditional fatty foods and puts pressure on herself to diet to fit the skinny ideal mold. She tries to hide her accent and to not been seen as “fobby” (fresh off the boat) like her family friend Dima. She is not a great student, she smokes and cuts class with her sometimes friend Siobhan, and crushes on the unattainable popular athlete Sean. One day when she’s feeling down in the dumps, Anya falls down a hole and meets a ghost named Emily. Once the ghostly Emily enters the picture, life changes in unexpected directions for Anya.

The fresh story and twists and turns held my interest all the way to the end. The themes are relatable, including feeling bored and out of place in high school; pressure to fit a certain body image, and identity and self worth. The humor and surprises found in the book are also a treat. Recommended for other graphic novel newbie’s, and the paranormal side of the story would also make it a great read around Halloween time. I was impressed with the book stylistically and also the great message. I would definitely read more graphic novels like this one and will keep this author on my radar.

Show Less

Really good graphic novel, and very original. Not for young kids.

As story of Anya, a teenage girl from a Russian, immigrant family, trying to figure out her place in school and life. And then, there appears a ghost of a girl from a century ago and story gets interesting. "Anya's Ghost" is a beautiful graphic novel, with simple but emotionally vivid illustrations

Show More

and completely engaging story. The book must be read in once sitting.

Show Less

Anya desperately wants to fit in at her school and distance herself from her Russian-ness. After a fall in a hole in a local park, she finds a skeleton and the ghost of the girl who belonged to the skeleton. After the ghost becomes Anya's bff, she finds Emily isn't exactly what she expected and

Show More

certainly not someone she wants haunting her long term. This black and white novel includes some surprises and a scary turn or two.

Show Less

Finally a graphic novel I like! The story was interesting from the beginning and it really kept you reading. Easily finished it in one sitting. Very well done!

I am new to the genre of graphic novels. I'm really trying to break out of my reading shell. Anya's Ghost was my second graphic novel ever, and I have mixed feelings.

First off, the drawings were awesome! The author/illustrator is so talented. The characters' faces had so much great detail and

Show More

expression. The color graphics made it easy to get "sucked into" this story.

Now, the plot itself... eh. The ghost story aspect was pretty clever. I did enjoy that. I thought it was a fresh take on a tired genre. Was it ground breaking or mind shattering? No. Not even close. Would younger readers like it and find it creepy enough? Probably. There was also a pretty good message about accepting who you are hidden in the mystery.

What I didn't care for was how mature this character--Anya--was for a high school student. She was drinking and smoking often. Yes, I know teenagers do that. I was one of those teenagers some of the time, but I still don't think it has a place in books. I'm just funny like that. And there is something about it being illustrated in books that doesn't sit well with me. It's much harder to glance over something or forget something that you actually see. I think taking those things out of the book wouldn't have changed the story at all. They really weren't needed. In fact, they would keep me from recommending this book to a younger reader. No sense in unneccessary exposure.

Show Less

Brosgol, Vera

Anya’s Ghost
2011. 224pp. $15.99 pbk. First Second. 978-1-5964-3552-0. Grades 9-12

Teenage Anya finds high school and her family equally exasperating, but all that changes when she accidentally falls down a well. At the bottom of the well is a skeleton--the skeleton, as it turns out,

Show More

of Emily, a girl who fell into the well and died many years ago. When Anya is rescued from the well, Emily comes with her, and at first, having a ghost for a friend is nothing but fun. No one else can see or hear Emily, so she can report the right answers to Anya during tests or let Anya know where she can “accidentally” run into Sean, the boy she has a crush on. However, after Anya discovers that Sean is not the romantic hero she’d imagined, Emily is outraged that Anya would ruin all her hard work. Clearly Anya and Sean are meant to be together forever, and Emily is going to make that happen. And Anya discovers that it can be very, very dangerous to oppose a ghost. Brosgol’s grayscale pen and ink illustrations beautifully illustrate both the mundane and creepy sides of Anya’s life; Anya is realistically depicted and her difficulties and triumphs should be relatable to many teens. Highly recommended.

Show Less