#violet ghosts

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould Rules for Vanishing by Kate Alice Marshall Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas Ghost Wood Song by Erica Waters

From William C. Morris and Edgar Award finalist Leah Thomas comes an ethereal, thought-provoking YA tale about a teen who can see ghosts . . . and helps them avenge their deaths.

Dani's best friend, Sarah, is a ghost. But maybe that's normal when you've spent your childhood running from an abusive parent.

Dani and Sarah might be more than friends, though Dani dares not say so. Dani is afraid that if he tells Sarah he's trans, she won't bother haunting him anymore. Sarah's got good reason to distrust boys, having been strangled by one.

After Sarah and Dani come across another ghost haunted by her own brutal murder, they set out to bring peace and safety to spirits like her. But when an old rival reenters Dani's life, their unexpected friendship gives Dani a strange new feeling of belonging. As Dani starts to find his place in the living world, he'll need to let go of his ghosts.

Review: Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas Rating: 5/5

Violet Ghosts is an incredibly moving story about Dani, a teenager whose only friends are ghosts and a boy who once bullied them.

I was reluctant to give Leah Thomas another go after absolutely loathing Because You'll Never Meet Me for its horrendous ableism but I found this novel on a bookshop crawl earlier in the year and decided to give her another chance.

And I'm very glad I did.

It's also set back in 1998, 2002 and 2003 which were interesting time periods to visit, especially with the themes of queerness and feminism Thomas explores through the novel. Extra especially when you consider the different kinds of feminism the different characters, some of whom are ghosts from earlier time periods, express.

I can't quite pin down what it was I loved about this book. It was very much about the vibes and the atmosphere. I loved sitting in the motel lobby with Dani and the ghosts. I loved going to Seiji's house for tea. I loved the community organising and the admission that parents don't always know what's best for their children. I just loved it.

If you're looking for an emotional paranormal read that's a little left of center, give Violet Ghosts a go -- but please heed the warnings I've listed below.

Sure!

Nonbinary:

Under Shifting Stars by Alexandra Latos

Felix Ever After by Kacen Kallender is about someone formerly ID'ing as a trans man realizing they're nonbinary

What We Left Behind by Robin Talley is about both people in a couple slowly questioning their identities

Binary transguys:

Violet Ghosts by Leah Thomas (though this one is really heavily about SA and violence against women!)

Between Perfect and Real by Rae Stoeve

Hey, friends. Tomorrow my book about a trans kid and his ghost bestie building a shelter for the ghosts of murdered women officially hits shelves. Here are some reviews:

⭐"A haunting and hopeful story of self-discovery." Kirkus, starred review

⭐"Lyrical writing, a gripping plot, and visceral emotion...Give this to fans of ghost stories, magical realism, feminism, and complex characters." SLJ, starred review

While I am immensely proud of this book and hope it falls into the hands of readers who need it, it has been hard for me to promote Violet Ghosts without panicking. Full disclosure: for the first time since I started my professional writing career in 2013, I have no new books on the horizon. This is my last book with Bloomsbury, which leaves me feeling gutted, and so far we haven't found a new publisher for my work. It is hard to feel happy about a book that feels like an unwanted career funeral at times. It's hard to feel accomplished while feeling like an absolute failure.

And yet: it's a great book that deals with trans issues and feminist issues and toxic friendships and identity and all the things that are hard about living in a small town where no one gets it.

You can buy Violet Ghosts wherever books are sold, but try to buy from bookstores rather than Amazon because Bezos is a shit-sandwich.