
The Ghost of You
Michael Gray Bulla(Author)
Quill Tree Books (Publisher)
Published on 10. October 2024
Book
Hardback
336 pages
978-0-06-309175-7 (ISBN)
Description
From the author of If I Can Give You That comes an emotional novel that follows a transgender teen who must grapple with a friendship fracturing and a new romance blossoming, all while being haunted by a devastating loss. A must-read for fans of How It Feels to Float and The Ghosts We Keep.
Caleb's world broke the day his brother died of a drug overdose. Now in the throes of grief, Caleb hardly ever sees his friends anymore, and school isn't much better. He's on the verge of failing his songwriting class, never mind that music used to be his greatest passion. Even Tanya, his best friend, is growing tired of trying to push him back into his life.
But perhaps most concerning of all: A black cat has been following Caleb around...a cat that only he can see. A cat that may just be a ghost.
Then Caleb is assigned a songwriting partner in class: Emmett, the nonbinary lead singer of a local punk band. The cat takes a liking to Emmett-and maybe Caleb does, too. As they write together, Caleb begins opening up about his grief, and the two realize they have more in common than expected. Now Caleb will have to decide if he is ready to heal with Emmett's help-or recede in life and become as invisible as the ghostly cat at his heel.
Caleb's world broke the day his brother died of a drug overdose. Now in the throes of grief, Caleb hardly ever sees his friends anymore, and school isn't much better. He's on the verge of failing his songwriting class, never mind that music used to be his greatest passion. Even Tanya, his best friend, is growing tired of trying to push him back into his life.
But perhaps most concerning of all: A black cat has been following Caleb around...a cat that only he can see. A cat that may just be a ghost.
Then Caleb is assigned a songwriting partner in class: Emmett, the nonbinary lead singer of a local punk band. The cat takes a liking to Emmett-and maybe Caleb does, too. As they write together, Caleb begins opening up about his grief, and the two realize they have more in common than expected. Now Caleb will have to decide if he is ready to heal with Emmett's help-or recede in life and become as invisible as the ghostly cat at his heel.
Reviews / Votes
"This book offers positive representation that will resonate with many young adult readers, especially fans of Meredith Russo and Kacen Callender." - Booklist"A moving novel about grief and the possibility of hope after loss. Bulla creates an open and inclusive narrative for the characters to share their experiences as -LGBTQIA+ teens. -This story is touching, heartbreaking, and poignant. A must for readers who enjoy complex -emotional -journeys." - School Library Journal
"The book has moments of rich emotion." - Kirkus Reviews
"Laden with audience-engaging punk rock and emo music references and realistically depicting the casual access to drugs and alcohol in high school, this book explores the complex relationship between grief and love while tackling difficult subjects like addiction, substance abuse, abusive relationships, and suicide." - Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Target group
Young adult
US School Grade: Ninth Grade and over, Interest Age: From 14 years
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Dimensions
Height: 214 mm
Width: 143 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
382 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-06-309175-7 (9780063091757)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Person
Michael Gray Bulla is a recent graduate of Wells College. He was named the 2017 Nashville Youth Poet Laureate with Southern Word and is the author of the poetry collection Letters to the Home. He is also the cohost of the literary podcast Bookends. Gray's first book is If I Can Give You That, and his second is The Ghost of You. Originally from Nashville, Bulla currently resides in Ithaca, New York. Visit him online at michaelgraybulla.com or on Twitter or Instagram @graybulla.