thank you to Penguin Teen for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review
I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book, but I ended up finding a beautiful story of belonging, grief, and love in the story of a gay ghost therapist. Dorian Leith can see ghosts, and he’s made his entire life basically being their therapist so he can heal their pain and help them move on from the world of the living. But when the key to the door that takes them into the land of the dead is stolen, suddenly the ghosts are no longer able to cross over, and doing his job escalates to an unimaginable level. Along the way, he’s trying to keep the connections he has to the world of the living, and himself, grounded. Although it took me a little bit to get into, this story was beautiful and beautifully told with its art, telling a story that felt unique while also touching on topics we can all relate to at least one point in our lives. I would definitely recommend it!
When the story first begins, it’s a little hard to truly understand what’s going on, and I almost wish we’d gotten introduced to Dorian before his work, although it was satisfying to see how everything ended up wrapping up at the end. The outward problem of the story, people’s reactions to ghosts and the missing key, seem somewhat mundane (as mundane as ghosts can be) at first, but everything builds up until it’s impossible to ignore. Throughout, I really loved seeing the exploration of Dorian’s character, both with his past and his future with characters like Brody. I wouldn’t describe this as cozy fantasy necessarily, but it’s certainly adjacent.
It’s a little bit hard to talk about the best parts of this story because they kind of act as spoilers, but what I can say that this is a beautiful exploration of grief and loss, love for others and for yourself, and the story of someone who can see ghosts and the burdens that come from the living and the dead. It’s also beautifully rendered, showcasing the pain but also the beauty contained within this story. I can’t wait to return to this story once again when it’s physically released!