What do you think?
A Good Daughter’s Ghost
A babysitter faces the horror of longing for a life that might destroy her in this haunting debut for fans of Trang Thanh Tran.
Sixteen-year-old Rachel Bei comes from a family of mediums and spiritual practitioners—and she could not care less. Yes, there was that time she thought she saw her beloved wàipó not long after her death. But that was back in fifth grade, and grief does funny things to people. Now Rachel isn’t just a skeptic; she’s embarrassed by her mom’s beliefs. That’s one reason babysitting for the Morin family is so appealing. Their immaculate house and home-cooked dinners feel like an escape from Rachel’s messier life with her mom. The Morins may be moving through grief of their own, but Rachel is impressed by the sense of normalcy they’ve maintained for their daughter, Blythe . . . at least until Blythe tells Rachel she’s been speaking to her dead sister Maddie, and her ghost does not want Rachel in the house.
Drawing on Chinese folklore and suffused with a creeping dread that builds to a gruesome climax, this darkly immersive novel confronts family secrets, the stunning audacity of whiteness, and the ghosts we carry with us.
Sixteen-year-old Rachel Bei comes from a family of mediums and spiritual practitioners—and she could not care less. Yes, there was that time she thought she saw her beloved wàipó not long after her death. But that was back in fifth grade, and grief does funny things to people. Now Rachel isn’t just a skeptic; she’s embarrassed by her mom’s beliefs. That’s one reason babysitting for the Morin family is so appealing. Their immaculate house and home-cooked dinners feel like an escape from Rachel’s messier life with her mom. The Morins may be moving through grief of their own, but Rachel is impressed by the sense of normalcy they’ve maintained for their daughter, Blythe . . . at least until Blythe tells Rachel she’s been speaking to her dead sister Maddie, and her ghost does not want Rachel in the house.
Drawing on Chinese folklore and suffused with a creeping dread that builds to a gruesome climax, this darkly immersive novel confronts family secrets, the stunning audacity of whiteness, and the ghosts we carry with us.
280 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
2026
March 26, 2026Halloween TBR
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Annick Press
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
While there are a lot of things to like about Sam Wilket's A Good Daughter's Ghost, there are a few improvements that I think will elevate the book greatly.
WHAT I LIKE:
1) This has that classic ghost story vibe (think The Turn of the Screw, The Woman in Black, etc.).
2) The story itself is good.
3) The protagonist is relatable. I know what it's like to be a poor kid. I know what it's like to still wish to belong when you're in the home of someone who's better off, even though their family is far from perfect, etc. I know what it's like to undervalue what you already have at home until after you've grown a bit. I can feel all of that here in this book. The protagonist's longing for...not necessarily "better," but just...different, can be felt here.
WHAT I THINK CAN BE IMPROVED ON:
Even though I like and can relate to the protagonist, I don’t like being inside of her head, due to voice.
Chapter 1 is especially rough, which should be addressed, imo, since the first chapter of a book is the make-or-break chapter. If readers aren’t locked in early, it’s going to be hard to keep them.
Here, I'll share different excerpts from the first chapter (they'll be behind the spoiler tag).
1. The prose tries very hard to sound voicey.
However, it doesn't feel like a thought, and more like a performance.
2. The internal monologue is so rambling.
EXCERPT 1:
That's...okay, but my brain feels that "pissed-off rhino" doesn't sound like the natural passing thought of a teenager, but more like a very author-y metaphor.
And then, the whole "rasp of twenty pencils...," "tick-tick-tick of the clock limping toward noon," etc. Each line is...fine, but together, it feels like a list of descriptions instead of something lived-in, you know? So I don't feel immersed or present; it doesn't feel experiential, but more like the author is trying to describe a quiet classroom in a stylized way. It feels like the narrator is rambling.
3. The narrator's (author's) voice goes off on a tangent a lot.
EXCERPT 2:
The whole cinematic narration removes me from the actual moment the protagonist (narrator) is in just right before the tangent begins. It ends up reading like a clever idea the author has instead of the character's spontaneous coping mechanism.
My brain ends up going, "Wait, why are we here again? We were taking a test."
4. The tone is so inconsistent in one passage, that my brain doesn't know which "vibe" it's supposed to latch on to in that moment.
EXCERPT 3:
That's a lot of different tones going on at once. We go from sarcastic / snarky ("pissed-off-rhino"), to poetic / lyrical ("tick-tick-tick...limping toward noon"), to raw / embarrassing trauma ("wet patch on my pants"), to biting / social ("witch bitch"), and then back to music chatter.
Individually, all of these tones are fine, but when smashed together without any smooth transitions, it feels like when you're watching a movie, and the camera constantly zooms in and out, panning all over the place--up, down, left, right, all around, etc., and your brain and eyes are like, "Wait, what am I even supposed to look at?"
Even if the character is supposed to be complex and has scattered thoughts as a personality trait, the delivery itself feels so uneven.
The emotional memories are presented as one list, when it’s actually better to pull one or two memories and expand on them, so readers can really feel viscerally, instead of seeing a laundry list of traumas that don't really have an emotional impact on us in one way or another.
The individual memories of different traumas are strong, don't get me wrong. But instead of having me feel one sharp memory, it throws a bunch at me at once.
A long list of traumas actually does the opposite: the emotional overload feels flat, instead of impactful.
As a reader, I tend to connect more with one (or two) precise, painful moment(s), rather than a summary of moments.
I’ve found that I’d care more about the traumas if I’m given a chance to actually know and care about the character first. The best way to do that is to start with one traumatic memory that makes me feel intrigued, not sympathetic.
5. Dialogue feels "scripted YA" instead of natural.
A lot of the dialogue feels written, instead of spoken. Like, it's efficient, but...you don't feel like you're sitting at a lunch table with the character and her friend.
EXAMPLE 1: "Rachel!" Yas says my name like I suggested cheating on a test.
This one feels like exposition disguised as dialogue: "Don't you need this job for Osheaga?"
6. The prose feels "outdated." Like it lacks "freshness."
It's not the older music references; I love vintage music and pop culture, and so do many other people! I listen to even older stuff (we're talking Gregorian chants here).
However, the style of the narration resembles older YA that leans heavily on quirky metaphors, "voicey" internal monologue, explanatory emotional beats, etc.
Meanwhile, modern YA leans toward tighter prose (think boom-boom-boom, even when told through the lens of a quiet, thoughtful protagonist), fewer extended tangents (every single sentence serves a purpose), and the focus is on what's immediate, not what's clever.
If this were 2000s-2010s YA fiction, I wouldn't think anything of it, but for a book for the 2026 YA market, it feels...off. Even if the protagonist is meant to be an old soul who emotionally connects better to older things, and speaks in a more old-school way, the narration should still be written with modern readers in mind.
For example, one way to reconcile the two (an old-soul protagonist in a book for modern readers) is to do it like this: have the protagonist sound old-school when she speaks, but have the narrative feel current.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I can tell that this book is written with a lot of love a care, that it’s written by someone who is engaged with language and tuned into voice. I see the consistent effort in avoiding flatness, which is why the prose is so stylized. However, a book that’s fun to write is written with a different approach than a book that’s fun to read.
I feel that this book is written for writers, not readers. Readers like to know where and when we are in the story, what’s going on, etc. It doesn’t mean we want bad or clunky prose, it just means that we’re happy with one beautiful line that pushes the plot forward with momentum, rather than three beautiful lines that slow us down or keep us in one place.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
WHAT I LIKE:
1) This has that classic ghost story vibe (think The Turn of the Screw, The Woman in Black, etc.).
2) The story itself is good.
3) The protagonist is relatable. I know what it's like to be a poor kid. I know what it's like to still wish to belong when you're in the home of someone who's better off, even though their family is far from perfect, etc. I know what it's like to undervalue what you already have at home until after you've grown a bit. I can feel all of that here in this book. The protagonist's longing for...not necessarily "better," but just...different, can be felt here.
WHAT I THINK CAN BE IMPROVED ON:
Even though I like and can relate to the protagonist, I don’t like being inside of her head, due to voice.
Chapter 1 is especially rough, which should be addressed, imo, since the first chapter of a book is the make-or-break chapter. If readers aren’t locked in early, it’s going to be hard to keep them.
Here, I'll share different excerpts from the first chapter (they'll be behind the spoiler tag).
1. The prose tries very hard to sound voicey.
However, it doesn't feel like a thought, and more like a performance.
2. The internal monologue is so rambling.
EXCERPT 1:
That's...okay, but my brain feels that "pissed-off rhino" doesn't sound like the natural passing thought of a teenager, but more like a very author-y metaphor.
And then, the whole "rasp of twenty pencils...," "tick-tick-tick of the clock limping toward noon," etc. Each line is...fine, but together, it feels like a list of descriptions instead of something lived-in, you know? So I don't feel immersed or present; it doesn't feel experiential, but more like the author is trying to describe a quiet classroom in a stylized way. It feels like the narrator is rambling.
3. The narrator's (author's) voice goes off on a tangent a lot.
EXCERPT 2:
The whole cinematic narration removes me from the actual moment the protagonist (narrator) is in just right before the tangent begins. It ends up reading like a clever idea the author has instead of the character's spontaneous coping mechanism.
My brain ends up going, "Wait, why are we here again? We were taking a test."
4. The tone is so inconsistent in one passage, that my brain doesn't know which "vibe" it's supposed to latch on to in that moment.
EXCERPT 3:
That's a lot of different tones going on at once. We go from sarcastic / snarky ("pissed-off-rhino"), to poetic / lyrical ("tick-tick-tick...limping toward noon"), to raw / embarrassing trauma ("wet patch on my pants"), to biting / social ("witch bitch"), and then back to music chatter.
Individually, all of these tones are fine, but when smashed together without any smooth transitions, it feels like when you're watching a movie, and the camera constantly zooms in and out, panning all over the place--up, down, left, right, all around, etc., and your brain and eyes are like, "Wait, what am I even supposed to look at?"
Even if the character is supposed to be complex and has scattered thoughts as a personality trait, the delivery itself feels so uneven.
The emotional memories are presented as one list, when it’s actually better to pull one or two memories and expand on them, so readers can really feel viscerally, instead of seeing a laundry list of traumas that don't really have an emotional impact on us in one way or another.
The individual memories of different traumas are strong, don't get me wrong. But instead of having me feel one sharp memory, it throws a bunch at me at once.
A long list of traumas actually does the opposite: the emotional overload feels flat, instead of impactful.
As a reader, I tend to connect more with one (or two) precise, painful moment(s), rather than a summary of moments.
I’ve found that I’d care more about the traumas if I’m given a chance to actually know and care about the character first. The best way to do that is to start with one traumatic memory that makes me feel intrigued, not sympathetic.
5. Dialogue feels "scripted YA" instead of natural.
A lot of the dialogue feels written, instead of spoken. Like, it's efficient, but...you don't feel like you're sitting at a lunch table with the character and her friend.
EXAMPLE 1: "Rachel!" Yas says my name like I suggested cheating on a test.
This one feels like exposition disguised as dialogue: "Don't you need this job for Osheaga?"
6. The prose feels "outdated." Like it lacks "freshness."
It's not the older music references; I love vintage music and pop culture, and so do many other people! I listen to even older stuff (we're talking Gregorian chants here).
However, the style of the narration resembles older YA that leans heavily on quirky metaphors, "voicey" internal monologue, explanatory emotional beats, etc.
Meanwhile, modern YA leans toward tighter prose (think boom-boom-boom, even when told through the lens of a quiet, thoughtful protagonist), fewer extended tangents (every single sentence serves a purpose), and the focus is on what's immediate, not what's clever.
If this were 2000s-2010s YA fiction, I wouldn't think anything of it, but for a book for the 2026 YA market, it feels...off. Even if the protagonist is meant to be an old soul who emotionally connects better to older things, and speaks in a more old-school way, the narration should still be written with modern readers in mind.
For example, one way to reconcile the two (an old-soul protagonist in a book for modern readers) is to do it like this: have the protagonist sound old-school when she speaks, but have the narrative feel current.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I can tell that this book is written with a lot of love a care, that it’s written by someone who is engaged with language and tuned into voice. I see the consistent effort in avoiding flatness, which is why the prose is so stylized. However, a book that’s fun to write is written with a different approach than a book that’s fun to read.
I feel that this book is written for writers, not readers. Readers like to know where and when we are in the story, what’s going on, etc. It doesn’t mean we want bad or clunky prose, it just means that we’re happy with one beautiful line that pushes the plot forward with momentum, rather than three beautiful lines that slow us down or keep us in one place.
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!
“A Good Daughter’s Ghost” by Sam Wilket is one of those quiet, creepy ghost stories that slowly pulls you in and then gets way darker than you expect.
The story follows Rachel, a teen babysitter who takes a job caring for Blythe, a young girl still deeply grieving her older sister’s death. Right away, the situation feels off. The parents haven’t moved on at all; the dead daughter’s room is basically a shrine, and the mom starts treating Rachel like a replacement, even giving her the daughter’s clothes. It’s the kind of unsettling, slow-burn horror where you know something is wrong long before anything supernatural really kicks in.
And honestly, the grief in this book is just as heavy as the horror. Blythe is lashing out, the parents are in denial, and Rachel herself is dealing with bullying, loneliness, and feeling like she doesn’t really belong anywhere. That emotional core is one of the strongest parts of the book; it makes everything feel more grounded, even when things start getting weird.
The book brings in a lot of Chinese ghost folklore, which is a really cool and unique touch. Things like spirit communication and rituals (like fuji) add depth to the haunting and make it feel different from your typical YA ghost story. There’s also this idea that Rachel might have inherited some sensitivity to spirits from her grandmother, which adds another layer to what’s happening.
For a while, though, the horror is more psychological than anything. Rachel starts having nightmares, sleep paralysis, and sleepwalking episodes that leave her injured and exhausted. Her mental state slowly unravels, and you’re left wondering if this really is a haunting or is she just spiraling?
Then the haunting becomes very real.
As things escalate, the story leans more into full-on horror, with possession, violent supernatural encounters, and some genuinely grotesque imagery, especially in the climax. It’s a big shift from the quieter first half, but it works if you’re into that kind of slow-build payoff.
Rachel herself is a pretty realistic teen protagonist. She can be immature, a little naive, and makes some frustrating decisions (like ignoring very obvious red flags), but that also makes her feel believable. You understand why she clings to the family’s approval, even when things are clearly not okay.
That said, the writing style might not work for everyone. It’s very stylized with lots of metaphors and tangents in Rachel’s inner monologue. Sometimes it adds to the mood, but other times it can feel a bit overwhelming or distracting, especially when it pulls focus away from what’s actually happening in the scene, and it makes Rachel seem younger than she really is.
Pacing-wise, it’s a mixed bag. The middle drags a little, and the ending (while intense and satisfying) can feel slightly stretched out. The twist isn’t super hard to guess, but seeing it unfold is still engaging.
Overall, this is a moody, atmospheric ghost story that combines grief, family dysfunction, and cultural folklore into something pretty memorable. It’s less about jump scares and more about that creeping feeling that something isn’t right until it very much is. If you like slow-burn horror with emotional depth and a touch of cultural mythology, this one’s definitely worth checking out.
“A Good Daughter’s Ghost” by Sam Wilket is one of those quiet, creepy ghost stories that slowly pulls you in and then gets way darker than you expect.
The story follows Rachel, a teen babysitter who takes a job caring for Blythe, a young girl still deeply grieving her older sister’s death. Right away, the situation feels off. The parents haven’t moved on at all; the dead daughter’s room is basically a shrine, and the mom starts treating Rachel like a replacement, even giving her the daughter’s clothes. It’s the kind of unsettling, slow-burn horror where you know something is wrong long before anything supernatural really kicks in.
And honestly, the grief in this book is just as heavy as the horror. Blythe is lashing out, the parents are in denial, and Rachel herself is dealing with bullying, loneliness, and feeling like she doesn’t really belong anywhere. That emotional core is one of the strongest parts of the book; it makes everything feel more grounded, even when things start getting weird.
The book brings in a lot of Chinese ghost folklore, which is a really cool and unique touch. Things like spirit communication and rituals (like fuji) add depth to the haunting and make it feel different from your typical YA ghost story. There’s also this idea that Rachel might have inherited some sensitivity to spirits from her grandmother, which adds another layer to what’s happening.
For a while, though, the horror is more psychological than anything. Rachel starts having nightmares, sleep paralysis, and sleepwalking episodes that leave her injured and exhausted. Her mental state slowly unravels, and you’re left wondering if this really is a haunting or is she just spiraling?
Then the haunting becomes very real.
As things escalate, the story leans more into full-on horror, with possession, violent supernatural encounters, and some genuinely grotesque imagery, especially in the climax. It’s a big shift from the quieter first half, but it works if you’re into that kind of slow-build payoff.
Rachel herself is a pretty realistic teen protagonist. She can be immature, a little naive, and makes some frustrating decisions (like ignoring very obvious red flags), but that also makes her feel believable. You understand why she clings to the family’s approval, even when things are clearly not okay.
That said, the writing style might not work for everyone. It’s very stylized with lots of metaphors and tangents in Rachel’s inner monologue. Sometimes it adds to the mood, but other times it can feel a bit overwhelming or distracting, especially when it pulls focus away from what’s actually happening in the scene, and it makes Rachel seem younger than she really is.
Pacing-wise, it’s a mixed bag. The middle drags a little, and the ending (while intense and satisfying) can feel slightly stretched out. The twist isn’t super hard to guess, but seeing it unfold is still engaging.
Overall, this is a moody, atmospheric ghost story that combines grief, family dysfunction, and cultural folklore into something pretty memorable. It’s less about jump scares and more about that creeping feeling that something isn’t right until it very much is. If you like slow-burn horror with emotional depth and a touch of cultural mythology, this one’s definitely worth checking out.
September 4, 2026
Actual rating: ⭐️3.75⭐️
Review first posted over on CanLit for Little Canadians: https://canlitforlittlecanadians.blog...
This is a great horror story for young adults. It is a story in which a mother's grief allows literal ghosts to destroy the life of the family. Drawing upon her own heritage, debut author Sam Wilket, a second-generation Canadian of white British and Chinese descent, feeds her story with Chinese folklore and mythology, helping her to build the dread and danger at a near-perfect pace. But what really makes this novel shine is the more human story about grief, about how people move through it, and how it can slowly erode the foundation of a family, despite those who process that grief in a healthy way.
This mother’s grief is an apt metaphor for the very mundane and non-paranormal way that the agony of loss can consume people. There are many creepy and chilling scenes that build horror associated with grief. These scenes, all occurring as characters process grief, include people having out-of-body experiences; having no memory of their actions and losing spans of time; hallucinating; and erupting into violent outbursts. The paranormal is used as a powerful metaphor for universal emotions faced by many at some point in their lives.
Normally I get so frustrated with horror stories in which obviously supernatural and dangerous things occur. It is not uncommon to have characters who come up with ridiculous ways to rationalize what they experience, or who take far longer to reach their breaking point than feels realistic. But, in The Good Daughter's Ghost, I never once became frustrated at the characters' reactions to the increasingly scary circumstances because of the way Sam Wilket presented their emotional and life situations. The way they reacted made sense.
Apart from the subject of grief, the subplots focus on Rachel, our teen protagonist, and her relationship with her mom, as well as with her cultural identity. These story lines will be especially relevant to teens, the intended audience of The Good Daughter's Ghost, though the book can be appreciated by a far older audience too.
I would have appreciated more detail in several aspects of the story. First, I craved more from the epilogue, so that there would have been more story of the aftermath of a violent and horrifying climax. Rather than jumping to six months later, I would have liked to see the journey to how things became okay again. Also, I would have liked for Sam Wilket to expand on how a Canadian Caucasian knew enough about Chinese spiritual practices to perform the steps that were taken. Perhaps because of her own background, which she writes upon on her website, Sam Wilket has such knowledge, though it would be unfamiliar to many persons. Some additional discourse about the source of that info would be valuable.
This may be a YA horror novel, but even as a reader who is beyond that age group, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Good Daughter's Ghost, and look forward to future titles from Sam Wilket.
Review first posted over on CanLit for Little Canadians: https://canlitforlittlecanadians.blog...
This is a great horror story for young adults. It is a story in which a mother's grief allows literal ghosts to destroy the life of the family. Drawing upon her own heritage, debut author Sam Wilket, a second-generation Canadian of white British and Chinese descent, feeds her story with Chinese folklore and mythology, helping her to build the dread and danger at a near-perfect pace. But what really makes this novel shine is the more human story about grief, about how people move through it, and how it can slowly erode the foundation of a family, despite those who process that grief in a healthy way.
This mother’s grief is an apt metaphor for the very mundane and non-paranormal way that the agony of loss can consume people. There are many creepy and chilling scenes that build horror associated with grief. These scenes, all occurring as characters process grief, include people having out-of-body experiences; having no memory of their actions and losing spans of time; hallucinating; and erupting into violent outbursts. The paranormal is used as a powerful metaphor for universal emotions faced by many at some point in their lives.
Normally I get so frustrated with horror stories in which obviously supernatural and dangerous things occur. It is not uncommon to have characters who come up with ridiculous ways to rationalize what they experience, or who take far longer to reach their breaking point than feels realistic. But, in The Good Daughter's Ghost, I never once became frustrated at the characters' reactions to the increasingly scary circumstances because of the way Sam Wilket presented their emotional and life situations. The way they reacted made sense.
Apart from the subject of grief, the subplots focus on Rachel, our teen protagonist, and her relationship with her mom, as well as with her cultural identity. These story lines will be especially relevant to teens, the intended audience of The Good Daughter's Ghost, though the book can be appreciated by a far older audience too.
I would have appreciated more detail in several aspects of the story. First, I craved more from the epilogue, so that there would have been more story of the aftermath of a violent and horrifying climax. Rather than jumping to six months later, I would have liked to see the journey to how things became okay again. Also, I would have liked for Sam Wilket to expand on how a Canadian Caucasian knew enough about Chinese spiritual practices to perform the steps that were taken. Perhaps because of her own background, which she writes upon on her website, Sam Wilket has such knowledge, though it would be unfamiliar to many persons. Some additional discourse about the source of that info would be valuable.
This may be a YA horror novel, but even as a reader who is beyond that age group, I still thoroughly enjoyed The Good Daughter's Ghost, and look forward to future titles from Sam Wilket.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Good Daughter’s Ghost by Sam Wilket is a haunting debut that explores grief, family secrets, and the supernatural with a slow-burning intensity that gradually builds to a startling climax. The novel is rich in emotional depth, and while much of the story delves into themes of loss and mourning, it also offers a compelling mystery that kept me turning the pages.
The story centers around Rachel Bei, a sixteen-year-old girl from a family of mediums and spiritual practitioners—though she’s quick to dismiss her family's beliefs, preferring to focus on her own life. Rachel has been mourning her father’s loss for her entire life, and more recently, her grandmother’s passing has added another layer of grief. Her mother is struggling to cope, which forces Rachel to grow up quickly and take on responsibilities beyond her years.
In an effort to find some semblance of normalcy and a bit of joy, Rachel takes a babysitting job with the Morin family. The Morins are still grieving the recent tragic death of their eldest daughter, and their household is filled with an undercurrent of sadness and unresolved pain. Rachel bonds with Blythe, the youngest daughter, who confides in her about speaking to her deceased sister Maddie. Soon, eerie occurrences begin—sleepwalking, bouts of aggression, and intense insomnia—that make Rachel question her own sanity and whether she’s becoming possessed or manipulated.
Wilket does an excellent job of depicting the slow unraveling of Rachel’s mental state, and the emotional toll of grief is portrayed with honesty and nuance. The book is quite detailed, providing many clues and building a creeping dread that culminates in a thrilling 15% of action, mystery, and wonder that truly surprised me. However, I found that the majority of the novel was a bit slow-paced; it could have benefited from condensing some sections to heighten the impact of the more intense moments.
What I appreciated most was how Wilket seamlessly wove Chinese folklore into the narrative, adding layers of cultural richness and depth to the supernatural elements. The themes of family secrets, the power of grief, and the haunting presence of ghosts—both literal and metaphorical—are explored with care.
Overall, A Good Daughter’s Ghost is an immersive and atmospheric read that, despite its slower pace at times, delivers a compelling mix of horror, mystery, and emotional truth. It’s a story that lingers in the mind long after the last page, making it a worthwhile read for fans of supernatural thrillers and emotionally charged family dramas.
The story centers around Rachel Bei, a sixteen-year-old girl from a family of mediums and spiritual practitioners—though she’s quick to dismiss her family's beliefs, preferring to focus on her own life. Rachel has been mourning her father’s loss for her entire life, and more recently, her grandmother’s passing has added another layer of grief. Her mother is struggling to cope, which forces Rachel to grow up quickly and take on responsibilities beyond her years.
In an effort to find some semblance of normalcy and a bit of joy, Rachel takes a babysitting job with the Morin family. The Morins are still grieving the recent tragic death of their eldest daughter, and their household is filled with an undercurrent of sadness and unresolved pain. Rachel bonds with Blythe, the youngest daughter, who confides in her about speaking to her deceased sister Maddie. Soon, eerie occurrences begin—sleepwalking, bouts of aggression, and intense insomnia—that make Rachel question her own sanity and whether she’s becoming possessed or manipulated.
Wilket does an excellent job of depicting the slow unraveling of Rachel’s mental state, and the emotional toll of grief is portrayed with honesty and nuance. The book is quite detailed, providing many clues and building a creeping dread that culminates in a thrilling 15% of action, mystery, and wonder that truly surprised me. However, I found that the majority of the novel was a bit slow-paced; it could have benefited from condensing some sections to heighten the impact of the more intense moments.
What I appreciated most was how Wilket seamlessly wove Chinese folklore into the narrative, adding layers of cultural richness and depth to the supernatural elements. The themes of family secrets, the power of grief, and the haunting presence of ghosts—both literal and metaphorical—are explored with care.
Overall, A Good Daughter’s Ghost is an immersive and atmospheric read that, despite its slower pace at times, delivers a compelling mix of horror, mystery, and emotional truth. It’s a story that lingers in the mind long after the last page, making it a worthwhile read for fans of supernatural thrillers and emotionally charged family dramas.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Truly, this story had everything I wanted for the type of ghost story it was trying to tell. It was a brilliant slow build to the terrifying concept of losing control of yourself, especially for a main character who spent so much time maintaining control in the face of sitations and people that were causing her a tremendous amont of stress. The tension was PALPABLE. I loved feeling like I wanted to burst out of my skin and scream on the main character's behalf, or imagining being trapped and aware while my body moved without my permission.
It also highlighted the true horrors of grief and desperation in the face of unimaginable loss. And loss, in so many ways, really was a truly strong theme in this narrative. Loss of control, loss of friendship, loss of your idea of someone, loss of your idea of yourself, and very real, physical loss of a person to an untimely death. I could easily put myself in the shoes of the main character, as well as several others, and I could just as easily sit back and watch all of the chaos unfold once that over extended rubberband of tension finally snapped each time it did.
The cultural aspects of this book were fascinating as well, and so was the look at what it meant to be part of a culture so thoroughly, but to not look like you belong to it, and to have both outside judgement and judgement from within your own self placed upon you due to this. The relationships in this book were deep and at the same time it showed how fragile they could feel when put under the right kind of pressure.
The only issue I had with it was that bullying in books and movies always seems so overplayed and unreal to me. But while I couldn't imagine some of the bullying here being real, the main character's response to it was VERY real, and that pulled me right back in when the sort of ridiculous things teenagers were doing started pulling me out. And to be honest, maybe I just had less inventive bullies than others when I was growing up? Either way, it was satisfying to see where things went with that.
I do highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a tense, supernatural, coming of age story about a girl getting to know herself and learning to trust her instincts while facing horrors that no one should have to face. Read it!
It also highlighted the true horrors of grief and desperation in the face of unimaginable loss. And loss, in so many ways, really was a truly strong theme in this narrative. Loss of control, loss of friendship, loss of your idea of someone, loss of your idea of yourself, and very real, physical loss of a person to an untimely death. I could easily put myself in the shoes of the main character, as well as several others, and I could just as easily sit back and watch all of the chaos unfold once that over extended rubberband of tension finally snapped each time it did.
The cultural aspects of this book were fascinating as well, and so was the look at what it meant to be part of a culture so thoroughly, but to not look like you belong to it, and to have both outside judgement and judgement from within your own self placed upon you due to this. The relationships in this book were deep and at the same time it showed how fragile they could feel when put under the right kind of pressure.
The only issue I had with it was that bullying in books and movies always seems so overplayed and unreal to me. But while I couldn't imagine some of the bullying here being real, the main character's response to it was VERY real, and that pulled me right back in when the sort of ridiculous things teenagers were doing started pulling me out. And to be honest, maybe I just had less inventive bullies than others when I was growing up? Either way, it was satisfying to see where things went with that.
I do highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a tense, supernatural, coming of age story about a girl getting to know herself and learning to trust her instincts while facing horrors that no one should have to face. Read it!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Net Galley, Annick Press and Sam Wilket for a copy of the eARC.
It's always nice to read books that are Canadian as I always feel a sense of familiarity, especially when it's based off of cities I've been to. I enjoyed this book immensely. It's also even more enjoyable as my parents are also from Taiwan where there is a belief in spirits and otherworldly things. The Taiwanese in me did ruin the story a little for me because by like 30%, I already had a sense of what was happening and who the actual antagonist is. The fact that my parents are very devout Taoism believers have opened up my world to quite some experiences myself. As the Taiwanese say, never pick up random things that contain other people's belongings, especially if you see random red packets on the street.
Rachel was a little hard to like, but I guess she was really the epitome of a teenage girl. One who is old enough to think they are independent, yet still underage to be making big decisions themselves. She definitely was in her rebellious phase and it didn't help that she could not really pinpoint who she was, especially since she did not know her father. I did enjoy Blythe though. She was also your very typical child who is attached to the tablet. I love how sassy she was at times. It was also a treat to see how she played quite a big role in this whole story.
I would definitely recommend this to people who are looking for horror but also interested in learning about different cultures. It's definitely filled with both the usual western gore/ghastly figures, but also the Chinese/Taiwanese belief of beings such as Zhong Kui. I was just a tad disappointed that the Zhong Kui on the door did not play as big of a part in this story. In most stories I've heard from my parents, Zhong Kui would usually block out spirits from entering the home.
✔ Paranormal horror
✔ Teens growing up
✔ Friendship between people of different ages
✔ Learning to be responsible
✔ Parents learning to trust their children
✔ Canadian setting
✔ Finding oneself
✔ Cultural differences appearing in the horror aspect
It's always nice to read books that are Canadian as I always feel a sense of familiarity, especially when it's based off of cities I've been to. I enjoyed this book immensely. It's also even more enjoyable as my parents are also from Taiwan where there is a belief in spirits and otherworldly things. The Taiwanese in me did ruin the story a little for me because by like 30%, I already had a sense of what was happening and who the actual antagonist is. The fact that my parents are very devout Taoism believers have opened up my world to quite some experiences myself. As the Taiwanese say, never pick up random things that contain other people's belongings, especially if you see random red packets on the street.
Rachel was a little hard to like, but I guess she was really the epitome of a teenage girl. One who is old enough to think they are independent, yet still underage to be making big decisions themselves. She definitely was in her rebellious phase and it didn't help that she could not really pinpoint who she was, especially since she did not know her father. I did enjoy Blythe though. She was also your very typical child who is attached to the tablet. I love how sassy she was at times. It was also a treat to see how she played quite a big role in this whole story.
I would definitely recommend this to people who are looking for horror but also interested in learning about different cultures. It's definitely filled with both the usual western gore/ghastly figures, but also the Chinese/Taiwanese belief of beings such as Zhong Kui. I was just a tad disappointed that the Zhong Kui on the door did not play as big of a part in this story. In most stories I've heard from my parents, Zhong Kui would usually block out spirits from entering the home.
✔ Paranormal horror
✔ Teens growing up
✔ Friendship between people of different ages
✔ Learning to be responsible
✔ Parents learning to trust their children
✔ Canadian setting
✔ Finding oneself
✔ Cultural differences appearing in the horror aspect
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐⭐⭐ 3 Stars (ARC via NetGalley)
A Good Daughter’s Ghost was a solid, atmospheric read with a strong emotional core, but not without its challenges.
I’ll start by saying the manuscript format I received made this harder to read than it should have been. Having to constantly resize pages disrupted the flow, which definitely impacted my overall reading experience.
That aside, the story itself is a quiet, slow-burn ghost story that leans heavily into grief, family dysfunction, and psychological unease. We follow Rachel, a teen babysitter pulled into a deeply unsettling household still consumed by the loss of a daughter. From the start, something feels off and that tension builds steadily throughout the book.
One of the strongest aspects was the emotional weight. The grief felt real, messy, and suffocating. Each character is navigating it in their own way, and that grounded the story even as the supernatural elements began to unfold.
I also appreciated the incorporation of Chinese ghost folklore. It added a unique layer to the haunting and helped set this apart from more traditional YA horror stories.
That said, the pacing was uneven for me. The middle dragged, and while the horror does escalate into something darker and more intense, it takes a while to get there. The writing style is also very internal and metaphor-heavy, which at times added to the mood, but at others pulled me out of the story.
Overall, this is more of an atmospheric, grief-driven horror than a fast-paced or plot-heavy one. It won’t work for everyone, but if you enjoy slow-burn horror with emotional depth and cultural elements, this is worth checking out.
Tropes & Themes:
• Slow-burn horror
• Haunted house / family home
• Grief & loss
• Replacement child dynamic
• Psychological unraveling
• Possession & supernatural influence
• Cultural folklore (Chinese ghost mythology)
• Unreliable perception
A Good Daughter’s Ghost was a solid, atmospheric read with a strong emotional core, but not without its challenges.
I’ll start by saying the manuscript format I received made this harder to read than it should have been. Having to constantly resize pages disrupted the flow, which definitely impacted my overall reading experience.
That aside, the story itself is a quiet, slow-burn ghost story that leans heavily into grief, family dysfunction, and psychological unease. We follow Rachel, a teen babysitter pulled into a deeply unsettling household still consumed by the loss of a daughter. From the start, something feels off and that tension builds steadily throughout the book.
One of the strongest aspects was the emotional weight. The grief felt real, messy, and suffocating. Each character is navigating it in their own way, and that grounded the story even as the supernatural elements began to unfold.
I also appreciated the incorporation of Chinese ghost folklore. It added a unique layer to the haunting and helped set this apart from more traditional YA horror stories.
That said, the pacing was uneven for me. The middle dragged, and while the horror does escalate into something darker and more intense, it takes a while to get there. The writing style is also very internal and metaphor-heavy, which at times added to the mood, but at others pulled me out of the story.
Overall, this is more of an atmospheric, grief-driven horror than a fast-paced or plot-heavy one. It won’t work for everyone, but if you enjoy slow-burn horror with emotional depth and cultural elements, this is worth checking out.
Tropes & Themes:
• Slow-burn horror
• Haunted house / family home
• Grief & loss
• Replacement child dynamic
• Psychological unraveling
• Possession & supernatural influence
• Cultural folklore (Chinese ghost mythology)
• Unreliable perception
September 28, 2026
I received this ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is easily one of the scariest YA books I’ve ever read.
Rachel is a teen growing up in Canada with only her mom to raise her. Her mom helps others with their grief and offers help with spirits, something Rachel isn’t too keen to believe. She wants to go to a music festival, but knows she’ll have to save her own money to get there. She interviews for a babysitting position that seems a little too good to be true, but the pay is there so she takes it. The Morin’s have recently lost the oldest daughter, but Rachel seems to know what she’s doing and is willing to take on Blythe and her grief induced tantrums. She doesn’t know what Sylvia Morin’s real motive is though…
The characters are pretty diverse and feel authentic. Rachel is a decently well adjusted teen considering her life. She is bullied, but she does her best to ignore the bullies and live her life. She does normal teen things, and feels like she could be real. Her friends and family all also feel like they could be real people. The author does a great job of bringing these characters to life in less than 300 pages. Rachel really goes through it, but she ends up being a strong lead.
The writing is very easy to digest, and the tone is appropriately ominous for the content. The readers realize much sooner than Rachel does her danger, mostly because the author does a good job foreshadowing. This is perfect for a teen who wants a scary book for the season.
This is easily one of the scariest YA books I’ve ever read.
Rachel is a teen growing up in Canada with only her mom to raise her. Her mom helps others with their grief and offers help with spirits, something Rachel isn’t too keen to believe. She wants to go to a music festival, but knows she’ll have to save her own money to get there. She interviews for a babysitting position that seems a little too good to be true, but the pay is there so she takes it. The Morin’s have recently lost the oldest daughter, but Rachel seems to know what she’s doing and is willing to take on Blythe and her grief induced tantrums. She doesn’t know what Sylvia Morin’s real motive is though…
The characters are pretty diverse and feel authentic. Rachel is a decently well adjusted teen considering her life. She is bullied, but she does her best to ignore the bullies and live her life. She does normal teen things, and feels like she could be real. Her friends and family all also feel like they could be real people. The author does a great job of bringing these characters to life in less than 300 pages. Rachel really goes through it, but she ends up being a strong lead.
The writing is very easy to digest, and the tone is appropriately ominous for the content. The readers realize much sooner than Rachel does her danger, mostly because the author does a good job foreshadowing. This is perfect for a teen who wants a scary book for the season.
September 21, 2026
This novel reminds me a lot of A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder by Holly Jackson in the essence of a naive teenager getting in so far over her head as well as the levity to seriousness ratio that the FMC exhibits. It also reminds me of Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak. Especially with a young child being a kind of “messenger” and the babysitter experiencing a lot of supernatural events due to familial choices.
I really really loved the Chinese mythology and folklore that are entangled in this novel. It added so much character to the book as well as the horror. The FMC in the novel is half Chinese and it’s so beautiful to see her fall back onto her spiritual teachings from her mom and grandmother in her times of need (even though she didn’t really believe in it).
Rachel (FMC) is such a personable and independent character. She is so full of life and longing. She got dealt a bad draw but she persevered and got her HEA.
This is YA horror at its finest! We have our truly horrific and scary moments with great twists and turns as well as a lead character with so much depth and potential. I’d love to see more of Rachel Bei in the future!
I really really loved the Chinese mythology and folklore that are entangled in this novel. It added so much character to the book as well as the horror. The FMC in the novel is half Chinese and it’s so beautiful to see her fall back onto her spiritual teachings from her mom and grandmother in her times of need (even though she didn’t really believe in it).
Rachel (FMC) is such a personable and independent character. She is so full of life and longing. She got dealt a bad draw but she persevered and got her HEA.
This is YA horror at its finest! We have our truly horrific and scary moments with great twists and turns as well as a lead character with so much depth and potential. I’d love to see more of Rachel Bei in the future!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4.25 Stars (rounded down)
Haunting is the best way to describe this novel.
A Good Daughter’s Ghost tells the story of Rachel, a 16 year old girl who babysits for a young girl, Blythe, who is haunted by the death of her sister.
Rachel as a character was relatable, with her strict mother with high expectations and (in my personal opinion) great music taste.
The only way this book could’ve been better is if it delved more into Rachel’s mindset when the monster takes control. I loved the scene where she couldn’t save her mother from the monster, but my favorite was definitely the scene where Rachel eats raw meat. The disgust she felt when she found the half-chewed wad of meat was palpable and I, as a reader, felt her same disgust. It also could’ve been improved if there were more details in general. Honestly, I just wish this book were longer.
I felt that the ending was slightly rushed but there wasn’t too much fluff in the epilogue.
Overall, a spooky read for fans of slow-building horror and folktales.
Haunting is the best way to describe this novel.
A Good Daughter’s Ghost tells the story of Rachel, a 16 year old girl who babysits for a young girl, Blythe, who is haunted by the death of her sister.
Rachel as a character was relatable, with her strict mother with high expectations and (in my personal opinion) great music taste.
The only way this book could’ve been better is if it delved more into Rachel’s mindset when the monster takes control. I loved the scene where she couldn’t save her mother from the monster, but my favorite was definitely the scene where Rachel eats raw meat. The disgust she felt when she found the half-chewed wad of meat was palpable and I, as a reader, felt her same disgust. It also could’ve been improved if there were more details in general. Honestly, I just wish this book were longer.
I felt that the ending was slightly rushed but there wasn’t too much fluff in the epilogue.
Overall, a spooky read for fans of slow-building horror and folktales.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A Good Daughter's Ghost was a nice spooky read.
In this novel, we follow Rachel as she goes to babysit for the (a little too eager) Morin family while dealing with bullies at school, an overbearing spiritual mother and the fear of potentially losing her best friend. As the story advance, we get to explore chinese spiritual beliefs, grief, and cultural appropriation.
The reader is eased into the story easily and the narration felt almost natural. The supernatural elements are sufficiently spaced out throughout the novel so the horror element is neither too thin or too suffocating. The ending was a little stretched out, but overall satisfying for this story.
A good recommandation for a scary story with a multicultural twist taking place in Canada!
Thanks to NetGalley, Annick Press and Sam Wilket for this ARC :)
In this novel, we follow Rachel as she goes to babysit for the (a little too eager) Morin family while dealing with bullies at school, an overbearing spiritual mother and the fear of potentially losing her best friend. As the story advance, we get to explore chinese spiritual beliefs, grief, and cultural appropriation.
The reader is eased into the story easily and the narration felt almost natural. The supernatural elements are sufficiently spaced out throughout the novel so the horror element is neither too thin or too suffocating. The ending was a little stretched out, but overall satisfying for this story.
A good recommandation for a scary story with a multicultural twist taking place in Canada!
Thanks to NetGalley, Annick Press and Sam Wilket for this ARC :)
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is not only a ghost story, but a beautiful story showcasing multiple shades of grief.
A Good Daughter’s Ghost is the exact kind of book I would have snatched up as a teenager, based solely on the cover, and it did not disappoint!
This was a quick, atmospheric read. I truly felt the isolation and panic as Rachel begins to experience creepy episodes and her loss of self control.
I found Rachel relatable. She’s trying to keep everything together on her own even though everything is falling apart.
This book had me ensnared all the way to the end and I didn’t want to put it down!
Thank you to Annick Press, NetGalley and Sam Wilkes for this eARC.
A Good Daughter’s Ghost is the exact kind of book I would have snatched up as a teenager, based solely on the cover, and it did not disappoint!
This was a quick, atmospheric read. I truly felt the isolation and panic as Rachel begins to experience creepy episodes and her loss of self control.
I found Rachel relatable. She’s trying to keep everything together on her own even though everything is falling apart.
This book had me ensnared all the way to the end and I didn’t want to put it down!
Thank you to Annick Press, NetGalley and Sam Wilkes for this eARC.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I read this one really quickly, I enjoyed the plot and the author did a great job at setting the mood and atmosphere. I loved all the lore and reading about Chinese customs for spirits and the afterlife. There were some things that that I felt could’ve been fleshed out more, and I felt like the end kind of dragged on a little bit at parts, but all in all, it was an enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the arc ♥️
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’m not sure what I was expecting but this was so much better, the writing was beautiful and haunting. And I particularly enjoyed the addition of Chinese folklore woven into this ghost story. I will definitely be buying a physical copy.
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with the review copy!
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with the review copy!
September 19, 2026
This novel is perfect for young adults an unique story of a mothers grif actually followed by ghost and the grief in this book is just as heavy as the horror.. I personally liked the Chinese folklore weved into the story. Very atmospheric bringing in the mood of the story.
Definitely recommend this one.
Definitely recommend this one.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I couldn't put it down.
September 18, 2026
I was bored, I wanted horror not a typical highschool experience.
Dnfed
Dnfed
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2026
Realization is slow in coming until the prolonged fight to the finish. Should still satisfy horror fans.
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