Ghosted: A Funny and Heartwarming Story About Seventh Grade Friendship for Children

by Michael Fry

From the best-selling author of the How to Be a Supervillain series comes this laugh-out-loud, heavily illustrated story of a shy boy, his best-friend-turned-ghost, and their bucket list of adventures and dares. Perfect for fans of the Timmy Failure and Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.

Larry’s got a few problems. In school, he’s one of those kids who easily gets lost in the crowd. And Grimm, Larry’s best friend in the whole world, has ghosted him. Literally. One minute Grimm was saving a cat in a tree during a lightning storm, and the next, he’s pulling pranks on Larry in his new ghostly form.

When the two best friends realize that there’s something keeping Grimm tethered to their world, they decide that finishing their Totally To-Do bucket list is the perfect way to help Grimm with his unfinished business. Pulling hilarious pranks and shenanigans may be easier with a ghostly best friend, but as Larry and Grimm brave the scares of seventh grade, they realize that saying goodbye might just be the scariest part of middle school.  
 
 

Genres: Humor, Middle Grade, Juvenile, Graphic Novels, Realistic Fiction, Fantasy, Ghosts

272 pages, Hardcover

Published January 19, 2021

Reviews

[Hoover Public Library Kids and Teens · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this heavily illustrated novel, Larry is shocked when his best friend, Grimm, returns as a ghost two weeks after he died saving a cat in a storm. To discover what is keeping Grimm among the living, the friends try to cross items off their unfinished Totally To-Do List.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

This funny, middle grade book is perfect for fans of series like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, Marty Pants, and King of the Bench. The text has a large font-size, plenty of white space and many sketches throughout making the eye appeal and ease of reading high. The plot is engaging and while most 4th-6th graders have never had a friend die and then return as an ever-present ghost, the school personalities and activities are absolutely true to the experiences of most in the target age group. The humor was at chuckle level for this adult reader, making it more than that for students. Middle grade libraries with a readership in the previously mentioned series would do well to purchase this one. Content notes: no profanity, no sexual content, violence is limited to a food fight, but teasing of others and graffiti on the school campus are key events. There are consequences to both activities. Representation: Students illustrated and described in text are of a variety of body shapes, several economic levels are indicated, and the two main character best friends are Caucasian and Black. Thanks for the print ARC, HMH kids.

[Yapha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This illustrated novel deals with a difficult topic in a relatable way. Seventh grader Larry's best friend Grimm died in a freak accident. Now Grimm's ghost is back and together he and Larry are trying to figure out what Grimm's "unfinished business" is so that he can move on. This is not a scary ghost story. It is silly and sad and a little poignant with a look at middle school choices and friendships that are universal. Recommended for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, grades 4 & up.

ARC provided by publisher

[☺Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny, sweet yet sassy book aimed at middle-grade readers about dealing with overwhelming grief. Ghosted is about how twelve year old Larry comes to terms with the devastating loss of his best friend Grimm, helping the ghost of his deceased friend "cross over", and eventually making a new friend, Boogie.
The sketches included throughout the book definitely add to the entertainment factor. Good book ...

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Thanks,” I said. “You really didn’t need to help me with this.”

And THIS is how so many of the best friendships begin... so grateful for friends who are always there not because they *have* to be, but because they *want* to be.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s been a long time since I’ve read a book that handled the topic of grief so perfectly. It was hilarious, sweet and even caused I, the emotional robot to rust with tears.

[Stephanie Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this is about best friends Larry and Grimm. They met for the first time in fourth grade where Grimm helped Larry get rid of a warm soda that he dropped which fell under the vending machine in the lunch room. It was a grenade waiting to go off so they took it out to the field so it can explode without any thing getting soda all over it just grass. That was the first of their many adventures, Grimm helped Larry come out his shell and quit blending into the background. Until Grimm never shows up to meet Larry one stormy afternoon, turns out Grimm was getting a cat out of a tree and lightning struck him and he died. Two weeks later Grimm shows up in the treehouse that him and Larry hang out in. As they are talking Larry tells Grimm that maybe he has some unfinished business that is why he is there with him. So they try to complete their Totally-To-Do List and see if any of the list items are something that Grimm regrets not getting to accomplish. So they try a bunch of them meanwhile Larry is going back to therapy since he keeps getting caught talking to no one which is Grimm so his mom wants to make sure he is processing his grief and is ok.

They do eventually figure out what his unfinished business is and get that resolved. Larry learns how to exist without his best friend and makes a new friend. I really enjoyed this and really liked the format it was presented in. It was mostly text with some cartoons intermixed which gave us visuals that really worked with the story. The subject was really interesting for a middle grade book since it dealt with death of a friend and grief and how you let them go. A really fast read and a really great story.

Thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from HMH Books for Young Readers through Edelweiss+ and NetGalley.
Fry weaves humor with more serious topics - death, grief, coping skills, bullying - as he does so well. Larry's best friend, Grimm, dies during a thunderstorm. He returns as a ghost that only Larry can see. They decide it must be their list of things to do that keeps him here - his "unfinished business," so they set out to have Larry tackle everything they wanted to accomplish. Middle grade readers will appreciate the humor in these scenes as something goes awry with each item, and, none seem to work. They're avoiding the one they really think will work - kiss a girl, as Larry doesn't feel confident about that. Their dialogue is so typical of best friends that readers will relate to their camaraderie. Throughout the book, Larry has some issues when others hear him talking with Grimm, but, of course, can't see him. I appreciate how Fry portrayed Larry's therapist. The calm support and information normalizes these interactions for readers. Eventually, Larry and Grimm have to face that some of Grimm's actions while living were not funny but mean and bullying. Grimm has to face this and apologize to a classmate to save Larry's life at the end of the book.
Various level readers will enjoy this one. It can be a light humorous read that leads to discussion about the serious undertones.
Mild Trigger: One of the main characters is dead.

[Neva Lockett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story veers off in unexpected directions with laugh out loud humor, adventures, and very thoughtful realizations for both our heros. Mike Fry seems to write and draw with a straight face and a maniacal grin at the same time.
Middle school Larry is missing his best friend Grimm who died in a freak lightning accident while rescuing a cat from a tree. Uh-oh, both Larry and the cat show up again: the cat is real but Grimm is a ghost. What the heck is going on? Larry and Grimm explore grief and the nature of friendship for real as only two goofy adolescent boys can with much silliness and great heart.
The other characters in this story, adults and more kids, are wonderfully drawn creating a real world to play in.
I found this tale unexpectedly suspenseful as the boys figure out how to move forward. Grimm must move on from being a ghost. Larry from being ghosted.
My 11 year old grandson was sucked into Ghosted and wouldn’t put it down. (5 stars- distracted from the video game)
Get this book and give it to a middle schooler and read it yourself. You’ll smile.
[Full disclosure: I am a big Michael Fry fan and he is a friend and neighbor]
[Another note: Here at Goodreads there are many fine reviews of Ghosted and I am posting on Amazon where this book needs more reviews. I guess GR is a more vibrant community.]

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Larry, a shy loner, is devastated when his best friend, Grimm, dies while rescuing a cat in a tree during a lightning storm. However, it’s not long before he realizes that Grimm is still with him as a ghost that only he can see and hear. Larry decides that they need to complete their Totally To-Do List with unfinished tasks such as “sit in a bath of spaghetti” and “kiss a girl” before Grimm will be free to leave. As Larry works his way through the remaining tasks, coached by Grimm, he realizes that his friend had been a bully to Boogie, the biggest kid in class. Maybe this is where reparation needs to be made. Black line illustrations and quirky descriptions such as “feeding a stupid tiny hellhound” and “Terrible Taco and Tot Fight of 2021” add humor to Larry’s learning to say a final goodbye in this engaging middle-school novel. (Gr 6-8)

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

A humorous supernatural tale of redemption and forgiveness as twelve year old Larry loses his best friend Grimm to a fatal accident. Only problem is Grimm has not officially crossed over, and remains as a ghost that only Larry can see and talk to. Together Larry and Grimm must discover what Grimm's unfinished business was on earth, so the best place to start is their "Total To-Do List". Once this is completed then Grimm can pass over to where he needs to go.

[LS Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to talk about subjects like grief, counseling, death, bullying and friendship. This easy to read fiction book would be perfect for fans of Big Nate. I enjoyed the story, the humor and the illustrations.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Especially loved the very expressive illustrations. Reminds me alot of Berkeley Breathed's art.

[Pop Bop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just What You Expected; Not At All What You Expected

First off, the author is being blurbed with a reference to his "Supervillain" series. I didn't know that set of books, but boy did the art here look familiar. (And not just because it is reminiscent of Berkeley Breathed's "Bloom County".) Then I got it. Fry is also the creator of the "Odd Squad" series, which is drawn in the same style as this book, is set in Middle School, and has the same mix of sometimes antic and sometimes surprisingly edgy school daze humor.

And that's what you get here. The premise description makes it sound like Larry and the ghost Grimm will just have manic fun pranking around and knocking off bucket list items. Well, not exactly. Larry and Grimm aren't sure why Grimm hasn't "passed on", and figuring that out is the heart of the tale. Larry has to process his grief, Grimm has to evaluate his life, and when jokes, shenanigans, and giggles don't get the job done they have to do some deeper thinking.

None of this is a buzz kill, or knocks this out of the Middle Grade humor category. It's just that while the humor is often smart and edgy the story is taking us and our heroes to a more nuanced place. In this place adults are more understanding and insightful than expected. Other kids have better natures and are more open and flexible than in the usual farty school daze books. Bullies have feelings; girls aren't scary; and friends can disagree and stay friends.

At the heart of all this we have best friends Larry and Grimm. That one is Black and one White is never mentioned and plays no part in the story. Larry is a little bland and Grimm is bit too colorful, (which hints at the heart of what really needs to be addressed so Grimm can move on), but these guys are authentic best friends. The point, along with the yucks and deadpan throwaways, and clever banter, and fast paced dialogue, is that even in Middle School it occasionally pays to pause and reflect.

Neil Gaiman once described Fry's "Odd Squad #2: Zero Tolerance" as "...[f]unny and sweet with a steely centre". I wouldn't go quite so far with this book, but it does have some unexpected weight. I liked that. But then again, I also liked the cat.

(Please note that I received a free advance ecopy of this book without a review requirement, or any influence regarding review content should I choose to post a review. Apart from that I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book.)

[Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I know. A blind person reading a picture book. I surprise myself sometimes. There was enough text in this one so at least I could follow it and know what was happening, and it was surprisingly fun to read. Maybe I'll try books with illustrations more often.

Larry's best friend, Grimm, is dead. But he isn't gone. Because Grimm has come back as a ghost and the two boys have to figure out why. What does Grimm need to do and why is he here?

It handles a really difficult, complicated topic in a way that still manages to be funny.

“Now what?” I said.
Grimm shrugged. “I dunno. I’ve never been dead before.”

“What are you going to do?”
“I dunno. Be a ghost. Practice my boos. Float menacingly. Figure out if I should wear a sheet. Are sheets even a thing? There’s so much I don’t know about being dead.”

I mean, taking a bath in spaghetti? This was so ridiculous in the way you are ridiculous when you are twelve and everything is funny. I loved it.

This book would definitely be more enjoyable if you could see the pictures. But...you know, not happening for me. So it gets a solid four stars because it was really fun regardless, and maybe four stars isn't fair because it's not like the issue was actually with the book.

And of course, it was sad. But it was also hopeful. And I don't know, this is complicated. It was also interesting because Larry tries to help another kid, to help himself and Grimm, but of course it doesn't work out how he hopes it will. And I think that's important. You can't make someone your project. Whether that person is your dead best friend or a less popular kid in school. People are people. You can reach out to them, but you don't get to choose who they are. And you don't have the right to adopt them as a personal project.

This is a scattered review. I hope others enjoy the book because I did.

[Ian Chalamila · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Ghosted by Michael Fry. I enjoyed this funny and sad graphic novel. The book is aimed at an audience of late elementary to early middle school students. I think anyone who enjoyed the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series would love this book.

The storyline starts with Larry talking about his adventures with his best friend Grimm, who had died saving a cat from a tree in a thunderstorm. Grimm comes back as a ghost and the best friends wonder what is keeping Grimm’s ghost on earth. They think completing their Totally To-Do list will send Grimm off. The book follows the friends on wacky adventures from their Totally To-Do list. I liked the main characters in this book because they were funny and liked to pull pranks. Larry was a little shy and didn’t have many friends. Grimm, on the other hand, was outgoing and had crazy ideas for him and Larry. Once, they even tried to dig a hole to China! I enjoyed reading about their crazy adventures and seeing what they would do next.

In the end, Grimm’s ghost had to leave Larry. Grimm’s unfinished business wasn’t just completing their Totally To-Do list, but also finding Larry a new friend.

[Rebecca Morrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate to receive this ARC as part of the new book sharing group, #BookAllies! My students are already chomping at the bit for Ghosted by Michael Fry as I used the book in my booktalk example lesson for my fifth graders. They could feel how much I genuinely loved this book. So much so that I have recently purchased the first of the How to be a Supervillain series by the same author.
Although many people may compare this to a Diary of a Wimpy Kid or Captain Underpants, I suggest that this book is in a league of its own. It is just the right mixture of laugh out loud comedy and heartfelt emotion. I really mean this--I was modeling good independent reading for my class--ok, ok, I just could not stop reading--and I actually laughed out loud disturbing a very quiet and engaged fifth graders.
Larry and Grimm are memorable and realistic characters in this funny and beautiful work coupled with the illustrations of this talented writer.
The wait until January will be unbearable thanks to fantastic reads like this! I have two already on pre-order!

[Jes Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best friends don't ghost each other.

Well, that is, unless your best friend is now an actual ghost. Larry was too shy for friends until he met Grimm. They did everything together and had a lifetime of plans to continue. One day, while saving a cat, Grimm dies and returns to Larry as a ghost.

Grimm and Larry work together through their To Do List hoping they find an action that will release Grimm to the afterlife even if it means saying goodbye. Both learn about friendship, kindness, and what it takes to let a person go.

Even though this is a book about grief, it has humor as well as quiet moments that will help kids think about their own grief. Perfect for fans of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Big Nate, or Dork Diaries. Told partly through comic panels and prose, this book had me chuckling.

[Michael Fry · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a good one. Then again, I wrote and illustrated it. Gave me the opportunity to stretch with a fun/emotional story of loss and redemption. Larry's best friend Grimm dies and comes back as a ghost. Larry and Grimm have to figure out Grimm's unfinished business. I tried to write it from the POV of real life. What if this actually happened to me? How would I react? How would my ghost friend react? What's it really like to be a ghost? Grimm exists, but he has have no physical impact. Interesting/touching situation. Hope you enjoy it. Cheers!

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ghosted is a cute and quirky book about the loss of a friend and him reappearing as a ghost. The illustrations that accompany the story would make this an instant hit with my fourth grade students. This reminded me of Casper and a television show from the 90s called Teen Angel about a kid whose deceased best friend returns to earth as his guardian angel. Even though the subject matter is dark, the author approaches death in a comical way that won’t frighten young readers. There is a strong message about treating others with kindness that I didn't expect.

[Tessa Baer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an eARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a lot of fun to read. I had many "laugh out loud" moments. The text and images flowed nicely together and will make it more interesting for reluctant readers or early chapter book readers. The development of the characters was nicely done and very realistic by way of realizing their faults and trying to right their wrongs. I would definitely recommend this to my library patrons and think they would enjoy it.

[Margaret Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/2/2022 ~ This heavily illustrated chapter book is pitched as a comedy, ad has that core of poignancy that so much humor has. After all, why does someone become a ghost? Because they have unfinished business? Grimm and Larry work through the story to figure out why Grimm the Ghost is hanging out. Is it because Grimm has things to do, or because he's still looking out for Larry. Share this book as an alternative to Wimpy Kid, but be aware that there is a strong and realistic element of grief as Larry works through the loss of his best friend.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This starts out silly but surprisingly abrupt, with the death of Larry's best friend who was trying to rescue a cat. It's funny but also - again surprisingly - has a depth I didn't expect, that led me to appreciate it more the further I got into the story. I think this will be popular with our kiddos, and it has already been requested by a 6th grade reader.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

With cartoon drawings and humor, Fry tackles grief for young children. Larry is struggling to process the sudden death of his best friend Grimm when Grimm shows up in his treehouse as a ghost. Larry and Grimm assume that Grimm must have unfinished business to complete before he can move on so they set out to tackle their “Totally To-Do List” with hilarious results.

[Kelly Jahng · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise is a little dumb, but okay, I can accept the idea of a ghost kid who has to figure out his unfinished business in order to cross over. But the process of getting there was pretty boring. I liked the message of anti-bullying they eventually go to, but I’m not sure the getting there was enjoyable enough to keep kids hooked. Some kids might get into it, but it’s not one I’d recommend.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genuinely funny story of a boy who can see and talk to his dead best friend. The illustrations are often laugh-out-loud funny. The expressions on the characters' faces are priceless, they may have been influenced by greats like Burke Breathed, Don Martin, and Reg Smythe.

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A boy's best friend dies, comes back as a ghost, and they get up to shenanigans and also try to make amends. The cover and tagline make it seems like a lighthearted fun ghost read, but honestly, it had a lot weight of grief and regrets amidst the humor. Not what I expected, but good.

[I Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book for a reluctant reader. Especially middle grade boys. It is a nice mix of graphic novel and chapter book. There is some gross humor and even some feelings mixed in. It should be a book in mot middle grade libraries.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the DRC.

[Andréa]

Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss.

[Rae the Reviewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a funny story and a great way for introducing kids to grief, especially when it hits close to home.