Ghost Roast: A Graphic Novel

by Shawnelle Gibbs, Shawnelle Gibbs, Shawnee Gibbs

An exciting paranormal adventure that blends lost histories, first crushes, and the impossible task of fitting in with the cool kids when your dad is a ghost hunter. Perfect for fans of THE OKAY WITCH and ANYA'S GHOST.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Comics, Ghosts, Fiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2024

About the author

Shawnelle Gibbs is the co-author of the upcoming graphic novel, Ghost Roast (Harper Collins / Versify) and the Glyph Award–nominated adventure series "The Invention of E.J. Whitaker" with her twin sister Shawneé, the other half of the Gibbs Sisters writing team. She has served as a staff writer for Warner Bros. Animation and has written for DreamWorks Animation, Mattel Studios, and Marvel Comics. Originally from Oakland, California, she currently lives and plays in Los Angeles.

Reviews

[s.penkevich [hiatus-will return-miss you all] · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Cue Ghostbusters theme song*
I ain’t afraid of no ghosts…
Especially when they are this cute and heartwarming

[Bethany (Beautifully Bookish Bethany) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine your dad is like a real life ghostbuster, but you are a teenager going to a prep school in New Orleans and are SUPER embarrassed by him. But then you get in trouble and your punishment is working with your dad for the summer. Which totally sucks, until he gets hired by the owner of a former plantation and you realize you can SEE ghosts! And one of them might be a cute boy...

That's Ghost Roast and it's really delightful and entertaining while also delivering educational content about the history of enslaved people in New Orleans. Plus there are a lot of small details some readers will appreciate, like scenes with Chelsea and her mom eating breakfast in their bonnets. Excellent YA graphic novel with lovely artwork that should be on your radar for 2024! I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

[Steph ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

Thank you to Harper360 for providing me with an ARC of Ghost Roast.

I enjoyed this. My physical copy started off in colour but part way through, was black and white. I assume this was to save money with it being an ARC. Which is absolutely fine. The initial colour illustrations are absolutely beautiful, lush colour palette and gorgeous illustrations. I'm excited to see what a finished copy looks like.

I enjoyed the story and plot for this one, it was really enjoyable. One thing I will say though, I don't know if this is because my copy was an ARC, but on occasion I was thrown out of the story due to the speech bubbles not lining up with the right characters. I was repeatedly confused because of this. So again, I'd be intrigued to see if this is something that has been fixed in the finished copy.

But otherwise, I did enjoy the story and the illustrations.

[Danielle The Book Huntress · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Roast is a graphic novel that succeeds on so many levels. Good writing and good art make for such a very satisfying experience. For its length, the characters are absolutely believable and three-dimensional.

Ghost Roast is appealing on numerous levels. It’s a story with a lead black female teen who is coming into her own and finding herself. But also, it’s a fun ghost story with an uplifting message. History cannot be ignored, but we can choose to learn from it to make the future more ideal. The writing team of Shawneé Gibbs and Shawnelle Gibbs with the illustrative team of Emily Cannon and Aishwarya Tandon has done good work with Ghost Roast.

Reviewed for Affaire de Coeur Magazine. http://affairedecoeur.com

Advanced review copy provided by Netgalley courtesy of HarperCollins Children's Books.

[Liralen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last thing Chelsea wants is for her new, popular friends to find out about her dad's ghost-hunting business, but when a midnight adventure lands them in the slammer for the night, her secret's not just out—she'll be separated from her friends and working as a professional ghost-hunter all summer.

And there's just one other thing: while Chelsea's father's equipment can detect ghosts, he can't see them himself...but Chelsea can. And that's where things get complicated.

This graphic novel is wonderful fun—lively, with New Orleans flavor and a cast of entertaining characters. There are a couple of stories at play here, not just Chelsea's but the complicated backstory of the house where she and her father end up working for much of the summer. There are a couple of things about the illustration that took me a moment to get used to (the floating heads feel like something pulled from manga, though I'm not sure if I'm mixing up styles here), but overall the illustrations are beautiful, and I particularly appreciate the detail paid to Chelsea's braids.

While the book doesn't take itself too seriously, it also covers some harsh parts of history (slavery, more general racism, etc.) in a thoughtful manner. There's one dropped plot point that I wish had been returned to (one character wanting the old building open to the public; another character wanting to turn it into a boutique hotel and presumably turn a profit), but...oh gosh, how much fun would a whole series featuring Chelsea and her ghost-busting crew? With the whole of New Orleans to explore—and its rich and complicated history—there would certainly be enough adventures for them, and I'd love to see the main cast again.

Thanks to the authors and publisher for providing a review copy through NetGalley.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a GORGEOUSLY illustrated debut YA graphic novel about a Black teen embarrassed by her father's ghost hunting business and forced to work with him for the summer.

Set in modern day New Orleans, the story follows Chelsea Grant who discovers she has the ability to see ghosts and helps uncover a murder mystery and a long held family secret about a ahead-of-his time biracial philanthropist.

Full of romance, spunky ghost familiars, relatable teen problems trying to fit in with the popular kids and important the lasting legacy of slavery. I LOVED this so much and can't wait to read more from this sister duo!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!

[PurrfectPages]

This was a cute ghostbuster’s type story. I love a YA that touches on heavy and deep topics, not just the cute and fun stuff. It was great seeing the character growth throughout the story. She can see ghosts, just like her dad. There is even a touch of romance 🥰. I loved the historical setting as well! A great graphic novel for this spooky season!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this e arc in exchange for my honest review.

[alli☀️]

Dnf’ed at 9%
I could just tell this wasn’t going to be for me.

[Tya C. · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I can figure out a way to articulate my thoughts about this book well I’ll write a real review, but for now, just know that this book did not sit right with my Black ass spirit.



❗️Beware of spoilers below. (I just didn’t want to mark the whole review as spoilery because I want the first part of my review to show)


In this graphic novel we have the ghost of an enslaved Black woman willingly spending her afterlife as a servant to a white woman. (And we never check up on her at the end to see if she was freed from the house or still choosing to serve this old white lady.)

You have a main character who is falling in love with the ghost of a descendant of slave owners. We later find out that there’s more to his story, but still, she didn’t know that and was still pining over him. This same main character tries to save a racist ghost from being eradicated and uses “violence is never the answer” to justify not killing said RACIST ghost.

The main character’s friends in the beginning of the book are shown to be bad people who say lil micro aggressions and are just overall mean, and there’s no character growth from them, but the main character is still friends with them at the end. Their behavior was literally never addressed. Everything was just fine. So, why give them a bad personality in the beginning for it to never be brought up again?

I have a lot of problems with this. The artwork is pretty though. I wouldn’t suggest Black young adults read this. This does not give the right message of how racists should be dealt with…

[Mariah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ghost Roast has all the makings of a generic though sweet little story about learning to appreciate your dad more and fight ghosts while doing it, but it is ruined by its odd, sometimes harmful racial dynamics.

First, off the love interest in this book is originally presented as the ghost of the son of a white plantation owner who just happened to know that slavery was wrong and was already so cool, and different, and not like other plantation owner sons that he was holding interracial gatherings and paying Black people actual wages to work at 17 years old. I was willing to let it go a little bit because obviously there have always been progressive white people. Sure, it's mighty convenient that Oliver at just 17 was one of them, but it's a graphic novel for young adults - they're trying to send a message here.

Then it's revealed that Oliver is half Black due to the father he never knew: a fact kept secret because he was born white passing and could still stand to inherit. Considering the horrific history of white women and Black men on plantations this revelation had very dark implications. But, immediately afterwards it's revealed that Oliver's mother wasn't a rapist, she and Oliver's father were fully consensual in every way because his father was a free Black man from a prosperous family. That's when my disbelief could no longer be suspended.

First off, if this was in any way realistic, Oliver's mother simply would have run away with Oliver's father. If he's from such a prosperous family then wouldn't he have enough money to support them? Marie, her faithful servant, would surely have helped her. If they failed, they failed, but it made no sense to me that they would risk their lives engaging in this courtship only to not take the final step.

Second, Oliver's mother would have been born in 1842 on a plantation in Louisiana i.e. a very, very racist state (comparatively mind you - they all were racist). A white woman born in the 1840s to a racist dad whose racism game was so strong that his son eventually killed his grandson because he wasn't racist somehow was enlightened enough to genuinely love a Black man? This was simply way too much for me to just absorb without critical thought. I would need a whole volume only about them to find this theoretically possible let alone actively believable.

I was willing to accept - to a point - that Oliver's formative years being mostly the time period after the Civil War could expose him to alternative perspectives that opened the door for his progressive ideology. I am completely unwilling to believe that his mother, raised in the normal southern white convention in an even earlier time period, was able to breakaway so strongly from cultural messaging she would have internalized since birth without a much deeper deep dive into how exactly that process came about. I don't think it would have made sense for the story this book was trying to actually dig into that, but then that just begged the question why bother including it at all?

Why not simply make Oliver white and period atypical and be done with it? The only reason him being biracial seemed to be included was because the authors recognized that the optics of Chelsea falling for a white slave plantation owner's son weren't good. Which, they absolutely were not, but by making him half-Black it had the adverse affect of sending the message that the only reason white people would care about racism is if they are somehow affected by it. There were plenty of white people that advocated for Black rights and tried their best to help - the execution of this particular plot point undermines that.

Plus, Chelsea develops a crush on Oliver before she finds out he's half Black so she already for all intents and purposes had a crush on a white plantation owner's son anyways.

The beginning of the book sets it up like Chelsea's friends are going to be rich, mean girls who Chelsea has to conform too much to fit in with. Instead, this trope gets turned on its head as Chelsea starts to come into herself and realize that they genuinely like her so she doesn't need to try so hard with them. I actually would have really liked this subversion except part of the issue with her friends is that they occasionally make these little racist comments, but that aspect never get addressed. Chelsea never seems bothered by these remarks and they're played totally straight like any other casual joke. It completely normalizes microaggressions.

The climactic fight against the big, bad evil ghost is what solidified the one star rating. The ghost is the aforementioned uncle that killed Oliver. He is a racist, former Confederate soldier who - like I mentioned previously - was so racist he killed his nephew for his lack of racism. Yet, Chelsea's plan is to talk to him.

She literally says "Using violence against violence in any world just seems to bring more of the same."

Um, excuse me? This is a guy that was so racist he became a ghost so he could ensure that his family's legacy of racism continued on. There is no ethical quandary here about erasing a racist, evil ghost from this plane of existence without seeing if it suits him first. We're not talking about a real person - it's a malignant force that has absolutely overstayed his welcome. This is intended to be a culmination of a conflict Chelsea was having over the course of the book where she came to see ghosts as not all bad because she was able to talk with them in contrast to her father who simply destroyed all ghosts since he didn't see the difference. I just do not understand why her big stand for ghost rights had to be for the racist ghost who killed her ghost boyfriend.

The old lady who owns the house they are ghost roasting literally has to tell Chelsea that he was beyond help because even after he's blasted to oblivion, Chelsea is still feeling bad thinking that if she had more time she could have helped him. I have no words for how mad I was about this. His final words were literally "I'm not going to apologize for doing what I felt was right". This ghost was never going to change - why did she even think this was possible in the first place? He's been racist for like 150 years.

Aside from the poor racial framing, I thought there was way too much dialogue. I would often turn and page and think 'wow, that is a lot of text'. This is not the kind of graphic novel where I'd expect so many words per speech bubble. It could have been condensed way down without losing much of the sentiment or story.

It was weird that Chelsea's parents were apparently divorced because her father refused to get a 'real' job to make better money. Yet, her mother somehow was keeping the household afloat and sending her to private school when the finances would still be virtually the same? Actually they might even be worse since she was not able to access any joint money Chelsea's father did make only child support I'm assuming he paid.

She worked either way, did believe in ghosts just not to the degree Chelsea's father did, and supported Chelsea's father pursuing his passions. I don't know what narrative purpose it served to separate the two when their conflict made no practical difference on their overall quality of life. Sure, some kids' parents divorce because that is just a natural thing in life, but since it ultimately had no bearing on the narrative either way it would have been nice to have a Black family stick together.

If the one star didn't clue you in, then I'll give it you straight: give this one a pass.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Set in New Orleans with an interesting mix of history, family, teen angst, mystery with a paranormal twist. I liked the illustration style of this YA comic and was rooting for young Chelsea all the way.

[Keisha | A Book Like You · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of Ghostbusters and Ghost Whisperer, this spooky young adult graphic novel is one you don't want to miss!

Ghost Roast follows Chelsea as she tries to navigate being a part of the popular crowd in high school while her dad, a ghost exterminator, is the laughing stock of the town. When Chelsea gets in trouble, her punishment is to now work with her dad for the summer to rid the neighborhood of ghosts. Little does she know, she might just run into a cute boy along the way!

This story was such a pleasant surprise, full of history, light romance, and family bonds. The Gibbs' really blew this one out of the water!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

real cute with a great message!

[-ˏˋjamieˊˎ- · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved the illustrations and formatting of this graphic novel! Chelsea, her parents, and Russell were all likable characters, and the ghostbusting business was a lot of fun. however, i didn’t like the subplot with Chelsea’s supposed “best” friends; they made fun of her half the time and then would turn on a dime and be all chummy. it was confusing and just made me feel bad for Chelsea, especially since there were no consequences or resolution for that dynamic. also, i can’t speak definitively to the way the book portrayed the legacy of slavery, but i felt a bit weird about the way that Chelsea was crushing on a boy whose family had owned slaves (but it’s okay because he was an abolitionist trying to save them all). the ending also felt kind of abrupt and unresolved. overall—cute art & important topic, but not sure how i feel about the execution.

[Anniek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm glad I got to read this early, because this is a great autumn read. This graphic novel follows Chelsea, whose father is a ghosthunter. Over the summer, she has to accompany him on his job, and there she meets a friendly ghost. The book really delves into his background and history, making it really interesting. And there's the mystery added of a malevolent ghost on the same premisses, and some suspense with Chelsea's father who's trying to eradicate all paranormal activity while Chelsea's becoming friends with a ghost. This was such a fun, interesting read. It was fastpaced and full of heart, and I absolutely loved the art work.

[Estibaliz · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75, and here we have another instance of a young adult graphic novel wrongly labeled as adult at my library; which it's such a pity, in that it might mean that all the wonderful messages here will be missed by the appropriate audience, while some adults might find it slightly childish when it comes to things like teens being grounded for having some wild fun...

Over all, this story has the vibe of a new 'Ghostbusters' adventure, but also the grit of a plot that comes from the minds of the Gibbs sisters, making a heartfelt homage to black people's history.

The art is charming and colorful, and the storytelling combines perfectly the lightness of the young age with the transcendent impact and meaning of a part of America's History that can never be forgotten, even if it tends to be ignored at times by some people.

I'll admit it took me a little bit to get into this graphic novel, but once Chelsea embraces her job as her dad's helper, and leaves her rich friends aside for a bit, things got ghostly fun and sweet. Fun reading experience.

[aly✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a paranormal investigator and history buff, I absolutely love this graphic novel. Firstly, the artwork is so beautiful and dynamic. I found myself lingering on each page just to take in all the work that went into creating this book.

The storyline was so good. Truly. Chelsea’s struggles with her own identity, family, and just being a teenager were so well done. I laughed. I cried. I truly enjoyed this book more than anything. It is perfect.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

High school student Chelsea gets into trouble with her new rich besties, so as punishment, she is forced to work for her Dad, who is a ghost hunter in New Orleans. It turns out Chelsea can see ghosts, and while working at a former plantation, she encounters several. One of them is tied to the rich family that owned the land, and she learns a scandalous secret about his ancestry. The story begins light, but delves a little darker, with a storyline that explores racial injustices and a murder. The illustrations are cutesy and manga-inspired, appealing to younger readers, but also include a few odd art choices, such as floating bald heads in some of the panels. (Actual review 3.5/5)

[Starr ❇✌❇ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting and fairly light hearted story of Plantation history and (mostly) kindly ghosts. It's not a groundbreaking story, and follows some well trodden paths, but you still come away with an interesting mystery and good feeling all around.

[Michelle Huber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this graphic novel! I loved Chelsea, but I feel she was a pushover and her friends made fun of her way more than they should've. I really enjoyed the storyline though, I love the ghost stuff!

[Sibel Rac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my heart!! This was so, so lovely!

[Courtney (moyashi_girl) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Ghost Roast!
It was a fun graphic novel that's set in New Orleans.
The main character Chelsea's dad is pretty much a real-life ghost buster, and one day, she gets in trouble and gets punished. She has to work for her dad during the summer.
She thinks it will be boring until they get hired by an owner of a former plantation and suddenly she can see ghosts, and there is even a cute ghost boy...

This was really an entertaining graphic novel that had some amazing art!
Seriously, the art was awesome!
It was such a fun read, and the story was really good! Chelsea was a great character, and i really liked her! To be honest, pretty much every character was great, including her dad and Oliver.

I definitely recommend checking out this graphic novel!
It was so good and if you are looking for a fun and not scary story about ghosts you will love this!

[Victoria Sampley · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 rounded up.
Spooky, cute, and cozy!! A wholesome read that brings in some great commentary.

[Malak ೀ(Semi-Haitus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars!! 🌟
This was a really fun read! The plot twist was so unexpected too!

[Jupiter (God’s Version ✝️) · Rating 3 out of 5]

i enjoyed it! nothing earth-shattering though

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghost Roast is super cute and there was a lot I really liked about it! The art style is cute and fun. The premise is a delight. It touches on darker subjects of history, while also highlighting progressives of the past who tried to counter those darker aspects in life. I really just wish it had been longer to better give the heavier parts of the story more dedicated time and to more fully flesh out some of the side characters and subplot. It was certainly enjoyable enough to justify doubling its length to improve it overall, imo. I'd recommend it in any case, with the caveat that readers go in aware of the complex racial dynamics of 19th century New Orleans on display here.

[Carla Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chelsea wants nothing more to fit in with the in crowd but her dad’s embarrassing job makes this difficult. While spending her summer helping her dad ghost hunting at a former plantation, she uncovers some truths that change her perspective. This was such a fun read! The artwork was great and the storyline was very cute and engaging. I enjoyed this graphic novel and hope to see more!

[Hannah | Reading Under Covers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really cute!

[Kasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would say this is closer to 3.5 ⭐️ - I enjoyed it! A fun take on ghost hunting

[Madi Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted the cute ghost boy to some how come back to life!!!!!!!!!