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Ghosted in L.A. #5-8
Ghosted in L.A., Vol. 2
NO ONE EVER SAID THAT THE AFTERLIFE WOULD BE THIS WAY! Daphne Walters is loving her new life at Rycroft Manner with her ghostly roommates - but trouble is right around the corner! Rycroft’s got new resident - the musician Zola - and she’s getting close to Daphne...and causing friction amongst the residents! Meanwhile, Daphne and Kristi, best friends since high school, might just be the ones who can’t find their way back to each other. And since trouble comes in threes, Daphne’s former college roommate Michelle threatens to cause trouble for Rycroft....because no one said moving to L.A. would ever be easy! From GLAAD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms) comes the next chapter in the hit series about friendship, love and living your (after)life to the fullest. Collects Ghosted In L.A #5-8.
115 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2020
2 people are currently reading
302 people want to read
About the author
Sina Grace
223 books145 followersSina Grace’s parents had big plans for their son: Ivy League schooling, professional credentials, a 6-figure income as a doctor– the works! Fortunately for us, he found the wonderful world of comics instead. It was in this world of contradictions that he “matured,” one foot teetering on the edge of academia, the other drawn to the inescapable grasp of an ink-bound fantasy underworld.
At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women.
At 16, he got a perpetual summer-time job at the Santa Monica landmark: Hi De Ho Comics, where he would be inspired to create Books with Pictures. By 17 he wrote, drew, and self-published his first comic, The Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes versus the Cannibals. His knowledge of disproportionate harlots with weapons came in handy when depicting a story about Robo-Dykes bent on taking over the world. His mother was happy that he was taking interest in girls. The book went into a second printing, and received the praise of Lying in the Gutters critic, Rich Johnston.
Weeks after graduating high school, he was asked by Rilo Kiley front-woman Jenny Lewis to illustrate a limited edition comic book adaptation of their 2004 record, More Adventurous. In the spring of 2006 he was asked to apprentice under comics genius, Howard Chaykin (even though it may not be apparent in Books with Pictures, Grace did learn the function of a ruler and the meaning of a vanishing point).
Between the summers of 2005 and 06, Grace’s partially-biographical indie dramedy, Books with Pictures, went from hand-xeroxed zines to full-fledged, full-sized comic books. Shortly after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Distributors accepted the series into their ordering catalogue, Previews. Grace’s work on the series was met with admiration from bloggers and reviewers alike, and has since taken on several projects for multiple anthologies due in late 2008.
To his parents’ delight, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving an undergraduate degree in Literature, with an emphasis on Creative Writing.
Sina Grace recently self-published an illustrated novel about a sorcerer sleuth in Orange County, aptly named Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic, his next project will be providing illustrations for Amber Benson’s novel, Among the Ghosts, through Aladdin Books.
At 14, Grace seemingly appeased his parents by interning at Top Cow Productions, under the guidance of Editor-in-Chief Renae Geerlings (his single mother figured at least he was collecting college credit). However the only thing he was collecting (other than comics), was the compulsive habit of drawing unrealistically proportioned, scantily clad women.
At 16, he got a perpetual summer-time job at the Santa Monica landmark: Hi De Ho Comics, where he would be inspired to create Books with Pictures. By 17 he wrote, drew, and self-published his first comic, The Roller-Derby Robo-Dykes versus the Cannibals. His knowledge of disproportionate harlots with weapons came in handy when depicting a story about Robo-Dykes bent on taking over the world. His mother was happy that he was taking interest in girls. The book went into a second printing, and received the praise of Lying in the Gutters critic, Rich Johnston.
Weeks after graduating high school, he was asked by Rilo Kiley front-woman Jenny Lewis to illustrate a limited edition comic book adaptation of their 2004 record, More Adventurous. In the spring of 2006 he was asked to apprentice under comics genius, Howard Chaykin (even though it may not be apparent in Books with Pictures, Grace did learn the function of a ruler and the meaning of a vanishing point).
Between the summers of 2005 and 06, Grace’s partially-biographical indie dramedy, Books with Pictures, went from hand-xeroxed zines to full-fledged, full-sized comic books. Shortly after its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, Diamond Distributors accepted the series into their ordering catalogue, Previews. Grace’s work on the series was met with admiration from bloggers and reviewers alike, and has since taken on several projects for multiple anthologies due in late 2008.
To his parents’ delight, he graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz, receiving an undergraduate degree in Literature, with an emphasis on Creative Writing.
Sina Grace recently self-published an illustrated novel about a sorcerer sleuth in Orange County, aptly named Cedric Hollows in Dial M for Magic, his next project will be providing illustrations for Amber Benson’s novel, Among the Ghosts, through Aladdin Books.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 96 reviews
October 29, 2020
I enjoyed this second volume, but not as much as the first one. Here Daphne is literally cut off from the world and spends all her time at Rycroft, which was interesting, but I'm glad she realized that she needs more than that. I'm curious to see how her friendship with Zola will evolve in the next volume. Also, I cannot wait to see what's in store for Ronnie and Bernard.
I'm definitely going to read the third volume.
I'm definitely going to read the third volume.
May 17, 2020
rep: bi Jewish mc, sapphic side character, Black side character, gay side character, Persian side character
i like how it's cute with just a hint of mystery
(read as single issues)
i like how it's cute with just a hint of mystery
(read as single issues)
October 29, 2021
Still super into this, I read volume one and volume two back to back and am eagerly awaiting my library giving me volume three.
May 5, 2022
The soapy horror dramedy explores the ups and downs of its various platonic and romantic relationships while expanding on its supernatural mythology. Daphne Walters befriends the newest ghost while helping one of the older ghosts prepare to "move on." And she wonders, are the ghosts helping her come of age or coming between her off and the human world?
A fine middle chapter that sets the scene for next volume's finale.
A fine middle chapter that sets the scene for next volume's finale.
May 17, 2021
I enjoyed this, but not as much as the first one.
The first volume had a sense of spunk, of fight. In this volume, it felt as if she was purposly removing herself from the living world because she was overwhelmed. It was a little annoying.
I enjoyed the progression of the characters though and will be continuing on with the series.
The first volume had a sense of spunk, of fight. In this volume, it felt as if she was purposly removing herself from the living world because she was overwhelmed. It was a little annoying.
I enjoyed the progression of the characters though and will be continuing on with the series.
October 31, 2025
I'm enjoying this series so much! Even moreso now that Zola's character has been introduced, and we're getting to know more about Daphne and the ghosts' backgrounds. I still think the pacing is great.
August 7, 2021
Daphne’s story continues with GHOST IN L.A., VOL 2 and we might even be getting a little bit of a love story, though not sure how that will work out with a ghost. In this volume we see a lot of growth from Daphne as she finally begins to realize she’s been letting everyone else influence her life to the point that she doesn’t really know who she is. We also have a mysterious locked basement that the ghosts can’t get in to create some mystery and intrigue.
Content Warning: references to possible suicide, depression, death; recreational drug use
Content Warning: references to possible suicide, depression, death; recreational drug use
July 8, 2021
Rating 2.75
Ugh, I am saddened to say that this book let me down. It was such a disappointment. I thought the first book in the series was fantastic. It was filled with fun and magic where this one is filled with incredibly slow pacing. If it wasn't for the colorful and unique illustrations I would have given up on this one. While I loved the main character Daphne in the first book I didn't like her in this one. It's almost like they wrote her as a different character but kept her face and name. She no longer had that goofy charm to her. I also didn't understand the fight with her best friend. It seemed like it was a big issue and was completely dragged out when it could have been solved with a simple explanation. In this volume we learned more about the ghosts and what they can do and that was very intriguing. I also loved Ronnie's character and how he is getting close to a particular ghost. However, both Ronnie and Daphne need to learn how to balance their time at Rycroft and out in the real world. I think this will be the main theme we see throughout the series since both of them love spending all of their time with the ghosts. Overall, even though this book let me down it was still a relatively quick read so luckily I don't feel like I wasted any time. I will continue the series but I am going to take some time away before I read the 3rd volume. Fingers crossed the series goes back to being spunky and different.
Ugh, I am saddened to say that this book let me down. It was such a disappointment. I thought the first book in the series was fantastic. It was filled with fun and magic where this one is filled with incredibly slow pacing. If it wasn't for the colorful and unique illustrations I would have given up on this one. While I loved the main character Daphne in the first book I didn't like her in this one. It's almost like they wrote her as a different character but kept her face and name. She no longer had that goofy charm to her. I also didn't understand the fight with her best friend. It seemed like it was a big issue and was completely dragged out when it could have been solved with a simple explanation. In this volume we learned more about the ghosts and what they can do and that was very intriguing. I also loved Ronnie's character and how he is getting close to a particular ghost. However, both Ronnie and Daphne need to learn how to balance their time at Rycroft and out in the real world. I think this will be the main theme we see throughout the series since both of them love spending all of their time with the ghosts. Overall, even though this book let me down it was still a relatively quick read so luckily I don't feel like I wasted any time. I will continue the series but I am going to take some time away before I read the 3rd volume. Fingers crossed the series goes back to being spunky and different.
July 18, 2021
This was so disappointinggg...
The artwork was BEAUTIFUL, and I love all the local LA touches always included but frankly the story was kind of a mess. Not much happened and what did happen was at times confusing. Daphne didn't seem like the same fun character from the first volume and this one left too many unanswered questions.
I'm bummed because I really enjoyed the first volume, I'm giving 3 stars because regardless the artwork is stunning but it wasn't enough to make this a good volume 😩😩
The artwork was BEAUTIFUL, and I love all the local LA touches always included but frankly the story was kind of a mess. Not much happened and what did happen was at times confusing. Daphne didn't seem like the same fun character from the first volume and this one left too many unanswered questions.
I'm bummed because I really enjoyed the first volume, I'm giving 3 stars because regardless the artwork is stunning but it wasn't enough to make this a good volume 😩😩
November 26, 2025
I still love the series and I honestly don't mind the characters in this one. They're all going through things and trying to figure out who they really are. I will say this is the most boring of the volumes. Not a whole lot of action happening, its more character focused.
While it's my least favorite volume when you look at the whole series it's still a good read!
While it's my least favorite volume when you look at the whole series it's still a good read!
March 15, 2020
I remember Sina pitching this at WonderCon and immediately knowing I needed it.
8 issues in and I still feel the same.
8 issues in and I still feel the same.
May 31, 2020
I liked this one better than Vol. 1, it’s still all the things I said in that volumes review but I’m becoming more invested in these characters and their stories. And Daphnes outfits are A++++
August 6, 2021
I think this might be my favorite comic series ever!
Volume 2 got even gayer! Bernard tries to do the right thing by Ronnie by saying they're no good for each other (since, obviously, one of them is dead) and Daphne has a girl-crush on rock-chick Zola. I enjoyed the guys angsting and the girls bonding.
I will say Zola confused me because she looks so much like Pam. It took me a while to realize they were still two separate people. I'm not sure why they have near-identical haircuts but it was confusing!
The plot thickens as Daphne and Zola find a mysterious door beneath Rycroft Manor, one that even a ghost cannot penetrate. Kristi comes to L.A. to reconnect with Daphne, but Daphne pushes her away so she won't find out she's been living in a haunted house. We learn more about the characters, both the living and the dead, and near the end of the volume, Daphne's broody dormmate takes center stage.
I've long been curious and interested in Michelle, but I'm also confused by her. She dresses like a goth, she's incredibly unfriendly to the point of being downright rude...but she runs a bible study group out of her dorm room and hangs a cross above her bed, unironically. She's quick to innumerate Daphne's sins, but she watches gay romance (or porn?) on her laptop. I really don't get her. It's almost like the artist and the author didn't discuss how she was supposed to look on the page versus what she was going to be saying in those speech bubbles. I've been looking forward to getting to know her better just so she starts to make some kind of sense.
Volume 2 got even gayer! Bernard tries to do the right thing by Ronnie by saying they're no good for each other (since, obviously, one of them is dead) and Daphne has a girl-crush on rock-chick Zola. I enjoyed the guys angsting and the girls bonding.
I will say Zola confused me because she looks so much like Pam. It took me a while to realize they were still two separate people. I'm not sure why they have near-identical haircuts but it was confusing!
The plot thickens as Daphne and Zola find a mysterious door beneath Rycroft Manor, one that even a ghost cannot penetrate. Kristi comes to L.A. to reconnect with Daphne, but Daphne pushes her away so she won't find out she's been living in a haunted house. We learn more about the characters, both the living and the dead, and near the end of the volume, Daphne's broody dormmate takes center stage.
I've long been curious and interested in Michelle, but I'm also confused by her. She dresses like a goth, she's incredibly unfriendly to the point of being downright rude...but she runs a bible study group out of her dorm room and hangs a cross above her bed, unironically. She's quick to innumerate Daphne's sins, but she watches gay romance (or porn?) on her laptop. I really don't get her. It's almost like the artist and the author didn't discuss how she was supposed to look on the page versus what she was going to be saying in those speech bubbles. I've been looking forward to getting to know her better just so she starts to make some kind of sense.
November 30, 2021
Last review, I mentioned that Daphne is not self-aware and that she lacks character and dimension. It seems that's exactly the case in the story. She's written to be like that. Now that I know that fact, I'm back on the board now! This volume also stepped up in terms of plot lines and world building. We not only get to see more things about the character but we also get to see what they feel.
February 15, 2021
Love the artstyle but I think overall this series was hampered by how short the volumes are. So many unanswered storylines, not enough backstory for some of the ghosts and characters. I hope this world/series is revisited down the line.
March 5, 2020
Consistently a pleasure to read. Super excited to see where the story ventures in upcoming issues!
March 14, 2022
This one was better than the first volume, although I enjoyed the first one too! So much more character development and an intriguing mystery plot! I’m excited to see where this series goes!
May 16, 2022
Still purty
January 18, 2023
The story was only alright, but the art style was really nice.
January 9, 2021
Zola 💕
The artwork in this series is stunning, the characters are incredibly diverse and fascinating, and I'm super excited to see where this story goes next!
The artwork in this series is stunning, the characters are incredibly diverse and fascinating, and I'm super excited to see where this story goes next!
October 11, 2023
More of a 3.5 star overall.
October 17, 2021
I discovered this graphic novel series about a month ago. We follow college student,Daphne, as she helps a group of ghosts that she befriends. This one was not as interesting to me as the first volume. I will continue on in the series because I love all the ghosty vibes.
December 18, 2020
[This review covers all three volumes of Ghosted In LA]
Ghosted In LA is the story of Daphne, a poor confused girl who moves halfway across the country to follow her boyfriend to college, only for him to come out as gay and leave her high and dry. Enter Rycroft Manor, home of a handful of ghosts who offer their incorporeal shoulders for Daphne to cry on. But ghosts come with their own problems, and Daphne’s will pale in comparison once she gets embroiled in their interdimensional mysteries.
There is a LOT going on in these twelve issues. There are a lot of subplots, a lot of characters, and a lot of drama, but for all that there’s going on, there also doesn’t seem to be much focus? Writer Sina Grace spends time with each character bringing their plot lines to the fore, only to either resolve them extremely quickly or to drop them in favour of another character instead. It’s very frustrating, and happens numerous times across the twelve issues, so that by the time the story ends it doesn’t feel as satisfying as it could have been. The entire character of Zola, introduced midway through, feels like she’s going to change the game, only for the game to carry on around her and she kind of just float there for a bit, while a subplot about Daphne’s roommate bubbles away for like 10 issues before being shoved to the side right at the end. It’s weird.
Not that Ghosted doesn’t have things going for it – the dialogue is great, and Grace makes these characters feel real in a very short space of time. Their likes and dislikes, aspirations, and even ghostly powers are all easy to remember, and I do find myself wanting to read more about them, if just to get the closure that I don’t feel like I got here.
Siobhan Keenan’s artwork is very soft, but it has an impact, a reality to it that feels out of place in a book about ghosts. Her ghosts aren’t just humans painted a different colour, even if that’s what they can appear to be at first glance; they have a weight to them that I was surprised to find. Grace himself also contributes a few flashback pages to almost every issue, and his style is just different enough to differentiate itself but not enough to ruin the visual cohesion of the book.
Ghosted In LA had a lot of potential, and I’d love to see it re-explored again at some point – whether that’s from genuinely being invested in the characters or because I’m desperately seeking a conclusion, I’m not entirely sure.
Ghosted In LA is the story of Daphne, a poor confused girl who moves halfway across the country to follow her boyfriend to college, only for him to come out as gay and leave her high and dry. Enter Rycroft Manor, home of a handful of ghosts who offer their incorporeal shoulders for Daphne to cry on. But ghosts come with their own problems, and Daphne’s will pale in comparison once she gets embroiled in their interdimensional mysteries.
There is a LOT going on in these twelve issues. There are a lot of subplots, a lot of characters, and a lot of drama, but for all that there’s going on, there also doesn’t seem to be much focus? Writer Sina Grace spends time with each character bringing their plot lines to the fore, only to either resolve them extremely quickly or to drop them in favour of another character instead. It’s very frustrating, and happens numerous times across the twelve issues, so that by the time the story ends it doesn’t feel as satisfying as it could have been. The entire character of Zola, introduced midway through, feels like she’s going to change the game, only for the game to carry on around her and she kind of just float there for a bit, while a subplot about Daphne’s roommate bubbles away for like 10 issues before being shoved to the side right at the end. It’s weird.
Not that Ghosted doesn’t have things going for it – the dialogue is great, and Grace makes these characters feel real in a very short space of time. Their likes and dislikes, aspirations, and even ghostly powers are all easy to remember, and I do find myself wanting to read more about them, if just to get the closure that I don’t feel like I got here.
Siobhan Keenan’s artwork is very soft, but it has an impact, a reality to it that feels out of place in a book about ghosts. Her ghosts aren’t just humans painted a different colour, even if that’s what they can appear to be at first glance; they have a weight to them that I was surprised to find. Grace himself also contributes a few flashback pages to almost every issue, and his style is just different enough to differentiate itself but not enough to ruin the visual cohesion of the book.
Ghosted In LA had a lot of potential, and I’d love to see it re-explored again at some point – whether that’s from genuinely being invested in the characters or because I’m desperately seeking a conclusion, I’m not entirely sure.
April 16, 2022
Author: Sina Grace, Siobhan Keenan and Cathy Le
Genre: Graphic Novel
Age Range: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Published: 1st September 2020
Pages: 95
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads Synopsis
NO ONE EVER SAID THAT THE AFTERLIFE WOULD BE THIS WAY! Daphne Walters is loving her new life at Rycroft Manner with her ghostly roommates - but trouble is right around the corner! Rycroft’s got new resident - the musician Zola - and she’s getting close to Daphne...and causing friction amongst the residents! Meanwhile, Daphne and Kristi, best friends since high school, might just be the ones who can’t find their way back to each other. And since trouble comes in threes, Daphne’s former college roommate Michelle threatens to cause trouble for Rycroft....because no one said moving to L.A. would ever be easy! From GLAAD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms) comes the next chapter in the hit series about friendship, love and living your (after)life to the fullest.
Review
Trigger Warnings: Death, Suicide and Gore.
This review may contain spoilers.
So, I loved the first volume of this graphic novel series, so I was really looking forward to picking up this second volume to see what was going to happen next and I’m happy to say that I loved this just as much as the first. My favourite aspect of this graphic novel was definitely the art style, it really added to my enjoyment of the story, I especially love the use of colours. In this volume, we are introduced to a new ghost in the manor, Zola, I honestly really loved her character and seeing her develop a relationship with Daphne.
Overall, this was a great YA Graphic Novel with a beautiful art style and great characters.
Genre: Graphic Novel
Age Range: Young Adult
Format: Paperback
Published: 1st September 2020
Pages: 95
Rating: 4 Stars
Goodreads Synopsis
NO ONE EVER SAID THAT THE AFTERLIFE WOULD BE THIS WAY! Daphne Walters is loving her new life at Rycroft Manner with her ghostly roommates - but trouble is right around the corner! Rycroft’s got new resident - the musician Zola - and she’s getting close to Daphne...and causing friction amongst the residents! Meanwhile, Daphne and Kristi, best friends since high school, might just be the ones who can’t find their way back to each other. And since trouble comes in threes, Daphne’s former college roommate Michelle threatens to cause trouble for Rycroft....because no one said moving to L.A. would ever be easy! From GLAAD Award-nominated Sina Grace (Iceman) and illustrator Siobhan Keenan (Jem and the Holograms) comes the next chapter in the hit series about friendship, love and living your (after)life to the fullest.
Review
Trigger Warnings: Death, Suicide and Gore.
This review may contain spoilers.
So, I loved the first volume of this graphic novel series, so I was really looking forward to picking up this second volume to see what was going to happen next and I’m happy to say that I loved this just as much as the first. My favourite aspect of this graphic novel was definitely the art style, it really added to my enjoyment of the story, I especially love the use of colours. In this volume, we are introduced to a new ghost in the manor, Zola, I honestly really loved her character and seeing her develop a relationship with Daphne.
Overall, this was a great YA Graphic Novel with a beautiful art style and great characters.
September 16, 2021
After the fun, frenetic pacing of the the first volume, this second volume is a bit of a step back. Daphne's new relationship with Zola Tesla blossoms while her old relationships sour. It's basically a story of friction as relationships change with some mysterious ghost stuff thrown in. By the end, the plot hasn't advanced much and most of the characters are the same. It's not quite wheel-spinning, but it's definitely less of a wild ride than the first volume.
May 28, 2021
(originally reviewed at
thelibraryladies.com
)
So even though I enjoyed the first volume of the ghostly series “Ghosted in L.A.” by Sina Grace, I managed to completely miss that not only did the next two volumes come out, but they also wrapped up the series. Talk about being totally oblivious. But now is as good a time as any to catch up/complete this quirky series, so I bought the entire run and jumped right into “Volume 2”.
When we left off in Volume 1, the Rycroft Manor had just been thrown into a few drastic changes. The first was that after Maurice attacked Daphne, Aggi pretty much exorcised him from the premises. The second was that almost immediately a new ghostly resident arrived, a musician named Zola who was famous before her untimely demise. And that’s about right where we pick up. Zola is still coming to terms with her new afterlife, and as she keeps the other ghosts at bay, she and Daphne start to become close. In this arc we see Daphne relating to Zola while also fangirling over her a little bit, and while her friendship with Kristi is starting to really come apart at the seams, she’s starting to fall into another potentially unhealthy relationship with Zola. As a character Zola has a real chip on her shoulder, and as of yet hasn’t really wowed me (and with only one more volume to go I’m not convinced she’s going to get much more interesting, though I’m eager to be proven wrong). On the other ghost topics, Bernard is getting closer to Daphne’s ex Ronnie, and Shirley is starting to want to move on from Rycroft Manor. This was definitely a cool storyline thread, as we got to see a little mythology as to how ghosts function in this world, as well as a hint to a mysterious door in the manor that may be causing issues. Again, we only have one more volume to wrap it up, but I’m more confident in this thread than the Zola one.
What kind of caught me by surprise is that it wasn’t really the ghost stuff that connected with me the most in this volume, but the growing pains aspects of Daphne’s friendship with Kristi, her high school best friend. We knew in Volume 1 that they had a huge fight that stemmed from Daphne choosing to go to school in L.A. instead of staying closer to Kristi. In Volume 2, we see them try to repair their friendship when Kristi comes to visit, but it manages to only make things worse. I felt that Grace perfectly captures the angst and pain that comes with old friendships having to either evolve or die, and seeing it from both Daphne’s and Kristi’s perspectives gives the conflict a bit more grounding. It would have been easy to just make one or the other completely at fault, but given that that isn’t how things work in the real world, I appreciated the nuance that was brought to this side plot. Growing up and apart from those important to you in your youth is hard, and Grace depicted that really well.
And I still really like the artwork. It’s dynamic and vibrant, and it can also shift that vibrancy when it needs to convey something a little sadder, or more distant in the timeline. And I still love the design of the ghosts.
“Ghosted in L.A. (Vol.2)” has set up some questions going into the final volume. I’m sad that we have such a short run with all these characters, but I’m enjoying the ride and am glad that I jumped back into it!
So even though I enjoyed the first volume of the ghostly series “Ghosted in L.A.” by Sina Grace, I managed to completely miss that not only did the next two volumes come out, but they also wrapped up the series. Talk about being totally oblivious. But now is as good a time as any to catch up/complete this quirky series, so I bought the entire run and jumped right into “Volume 2”.
When we left off in Volume 1, the Rycroft Manor had just been thrown into a few drastic changes. The first was that after Maurice attacked Daphne, Aggi pretty much exorcised him from the premises. The second was that almost immediately a new ghostly resident arrived, a musician named Zola who was famous before her untimely demise. And that’s about right where we pick up. Zola is still coming to terms with her new afterlife, and as she keeps the other ghosts at bay, she and Daphne start to become close. In this arc we see Daphne relating to Zola while also fangirling over her a little bit, and while her friendship with Kristi is starting to really come apart at the seams, she’s starting to fall into another potentially unhealthy relationship with Zola. As a character Zola has a real chip on her shoulder, and as of yet hasn’t really wowed me (and with only one more volume to go I’m not convinced she’s going to get much more interesting, though I’m eager to be proven wrong). On the other ghost topics, Bernard is getting closer to Daphne’s ex Ronnie, and Shirley is starting to want to move on from Rycroft Manor. This was definitely a cool storyline thread, as we got to see a little mythology as to how ghosts function in this world, as well as a hint to a mysterious door in the manor that may be causing issues. Again, we only have one more volume to wrap it up, but I’m more confident in this thread than the Zola one.
What kind of caught me by surprise is that it wasn’t really the ghost stuff that connected with me the most in this volume, but the growing pains aspects of Daphne’s friendship with Kristi, her high school best friend. We knew in Volume 1 that they had a huge fight that stemmed from Daphne choosing to go to school in L.A. instead of staying closer to Kristi. In Volume 2, we see them try to repair their friendship when Kristi comes to visit, but it manages to only make things worse. I felt that Grace perfectly captures the angst and pain that comes with old friendships having to either evolve or die, and seeing it from both Daphne’s and Kristi’s perspectives gives the conflict a bit more grounding. It would have been easy to just make one or the other completely at fault, but given that that isn’t how things work in the real world, I appreciated the nuance that was brought to this side plot. Growing up and apart from those important to you in your youth is hard, and Grace depicted that really well.
And I still really like the artwork. It’s dynamic and vibrant, and it can also shift that vibrancy when it needs to convey something a little sadder, or more distant in the timeline. And I still love the design of the ghosts.
“Ghosted in L.A. (Vol.2)” has set up some questions going into the final volume. I’m sad that we have such a short run with all these characters, but I’m enjoying the ride and am glad that I jumped back into it!
December 22, 2021
3.5 / 4 stars
I read the first volume of Ghosted in LA last year and I loved it. While I liked this book, I didn't love it as much as volume #1.
Daphne Walters is still living at Rycroft Manor and recovering from the aftermath of the last volume From the previous novel, Daphne's friend, Kristi, comes to visit her in college leaving Daphne to try and hide Rycroft manor from her. As Daphne navigates her friendship with Kristi, she's introduced to a new ghost, Zola who Daphne was a big fan of before she died. More secrets are revealed as Daphne starts to realize that she may need more than Rycroft to discover herself.
While I loved Daphne in the first volume, I thought she was more annoying in this book. I thought she treated Kristi horribly especially when Kristi took time to come and visit her at school. It seems there is some tension with Daphne going to school for pre-med and Kristi feeling she should go into the arts. I wish that was expanded upon more.
Besides Daphne, I still love the ghosts. There's Agi who's the leader and clearly, with secrets to hide Shirley who's a bit unhappy and isolated at Rycroft Zola, a newbie ghost who develops a bond with Daphne, Pam, a younger ghost, Ricky the generous lonely ghost, and finally Bernard who develops a bond with Ronnie, Daphne's ex-boyfriend. I found the ghosts to be way more memorable to read about than Daphne.
I love the backdrop of LA in this story. After visiting LA, I can picture the sun, and the style of Rycroft and how it fits into the history of LA. I think the setting is the perfect backdrop for this story.
Overall, I like this story a lot and I look forward to continuing with this series.
I read the first volume of Ghosted in LA last year and I loved it. While I liked this book, I didn't love it as much as volume #1.
Daphne Walters is still living at Rycroft Manor and recovering from the aftermath of the last volume From the previous novel, Daphne's friend, Kristi, comes to visit her in college leaving Daphne to try and hide Rycroft manor from her. As Daphne navigates her friendship with Kristi, she's introduced to a new ghost, Zola who Daphne was a big fan of before she died. More secrets are revealed as Daphne starts to realize that she may need more than Rycroft to discover herself.
While I loved Daphne in the first volume, I thought she was more annoying in this book. I thought she treated Kristi horribly especially when Kristi took time to come and visit her at school. It seems there is some tension with Daphne going to school for pre-med and Kristi feeling she should go into the arts. I wish that was expanded upon more.
Besides Daphne, I still love the ghosts. There's Agi who's the leader and clearly, with secrets to hide Shirley who's a bit unhappy and isolated at Rycroft Zola, a newbie ghost who develops a bond with Daphne, Pam, a younger ghost, Ricky the generous lonely ghost, and finally Bernard who develops a bond with Ronnie, Daphne's ex-boyfriend. I found the ghosts to be way more memorable to read about than Daphne.
I love the backdrop of LA in this story. After visiting LA, I can picture the sun, and the style of Rycroft and how it fits into the history of LA. I think the setting is the perfect backdrop for this story.
Overall, I like this story a lot and I look forward to continuing with this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2022
Age: 18+
Genre: graphic novels, paranormal, romance, suspense
Rating: 3.5 stars
Content: LGBT+, sexually suggestive
Language: mild
Review: (I'm writing a blanket review for all three volumes.) The art in this series is phenomenal! I really did like the story too. However, I did have to take a star and a half away for the above "content" listed. Just my personal belief, which I am not accepting feedback on. :) But honestly, it was a really enjoyable read and I thought the whole ghost idea was so clever! I just felt like Ricky didn't have enough time to shine throughout the series . Same with Pam- the two of them really didn't have much character development, or much interaction with Daphne throughout the novel. But otherwise I really enjoyed the characters, and the big plot twists were so good!
Genre: graphic novels, paranormal, romance, suspense
Rating: 3.5 stars
Content: LGBT+, sexually suggestive
Language: mild
Review: (I'm writing a blanket review for all three volumes.) The art in this series is phenomenal! I really did like the story too. However, I did have to take a star and a half away for the above "content" listed. Just my personal belief, which I am not accepting feedback on. :) But honestly, it was a really enjoyable read and I thought the whole ghost idea was so clever! I just felt like Ricky didn't have enough time to shine throughout the series . Same with Pam- the two of them really didn't have much character development, or much interaction with Daphne throughout the novel. But otherwise I really enjoyed the characters, and the big plot twists were so good!
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