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Ghosted

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Ariel's accidental meeting with a handsome stranger called Joe is completely perfect; they have a connection like she's never known before. They exchange numbers and agree to meet when he is back from a trip to France. But when Ariel messages him, the number Joe gave her is disconnected. He's ghosted her. She assumes she will never see him again.

Except she does. Again and again.

Ariel returns to the place she and Joe met, and is stunned to find him there, not in France as he said he'd be, and behaving as if he has no idea who she is.

It turns out that their first meeting has been life-changing for them both, actually it's even more than that for Joe. But what do you do when - with every day that passes - you're literally growing apart from the best person you've ever known . . . ?

400 pages, Paperback

First published April 29, 2022

62 people are currently reading
1806 people want to read

About the author

Emily Barr

42 books582 followers
Emily Barr worked as a journalist in London, but always hankered after a quiet room and a book to write. She went travelling for a year, writing a column in the Guardian about it as she went, and it was there that she had an idea for a novel set in the world of backpackers in Asia. This became Backpack, which won the WH Smith New Talent Award. She has since written eleven more adult novels published in the UK and around the world, and a novella, Blackout, for the Quick Reads series. Her twelfth novel, The Sleeper, is a psychological thriller set on the London to Cornwall sleeper train.
In 2013 she went to Svalbard with the idea of setting a thriller in the Arctic. The book that came out of it was The One Memory of Flora Banks, a thriller for young adults, which attracted universal interest from publishers before being bought pre-emptively by Penguin earlier this year. It will be published globally in January 2017.
She lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children.

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5 stars
316 (27%)
4 stars
488 (41%)
3 stars
261 (22%)
2 stars
77 (6%)
1 star
24 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews
Profile Image for Fny.
649 reviews17 followers
May 21, 2022
Yeah I picked this one up thinking it was a romance, albeit with a twist but gosh I was surprised.
I turned out being something else entirely. More of a murder mystery actually with very intriguing plot. Also with the overhanging theme of death and moving on. And in the end the romance part was the thing I liked the least in the actual story. The rest? It was kinda superb actually. Fresh story. Haven’t really read anything like it earlier. Even if pieces of it reminded me of Neverworld Wake by Marisha Pessl. I won’t say what though because it’s kinda spoilery (but if you have read that book…good for you ?) so anyway I’m glad I picked this one up. It was truly remarkable and kind of thrilling too.


.

I called one thing in the end early on but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book.
Profile Image for Elvina Zafril.
708 reviews103 followers
August 10, 2022
Ghosted by Emily Barr is a young adult mystery book. I thought this is purely romance but it is actually more than that.

The beginning of the book started slow but after 100 pages, the story started to pick up and I enjoyed reading the rest.

When Ariel met Joe, she thought she finally found the boy of her dreams. They exchanged phone number and Ariel waited for Joe to come back from France. Ariel tried to message Joe but his number is disconnected. Ariel felt she has been ghosted. When she met Joe again, Joe cannot remember her and it only made Ariel end up so angry and hurt.

I enjoyed reading this kind of storyline I would have enjoyed it more if I were still a teenager. The writing was great. I loved the mystery element. This was an unusual premise and I loved how the way Emily Barr unfold the mystery. It’s clever. Loved the ending.

Thank you Times Reads for sending me a copy of Ghosted in return for an honest review. This book is available at all major bookstores.
Profile Image for Cassouille.
16 reviews
March 19, 2023
I didn't expected that ! LOVED THIS BOOK SO BAD LIKE OMG
Profile Image for Rosie Amber.
Author 1 book82 followers
May 20, 2022
Ghosted is a young adult mystery set in 2019. Teenager Ariel immediately had my sympathy; her mum died a year ago, she has just stood up to her bullying father for the first time and she’s afraid that social services will take her away from her pregnant sister.


After school, in a disused room at the back of the shopping centre Ariel meets a boy, Joe; he’s about to go on French exchange trip and he’s frightened. They get on well, swap phone numbers and later Ariel sends him a text. But the number comes up unknown; Joe’s ghosted her. The next day, Ariel returns to the room and is surprised to see Joe again; he acts like he doesn’t know her.

On the morning of his French exchange trip, Joe wakes up from a nightmare; the horrible feelings remain and he begins to fear going away on the trip. How bad can it be? It’s only a week. After school he goes to the shopping centre, to a room at the back. He meets a girl, they chat and he can tell she likes him; the year is 1999.

This is the story of Joe and Ariel, friends who meet twenty years apart. Joe’s stuck in 1999 while Ariel lives in 2019, how can this be? There’s a reason Joe’s here and together they try to solve the mystery.


The story builds with chapters dotting back and forth between Ariel and Joe. I thought that there was a good balance between the everyday teenage issues and those of the mystery; I hadn’t tried to solve the mystery myself, but I was eager to read how it all ended. I liked both of the characters and their settings; there were some interesting elements left to think about. Happy to recommend this.
Profile Image for Quill&Queer.
901 reviews600 followers
July 3, 2022
A British romance story, a ghost story, a murder mystery story all rolled into one, this was such a poignant, melancholy story of a boy trapped in a Groundhog Day of his own death, and the girl in the future trying to solve it so he can move on.

This is a realistic story of teenage life, as British YA often is, with Ariel's story starting the day her Dad leaves, leaving her and her pregnant older sister alone in the house. Ariel and Sasha make a brilliant team, despite being teenagers you can see that they've been used to looking after themselves for a long time.

When we first meet Joe, he's unaware that he's repeating the same day over and over, but when he finally realises it doesn't seem much of a shock to him, more like pieces that he already had were being put together. It was interesting seeing him find ways to break out the monotony of his life, meeting new people and new ghosts.

This has such a powerful ending, that's both happy and bittersweet, as Ariel grows up and the final pieces of the puzzle of Joe's death come together. I did like that although this story was wrapped up, there's a little room for a sequel, if the author decides to write one.
Profile Image for Emma.
81 reviews7 followers
June 21, 2022
You know it's really summer vacation when i'm back to reading an entire book a day <3
Profile Image for ThianeJansen.
713 reviews89 followers
July 30, 2022
Romance, a ghastly haunting ghost story and a murder mystery all in one book. How could I not speed read through this?

The synopsis follows Joe who is stuck in Groundhog day, the day of his death, reliving this day all over again day after day. Our MC Ariel meets Joe, and is determined to help him get out of this cycle.

This was an exceptional read. Trying to put the puzzle pieces together, connecting the dots between the main characters and trying to figure out who the murderer was, just had my mind spinning and clinging to the pages.

It was frustrating, emotional, thrilling and even the bitter of sweetest romance.

This is my first book by this author, but will be looking for more from this author in the future.

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for this ARC.
Profile Image for Rozanne Visagie.
762 reviews104 followers
August 9, 2022
Ghosted is a YA ghost story that leaves you with all the feels; not the creepy run-up your spine chills but rather a warm blossom of love in your heart. Falling in love knowing that it's not meant to be but yet trusting each other to be all right after it all ends - prepare to cry.

The right place at the wrong time or the wrong place at the right time? Ariel meets Joe and immediately a strong connection forms between them, but soon both of them are devastated by their different realities. This book is a mix between 50 First Dates and The Lake House. I don't want to give any spoilers, but this book will have you hooked. The moment Ariel starts her investigation, the story reaches a new depth.

As a trip to France turns into a loop in time and multiple beginnings to the same day, Joe realises the importance of last words spoken to friends and family. Not knowing whether it might be his last day, Joe tries to change his present which will affect his family's past.

This emotional YA Paranormal romance had me gripped from the first page, Barr's captivating writing and ability to transport the reader into different years is remarkable. Some themes explored are friendship and grief. I highly recommend adding this to your TBR, you don't want to miss out on this phenomenal story.

Many thanks to Penguin Random House SA for gifting me an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.




Profile Image for Karen Barber.
3,243 reviews75 followers
May 21, 2022
Ghosted is a story that had me, at times, wondering what I was reading. Part romance, part thriller, Emily Barr has created a most unusual story.
We follow two teens, Joe and Ariel, who meet one day and get on very well. At this stage I wondered if it was going to be a relatively straightforward romance, but it quickly becomes something very different. Ariel tells her friend Izzy about this amazing boy she’s met, only to learn that the number he gave her doesn’t work. None of the things he told her seem to be true, and she thinks she’s been ghosted.
Ariel is coping with a lot of potential trauma. The one year anniversary of her mother’s death is approaching, her sister is pregnant and they have been abandoned by their father. Her not being fully in control of herself would be understandable, but the reality of her situation is far stranger.
What Ariel soon realises is that while she is alive in 2019, Joe lives in 1999. Joe went missing on the eve of his school trip to France and nobody knows what happened to him. While Ariel lives her life, Joe is destined to relive the same day over and over again.
Naturally, Ariel takes it upon herself to investigate. She falls in love with the idea of Joe and wants to restore peace to his family. There’s a lot of coincidences to this story, but they don’t take away too much from what is played out in front of us.
I received a copy of this from NetGalley and can only thank the publishers and the author for creating something so unusual.
Profile Image for ruby.
33 reviews
July 2, 2022
Enjoyed this book! Didnt realise it was dual pov
though so i got a bit confused at the start 😭
Profile Image for Cattishansen.
249 reviews1 follower
June 21, 2022
When I bought this I expected romance, but I got something entirely different. A murder mystery and somehow that made this book a lot more interesting. The first 50 pages were a little slow for me, but as the books kept on going I found it hard to put down.

This book was an exceptional read. Absolutely amazing and thrilling. Getting to analyze the plot myself to find out who the killer of the murder mystery is, and watching the connection between the main characters. It was truly mind blowing and totally unexpected from my view. I don’t regret buying this at all even though I thought it was something completely different.

This murder mystery book is one that I strongly recommend. It’s thrilling, an emotional rollercoaster, frustration and love all in one.
Profile Image for merry.
33 reviews
August 26, 2022
totally not what i was expecting from this book when i read the blurb but i loved it!!
Profile Image for Blanka.
23 reviews
January 26, 2023
I just loved this book! It's something completely different from what I usually read, but it came as a refreshment. The story is original and makes you want to keep reading. I even didn't solve the mystery before it was uncovered so it isn't filled with clichés. The ending just left me gasping, seeing how everything came full circle. Just wonderful writing.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
1,616 reviews35 followers
June 8, 2022
I was a bit confused at first as it was very different to what I was expecting from reading descriptions of the book. The first half was a bit slow for me and didn't really grip me, but then I couldn't wait to find out what happened to Joe and sped through the last part. I also really loved how the prologue fitted in at the end!
Profile Image for Dani.
84 reviews53 followers
June 2, 2022
2 stars

Meh...It was okay. Falls more under the crime/mystery genre than romance. Overall, an easy, quick read.
450 reviews
April 9, 2022
I received a review copy of this book on Netgalley. This book hurt me and I was so not ready.
When Ariel's toxic, hot-tempered father turns his back on their family, Ariel retreats to an abandoned store-room in a corner of the mall. But then she encounters Joe and the two of them exchange numbers.
Joe is on his way to France and he knows he should be excited but he just feels dread.
Ariel tries to text Joe but it turns out that his number is disconnected. Hurt, Ariel goes back to where she met him. There he is, with no memory of her or their meeting. And he still claims that he is leaving to France that afternoon.
Soon Ariel and Joe realize that Joe is reliving the same day over and over. Ariel promises to solve the mystery of Joe but eventually starts to turn her back on her reality in order to fix Joe's.
I actually have no words to adequately describe this book. It was engaging, it was gripping, it was emotional. IT WAS EVERYTHING!
This book was alot but in the best way possible.
Ariel and Joe are adorable and by the end of the book, I was ugly-crying. If you want a book that is thrilling and will not let you go, I recommend this one.
Profile Image for anna.
33 reviews2 followers
April 17, 2025
i adore this story, it was not what i expected but it's very sweet
Profile Image for Laura.
26 reviews
September 23, 2024
Leuk!! (maar soms ook wel een beetje cringe hahaha)
Profile Image for Sophia Irene.
74 reviews3 followers
July 19, 2023
* For all intended purposes, continue taking my burst of YA reviews with a pinch of salt because I have to read them for my dissertation project *

But omg??? This was so surprisingly good??
I am lucky that I couldn't find any spoilers online (and believe me I tried because my stress levels were running high) so the twist and ending really hit me how it was meant to.
I though Ghosted was brilliantly executed. The mystery and crime were very well done and the emotions behind the characters and the story were running high throughout the novel. I love the circular theme in the end with the Prologue character popping up for the Epilogue (I was wondering if she was going to appear) and I loved the complexity of Lara's character and her final decision. Sometimes I catch myself thinking of a specific brief mention about Ariel and the realisation of the connecting will come through

No 5 stars because of some genuinely annoying unfinished plot points like why was Troy writing 'HELP ME' on the wall? I understand that Ariel could see Joe and Mia because of her connection to their murders (same with Troy) but this was never explicitly explained in the book. Could Ariel be able to see Lara? We never know (I guess it's not as important, but it was set up that Ariel was going to visit Lara and Leo and it never happened).

Love the queerness in the story, love the repetition of the first few chapters; it really solidified the plot for me. Not sure if I actually believe in the next point because I believe it, or because I'm reading these books in a hurry but, it could've been at least 50 pages less.
Profile Image for Its.Finja.
61 reviews3 followers
July 24, 2022
Ich hätte nicht mit dieser Art von Geschichte gerechnet.
Wer hier eine hinreißende Liebesgeschichte erwartet der sei gewarnt. Ich würde das Buch eher ins Mystery-Genre einordnen.
Von vorne bis hinten konnte mich die Geschichte mit sich reißen. Als Leser:in wollte man immer wissen, wie es mit unseren Protagonist:innen weitergeht.
Vielleicht auch, weil ich mit dem Mystery-Genre nicht all zu viel am Hut habe, konnte ich das Rätsel nicht komplett lösen bevor es aufgelöst wurde.
Ich muss sagen ich mochte zwar die Chemie zwischen Joe und Ariel - jedoch weißt der Romance-Aspekt des Buches für mich auf jedenfall Mängel auf.
Ich habe bereist in anderen Rezensionen gelesen, man sei nicht zufrieden mit dem Ende des Buches - jedoch finde ich es gut, das nicht alle Bücher dieses super, perfekte Happy-End haben.

Insgesamt ein Buch was ich gerne gelesen habe, was mich gefesselt hat und Lust auf mehr der Autorin macht.
Profile Image for Maria.
304 reviews15 followers
June 29, 2022
Ghosted follows the parallel lives of Ariel and Joe. Ariel’s accidental meeting with a handsome stranger called Joe is completely perfect! They exchange numbers and agree to meet when he’s is back from a trip to France. But when Ariel messages him, the number Joe gave her is disconnected. He’s ghosted her. She assumes she will never see him again.
Except she does. Again and again.

When I first heard about this book, I only read the title and suddenly I had this whole plot in my head…! Obviously, the real deal couldn’t be further away from what I had imagine and much much better than any expectations!
It starts off slowly and a bit confusing, I must say I almost decided to abandon it… that would have been a massive regret, I’m so so glad I didn’t DNF it as it was indeed a 5⭐️ read!
With a little touch of impossible romance, this story follows a teenage girl and boy while they’re trying to resolve a 20 year old disappearance. Their dynamic is very good, there’s some fun and warm moments, just like there’s some more serious and heartbreaking ones. It’s the perfect balance and once you reach the point of no return, you’ll finish the book in one go!
Profile Image for nessa .。✧・゚.
191 reviews
June 9, 2023
this just didn’t hit me in the way i feel like it should’ve.

i don’t know why but it wasn’t sad whatsoever, if anything i feel like it was trying too hard but it just wasn’t sad

the slow pace made me want to rip my hair out because for a solid 180 pages NOTHING was happening.

it was so dragged out and much of it was unnecessary, im so mad i wasted my time on this

and the plots twist wasn’t this huge “OMG!” moment it should’ve been. i didn’t see it coming but it was still very underwhelming

i feel like 2 stars is still very generous considering the way this book made me feel and how angry it made me at times
Profile Image for Louise.
56 reviews1 follower
August 10, 2022
Blev positivt överraskad, trodde det skulle vara mer åt romance-hållet men blev snabbt ett mordmysterium! Mysig bok men med ett slut som jag listade ut rätt snabbt, även om jag blev lite osäker ett tag där i mitten.
Profile Image for Cláudia.
949 reviews59 followers
August 14, 2022
A mix of young adult, romance and mystery.
The beginning is quite slow and I kept thinking it was too long and things didn’t move on.
By the end, I can say the story is quite interesting and different, and it caught me by surprise.
Profile Image for Sanne De Viet.
263 reviews10 followers
October 26, 2022
not me thinking this would be a romance story, for it to be a murder mystery (including love / friendship).

this book is something else. it took me some time to get into it as i had no clue it would turn out to be this kind of story. but once i understood it all i couldn't stop reading.
Profile Image for Michaela.
1,032 reviews43 followers
July 3, 2022
Very slow start, as it progressed I actually ended up loving it.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
52 reviews
September 4, 2022
Why do i keep staying up til 1am to finish books that make me cry 😭😭😂😭
Displaying 1 - 30 of 225 reviews

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