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If I Have to Be Haunted
Cemetery Boys meets Legendborn in this thrillingly romantic, irresistibly fun YA contemporary fantasy debut following a teenage Chinese American ghost speaker who (reluctantly) makes a deal to raise her nemesis from the dead.
Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted.
Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy whose smirk makes her want to set things on fire.
Then she stumbles across Zach’s dead body in the woods. He’s even more infuriating as a ghost, but Cara’s the only one who can see him—and save him.
Agreeing to resurrect him puts her at odds with her mother, draws her into a dangerous liminal world of monsters and magic—and worse, leaves her stuck with Zach. Yet as she and Zach grow closer, forced to depend on each other to survive, Cara finds the most terrifying thing is that she might not hate him so much after all.
Maybe this is why her mother warned her about ghosts.
Delightful and compulsively readable, this contemporary fantasy has something for every reader: a snarky voice, a magnetic enemies-to-lovers romance, and a spirited adventure through a magical, unpredictable world hidden within our own.
Cara Tang doesn’t want to be haunted.
Look, the dead have issues, and Cara has enough of her own. Her overbearing mother insists she be the “perfect” Chinese American daughter—which means suppressing her ghost-speaking powers—and she keeps getting into fights with Zacharias Coleson, the local golden boy whose smirk makes her want to set things on fire.
Then she stumbles across Zach’s dead body in the woods. He’s even more infuriating as a ghost, but Cara’s the only one who can see him—and save him.
Agreeing to resurrect him puts her at odds with her mother, draws her into a dangerous liminal world of monsters and magic—and worse, leaves her stuck with Zach. Yet as she and Zach grow closer, forced to depend on each other to survive, Cara finds the most terrifying thing is that she might not hate him so much after all.
Maybe this is why her mother warned her about ghosts.
Delightful and compulsively readable, this contemporary fantasy has something for every reader: a snarky voice, a magnetic enemies-to-lovers romance, and a spirited adventure through a magical, unpredictable world hidden within our own.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published September 14, 2023
140 people are currently reading
18563 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,183 reviews
August 15, 2023
Every once in a while, I read a book that had parts I loved and hated in equal measure, leaving me with no choice but to give an unsatisfied three stars.
Cara can see ghosts, not that she wants anyone else to know. She has spent years ignoring the spirits that haunt her days, literally. Between arguing with Zach, her mother, and her grandmother, it's all Cara can do to get through the day. When Zach winds up dead, Cara is the only one that can return his spirit to his body. Despite her dislike of him, she embarks on a journey through the liminal world in search of the cure to join his body back to his ghost. Along the way, who knows, she might find out Zach isn’t so bad after all.
Enemies-to-lovers is a bit of a stretch when it comes to Zach and Cara. I’d say it’s more of an annoyed-to-lovers situation. Zach and Cara’s first interaction were screaming at each other, over school posters. We never get a full explanation as to why they despise each other so much. I mean, it’s implied that this rivalry has been going on since they were children. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why six-year-olds would have already declared each other arch-nemesis and stuck with it. If the rivalry had developed in junior high/high school because of academics, sports, or friend groups, I could understand that. Teenagers are vicious and petty. Of course, it only takes a week of close proximity for these two lovebirds to overcome at least a decade of hate.
The fantasy element was more prevalent than I thought it would be. Cara and Zach travel through the liminal world in order to save him, which was a lot of fun. It's an equal combination of good and bad, with fantastical creatures and cannibals. It wasn’t so much a separate world, but another dimension on top of the real world. I wish we had gotten to spend more time building those fantastical sights. Most of the world-building is minimal in favor of using those words for dialogue.
The coincidences in this book are a little much. Our protagonist and Zach get themselves in a lot of scrapes along the way, which, makes sense. Instead of getting out of these using wit and invention, we conveniently discover something to save the day! On three separate occasions, a power, person or excuse steps in at the last second. It was like mystery-mouseka-tools took over.
Cara’s relationships with her family were well-written. Her grandmother and mother have different ideas for Cara’s future, and she finds herself caught between the two women. Her Grandmother wants her to embrace her ability to see ghosts, while her mother's convinced she should hide it. The tension between the three women was believably written, and relatable. Generationally, a lot of women feel pressure from matriarchal figures. Cara’s anxiety and deep-seated desire to please both women are a big trigger for her self-growth throughout the book.
This is not a standalone, unfortunately. While the main plot wraps up and is given a solid conclusion, there are still so many unanswered questions. Quite frankly, I don’t see how this can be a series. There is not enough substance to drag the overall plot out. It’s hinted that Cara’s grandmother is keeping some huge secrets, the beginning scene isn’t explained, and the story behind how the curse came to be isn’t clear. There is also an epilogue that threw me for a loop! If the author had answered these big questions, I would have enjoyed the story more and probably rated it higher.
Overall, this was a solid debut. I think this will work great for younger teens trying to find some spooky books, and for those who want a more light-hearted Halloween read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
NOTE: there is racism in here. Twice Cara (Asian-American) and her friend (Black) are both called slurs. Cara recalls several encounters where she and her mom were treated differently for how they looked, and how her mom spoke English. Please check trigger warnings for the whole book!
Cara can see ghosts, not that she wants anyone else to know. She has spent years ignoring the spirits that haunt her days, literally. Between arguing with Zach, her mother, and her grandmother, it's all Cara can do to get through the day. When Zach winds up dead, Cara is the only one that can return his spirit to his body. Despite her dislike of him, she embarks on a journey through the liminal world in search of the cure to join his body back to his ghost. Along the way, who knows, she might find out Zach isn’t so bad after all.
Enemies-to-lovers is a bit of a stretch when it comes to Zach and Cara. I’d say it’s more of an annoyed-to-lovers situation. Zach and Cara’s first interaction were screaming at each other, over school posters. We never get a full explanation as to why they despise each other so much. I mean, it’s implied that this rivalry has been going on since they were children. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why six-year-olds would have already declared each other arch-nemesis and stuck with it. If the rivalry had developed in junior high/high school because of academics, sports, or friend groups, I could understand that. Teenagers are vicious and petty. Of course, it only takes a week of close proximity for these two lovebirds to overcome at least a decade of hate.
The fantasy element was more prevalent than I thought it would be. Cara and Zach travel through the liminal world in order to save him, which was a lot of fun. It's an equal combination of good and bad, with fantastical creatures and cannibals. It wasn’t so much a separate world, but another dimension on top of the real world. I wish we had gotten to spend more time building those fantastical sights. Most of the world-building is minimal in favor of using those words for dialogue.
The coincidences in this book are a little much. Our protagonist and Zach get themselves in a lot of scrapes along the way, which, makes sense. Instead of getting out of these using wit and invention, we conveniently discover something to save the day! On three separate occasions, a power, person or excuse steps in at the last second. It was like mystery-mouseka-tools took over.
Cara’s relationships with her family were well-written. Her grandmother and mother have different ideas for Cara’s future, and she finds herself caught between the two women. Her Grandmother wants her to embrace her ability to see ghosts, while her mother's convinced she should hide it. The tension between the three women was believably written, and relatable. Generationally, a lot of women feel pressure from matriarchal figures. Cara’s anxiety and deep-seated desire to please both women are a big trigger for her self-growth throughout the book.
This is not a standalone, unfortunately. While the main plot wraps up and is given a solid conclusion, there are still so many unanswered questions. Quite frankly, I don’t see how this can be a series. There is not enough substance to drag the overall plot out. It’s hinted that Cara’s grandmother is keeping some huge secrets, the beginning scene isn’t explained, and the story behind how the curse came to be isn’t clear. There is also an epilogue that threw me for a loop! If the author had answered these big questions, I would have enjoyed the story more and probably rated it higher.
Overall, this was a solid debut. I think this will work great for younger teens trying to find some spooky books, and for those who want a more light-hearted Halloween read.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Children’s Books for the advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
NOTE: there is racism in here. Twice Cara (Asian-American) and her friend (Black) are both called slurs. Cara recalls several encounters where she and her mom were treated differently for how they looked, and how her mom spoke English. Please check trigger warnings for the whole book!
October 16, 2023
maybe a flat 3.0? which is a shame, because i was looking forward to a fun lil spooky read.
the first 50% is filled with 2010s wattpad humor, and i’m saying that in the most objective way possible. our mc also freaks out and drools over axe body spray (AXE BODY SPRAY….) which is basically the high school equivalent of tear gas. the second 50% is more bearable, even if i did physically go “bleh” about five separate times. note that i had to pretend i was reading a disney channel original movie (the radio rebel kind), and i think that allowed a lot in that second half to slide.
could someone absolutely love this book? yes. did i? no. but i also didn’t absolutely hate it (granted, that first half is a solid 2.3 enjoyment stars).
the first 50% is filled with 2010s wattpad humor, and i’m saying that in the most objective way possible. our mc also freaks out and drools over axe body spray (AXE BODY SPRAY….) which is basically the high school equivalent of tear gas. the second 50% is more bearable, even if i did physically go “bleh” about five separate times. note that i had to pretend i was reading a disney channel original movie (the radio rebel kind), and i think that allowed a lot in that second half to slide.
could someone absolutely love this book? yes. did i? no. but i also didn’t absolutely hate it (granted, that first half is a solid 2.3 enjoyment stars).
March 10, 2024
call this a romance jumpscare because the romance just jumped out of nowhere... still cute though!!!
2.5- okay read but would've appreciated more world building and development
2.5- okay read but would've appreciated more world building and development
January 27, 2024
⊹ 𓏲࣪ 3.5 stars ★ 𓄹 ࣪ .
⤿ no spoilers in this review
my pookies 😣💓
i am pleasantly surprised with how cute the romance and banter was ??? very ann liang coded <3
⤿ no spoilers in this review
my pookies 😣💓
i am pleasantly surprised with how cute the romance and banter was ??? very ann liang coded <3
September 14, 2023
Casper the Friendly Ghost meets Percy Jackson! This was such a good, gripping story! I loved the interplay between characters, the magic and the adventure. A truly fantastic YA read that I will absolutely be recommending to students. This was a wholesome and charming story which would be perfect for a cosy Fall read. Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy- all thoughts are my own
November 27, 2023
Set in a fictional town called "Autumn Falls," this is a tale about a teen ghosthunter and a teen almost-ghost. There are some supernatural action sequences and a little bit of mythological background which made it more interesting as a whole.
This is pretty young YA and definitely heavy on the rivals-to-lovers/enemies-to-lovers romance plot but it almost felt forced at times. If you're looking for a light YA paranormal romance read next Halloween, this one's a decent pick but you can probably find better ones.
Although it can be read as a standalone (except for the last chapter/epilogue), the author has plans for book 2 (I'm not sure if it's confirmed with the publisher or not) based on her interview included in the Fairyloot newsletter. I do think the world can expand out of YA and have the romance as a subplot instead, and emerge better on the other side?
Overall pretty quick and light read but I think I could have skipped it.
This is pretty young YA and definitely heavy on the rivals-to-lovers/enemies-to-lovers romance plot but it almost felt forced at times. If you're looking for a light YA paranormal romance read next Halloween, this one's a decent pick but you can probably find better ones.
Although it can be read as a standalone (except for the last chapter/epilogue), the author has plans for book 2 (I'm not sure if it's confirmed with the publisher or not) based on her interview included in the Fairyloot newsletter. I do think the world can expand out of YA and have the romance as a subplot instead, and emerge better on the other side?
Overall pretty quick and light read but I think I could have skipped it.
Want to read
February 12, 202211.02.2022 slow burn + hate to love is the perfect combination.
May 19, 2023
Thank you so much to HarperCollins Children's Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I was extremely excited to read If I Have to Be Haunted after learning of the novel's premise and seeing all the gorgeous cover art of the book's main characters, Cara and Zach. Throughout the novel, I really enjoyed their dynamic as high school nemeses. The banter from the very first chapter of the novel was electric, and really set the tone for how their relationship progresses after Zach is killed. I do wish we got to see more of his thoughts and feelings about Cara, either from a chapter in his POV, or more flashback scenes to when the two were in school together, because his romantic feelings for Cara felt a bit abrupt given how antagonistic he felt towards Cara at the beginning of the novel.
Another aspect of this novel I really enjoyed was the family dynamics between Cara, her mom, and her grandmother. The relationship Cara has with her mother felt very reminiscent of many relationships that daughters have with their Asian immigrant parents. I definitely saw myself in Cara and her experiences as a second-gen Asian immigrant.
Ultimately, the reason why I rated this novel 3.75 stars (rounded up) is because the world building and explanation of the magic in this novel felt convoluted to me. At first, we learn that Cara's family members have genetic traits that allow them to see, speak to, and amplify the power of ghosts, which was super interesting and easy to comprehend. However, after Zach and Cara set on their quest, there was so much new magic that was introduced and it was confusing to catch up on how all the different types of magic operate in this world. I also think the comparison of this novel to Legendborn that has been used to market this book is not at all accurate, and also misled me on how the story would advance and how the magic system operates in this world in general.
After reading the cliffhanger at the end of this book, it's apparent that there is a sequel to this story. I'd definitely pick it up if the focus remains on Zach and Cara's relationship, as well as the second-gen Asian immigrant experience rather than more confusing explanations of magic.
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I was extremely excited to read If I Have to Be Haunted after learning of the novel's premise and seeing all the gorgeous cover art of the book's main characters, Cara and Zach. Throughout the novel, I really enjoyed their dynamic as high school nemeses. The banter from the very first chapter of the novel was electric, and really set the tone for how their relationship progresses after Zach is killed. I do wish we got to see more of his thoughts and feelings about Cara, either from a chapter in his POV, or more flashback scenes to when the two were in school together, because his romantic feelings for Cara felt a bit abrupt given how antagonistic he felt towards Cara at the beginning of the novel.
Another aspect of this novel I really enjoyed was the family dynamics between Cara, her mom, and her grandmother. The relationship Cara has with her mother felt very reminiscent of many relationships that daughters have with their Asian immigrant parents. I definitely saw myself in Cara and her experiences as a second-gen Asian immigrant.
Ultimately, the reason why I rated this novel 3.75 stars (rounded up) is because the world building and explanation of the magic in this novel felt convoluted to me. At first, we learn that Cara's family members have genetic traits that allow them to see, speak to, and amplify the power of ghosts, which was super interesting and easy to comprehend. However, after Zach and Cara set on their quest, there was so much new magic that was introduced and it was confusing to catch up on how all the different types of magic operate in this world. I also think the comparison of this novel to Legendborn that has been used to market this book is not at all accurate, and also misled me on how the story would advance and how the magic system operates in this world in general.
After reading the cliffhanger at the end of this book, it's apparent that there is a sequel to this story. I'd definitely pick it up if the focus remains on Zach and Cara's relationship, as well as the second-gen Asian immigrant experience rather than more confusing explanations of magic.
Follow me on TikTok | Instagram | Twitter for more book reviews & recommendations!
May 5, 2025
“Go ahead, break my heart. I don’t mind. You’re a flame I would happily let burn me alive.”
ROMANCE IS SO ALIVE.
I was craving a light-hearted read and was aching for a good, squeal worthy romance and I finally got it with If I Have to Be Haunted! Why didn’t I read this sooner?! This was just such a feel good book in general and I would absolutely 100% come back and reread it because I loved it so much. I think this was the perfect blend of contemporary romance and fantasy that it just scratched my brain just right.
If you love Ann Liang, particularly her contemporary works, I highly advise you to pick this one up! Like Ann Liang’s novels, Miranda Sun tells an original, touching story filled with a lot of heart, humor and swoon-worthy romance.
A big standout to me was how inventive and original this book was, particularly the lore involving the ghosts and serpents, mixing Asian culture with Greek mythology. It had a surprising amount of world building and lore that compelled me very early on and suddenly I am so glad there is going to be a sequel because I cannot wait to expand on the world Sun has crafted. The balance of both contemporary and fantasy was so satisfying, I cannot wait for more! This book was also so funny, but there’s a surprising emotional weight given to the novel through intergenerational trauma and finding one’s place in the world.
I’ll also never say no to a good red string of fate story! Cara and Zach were the perfect definition of a hate-to-love couple with an unhinged, chaotic, squeal worthy dynamic that reminded me of Sadie and Julius from I Hope This Doesn’t Find You. It’s rare for novels to have a true enemies to lovers trope, but this was absolutely the case with Cara and Zach. Are they lovers? They are WORSE. They cannot stand each other and it was so chaotic and entertaining seeing them roast each other like there was no tomorrow. If you love how unhinged Zephyr and Crow was especially in Sound the Gong, I can guarantee you’ll enjoy the back and forth between Cara and Zach too. There might be a lot of forced proximity for you to enjoy ;) Once that slow burn BURNED, I was screaming, squealing, curling my toes. The pay off was SO worth it and so perfectly done.
I need a paragraph dedicated to Zachary Coleson because I have been searching so long for my next book boyfriend and I am so happy to have finally found one in Zachary Coleson. From the cover, I thought Zachary was going to be the sweet, golden retriever type and I was HUMBLED. Forget nice. Zachary is a blonde with a BITE. He was so Julius Gong coded with a touch of Jacks from Once Upon a Broken Heart. He is so insufferably smug, arrogant and conceited, but also fiercely protective once the guy falls and I folded so many times. The things he does for Cara seriously made me believe in romance again, like where can I find a Zachary Coleson in real life?!
Was this book perfect? There were plot conveniences at times, but I just loved Cara and Zachary too much that I'm gonna give this book a big fat 5 stars from me. Begging and selling my soul for everyone to read this PLEASE.
ROMANCE IS SO ALIVE.
I was craving a light-hearted read and was aching for a good, squeal worthy romance and I finally got it with If I Have to Be Haunted! Why didn’t I read this sooner?! This was just such a feel good book in general and I would absolutely 100% come back and reread it because I loved it so much. I think this was the perfect blend of contemporary romance and fantasy that it just scratched my brain just right.
If you love Ann Liang, particularly her contemporary works, I highly advise you to pick this one up! Like Ann Liang’s novels, Miranda Sun tells an original, touching story filled with a lot of heart, humor and swoon-worthy romance.
A big standout to me was how inventive and original this book was, particularly the lore involving the ghosts and serpents, mixing Asian culture with Greek mythology. It had a surprising amount of world building and lore that compelled me very early on and suddenly I am so glad there is going to be a sequel because I cannot wait to expand on the world Sun has crafted. The balance of both contemporary and fantasy was so satisfying, I cannot wait for more! This book was also so funny, but there’s a surprising emotional weight given to the novel through intergenerational trauma and finding one’s place in the world.
I’ll also never say no to a good red string of fate story! Cara and Zach were the perfect definition of a hate-to-love couple with an unhinged, chaotic, squeal worthy dynamic that reminded me of Sadie and Julius from I Hope This Doesn’t Find You. It’s rare for novels to have a true enemies to lovers trope, but this was absolutely the case with Cara and Zach. Are they lovers? They are WORSE. They cannot stand each other and it was so chaotic and entertaining seeing them roast each other like there was no tomorrow. If you love how unhinged Zephyr and Crow was especially in Sound the Gong, I can guarantee you’ll enjoy the back and forth between Cara and Zach too. There might be a lot of forced proximity for you to enjoy ;) Once that slow burn BURNED, I was screaming, squealing, curling my toes. The pay off was SO worth it and so perfectly done.
I need a paragraph dedicated to Zachary Coleson because I have been searching so long for my next book boyfriend and I am so happy to have finally found one in Zachary Coleson. From the cover, I thought Zachary was going to be the sweet, golden retriever type and I was HUMBLED. Forget nice. Zachary is a blonde with a BITE. He was so Julius Gong coded with a touch of Jacks from Once Upon a Broken Heart. He is so insufferably smug, arrogant and conceited, but also fiercely protective once the guy falls and I folded so many times. The things he does for Cara seriously made me believe in romance again, like where can I find a Zachary Coleson in real life?!
Was this book perfect? There were plot conveniences at times, but I just loved Cara and Zachary too much that I'm gonna give this book a big fat 5 stars from me. Begging and selling my soul for everyone to read this PLEASE.
August 12, 2023
Well this book is one heck of a wild ride! I feel like this one packed in a lot in terms of the world building and magic system, which I was grateful for because it made it all that much easier to visualise, not to mention I loved seeing an accurate portrayal of teenagers as the main cast of characters. I dislike it when a character is a teenage but the author for some reason has them act and speak like an adult the entire time, no thanks.
I’m in desperate need of a sequel for this one as I feel like there’s still a lot more of this world to discover.
Thank you to Harper Voyager/Magpie for sending me a proof of this one.
I’m in desperate need of a sequel for this one as I feel like there’s still a lot more of this world to discover.
Thank you to Harper Voyager/Magpie for sending me a proof of this one.
April 9, 2023
What is in the water that am drinking that all of a sudden these arcs / books are 4 / 5 star reads for me? Take for instance this one. If it just got a 'tad' more meatier of a plot it would be PERFECT.
Oh goodness. Where to begin? This book is a paranormal adventure / romance book for people who are looking to give their teenager something other than Twilight. This is a book for those who are Chinese American looking to see themselves in a book. This is for people who just absolutely like well written enemies to lovers.
]
Oh god, it ends with an epilogue ... which totally means a sequel. I HAVE QUESTIONS. I NEED ANSWERS. I must know about the world that Miranda has created and what is in store for Cara and Zach, and their friends / town. I can see a series being made of this and I'd be all for it.
Oh goodness. Where to begin? This book is a paranormal adventure / romance book for people who are looking to give their teenager something other than Twilight. This is a book for those who are Chinese American looking to see themselves in a book. This is for people who just absolutely like well written enemies to lovers.
]
Oh god, it ends with an epilogue ... which totally means a sequel. I HAVE QUESTIONS. I NEED ANSWERS. I must know about the world that Miranda has created and what is in store for Cara and Zach, and their friends / town. I can see a series being made of this and I'd be all for it.
December 20, 2024
ᛝ 2.5 stars ﹒𓈒 𖧷
i love cheesy romance. to an extent. this book had such a cute plot & magic system and was a very quick read. easy read? not really. i had to force myself through some bits because they felt so incomplete. just way too many plot holes for my liking. i feel like this book COULD appeal to kids since it was very juvenile, giving wattpad energy. i went into this with the presumption it was academic rivals to lovers, but the mcs just hate each other for no reason. cara & zach’s banter was cute, however, their chemistry was so boring & lacked nuance.
what i did like though was brittany, she was probably the most well-rounded & sensible character. unfortunately, her role in the story isn’t that big & she’s mostly there to break the tension between zach and cara.
this was going to be a three star, but i took off half a star because there is a line that says ‘and in front of everyone, he leaned down and kissed her.’
i love cheesy romance. to an extent. this book had such a cute plot & magic system and was a very quick read. easy read? not really. i had to force myself through some bits because they felt so incomplete. just way too many plot holes for my liking. i feel like this book COULD appeal to kids since it was very juvenile, giving wattpad energy. i went into this with the presumption it was academic rivals to lovers, but the mcs just hate each other for no reason. cara & zach’s banter was cute, however, their chemistry was so boring & lacked nuance.
what i did like though was brittany, she was probably the most well-rounded & sensible character. unfortunately, her role in the story isn’t that big & she’s mostly there to break the tension between zach and cara.
this was going to be a three star, but i took off half a star because there is a line that says ‘and in front of everyone, he leaned down and kissed her.’
April 15, 2024
Cara can both see and speak to ghosts. Fine. A light touch of supernatural fantasy that coincides with a teenage romance when the enemies-to-lovers-trope boy winds up dead. Some jarring dialogue to be expected with this sorta story. Sounds good. Sounds fun.
Get to a quarter of a way through and…….. the plot becomes completing unhinged. Diabolical. The most random chaotic series of trials and events, building with bizarre momentum. The allusions to Greek Myths gave it some potential but then cannibals, evil snakes, running plants (i’m not sure i think i skim read this bit), random ghost hunter allies that added nothing to the story. I am truly baffled.
Get to a quarter of a way through and…….. the plot becomes completing unhinged. Diabolical. The most random chaotic series of trials and events, building with bizarre momentum. The allusions to Greek Myths gave it some potential but then cannibals, evil snakes, running plants (i’m not sure i think i skim read this bit), random ghost hunter allies that added nothing to the story. I am truly baffled.
Want to read
July 22, 2023Contemporary fantasy with BIPOC will always be a must read!!
October 28, 2023
Not exactly what I was expecting, but I liked it well enough.
August 31, 2023
This book has got a beautiful cover and a great backstory. Cara, a Chinese American who can see and speak to ghosts, has had to hide her powers since forever, as her mother hopes they will eventually go away. One day, she finds the boy she hates the most has died, but according to the story his ghost tells her, there is a chance they can bring him back if they can find the antidote to the magical snake that bit him within seven days. But for that, Cara would have not only to use her powers but also put her own life on the line.
The universe built here seems very cool if you discount the scary ghosts (and humans). Magical creatures, ghost hunters, helping people who died make the passage. Cara can actually see the deceased grandmother she never met in life, and this grandmother is a badass helping ghosts. The part of how conflicted Cara is with her mother wanting her to forget all this and with her grandmother who wants her to learn everything, it's also very relatable, even if none of us are in the art of ghost speaking. And during the development, we're taken on a journey through all the possibilities the book universe can offer: fantastic lands, terrible humans, beautiful creatures that should not exist. If you're not a fan of pure fantasy but like a book that doesn't stay too grounded, this is a great mix of contemporary and fantastic.
However, I'm not a fan of adventure. The cover and the description made me believe this book would be more centered on all the drama going on—and there's a lot. They do explore each of them coming to a good conclusion. But the focus is on the literal journey Cara and Zach must take to find the antidote. And to me that was very boring. Again, this is a me problem, who isn't into action unless I'm really in the mood for some. I wasn't.
One more thing I didn't realize until I was way past the middle is that this is written to be a series. There is so much they bring up in the story that never gets explained... To be honest, even for something that needs some loose ends to be continued, I got teased too much. For example, right in the beginning Cara's grandmother mentions Zach's grandfather. I may have not realized that they answered it, but I don't think they ever did. So did this have to have been so in the beginning, like it was a big twist to be expected? I didn't even know it was a series, if it will really become one (as of now, July 2023, Goodreads doesn't mention anything).
It's still a nice read with different elements that make it refreshing.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
The universe built here seems very cool if you discount the scary ghosts (and humans). Magical creatures, ghost hunters, helping people who died make the passage. Cara can actually see the deceased grandmother she never met in life, and this grandmother is a badass helping ghosts. The part of how conflicted Cara is with her mother wanting her to forget all this and with her grandmother who wants her to learn everything, it's also very relatable, even if none of us are in the art of ghost speaking. And during the development, we're taken on a journey through all the possibilities the book universe can offer: fantastic lands, terrible humans, beautiful creatures that should not exist. If you're not a fan of pure fantasy but like a book that doesn't stay too grounded, this is a great mix of contemporary and fantastic.
However, I'm not a fan of adventure. The cover and the description made me believe this book would be more centered on all the drama going on—and there's a lot. They do explore each of them coming to a good conclusion. But the focus is on the literal journey Cara and Zach must take to find the antidote. And to me that was very boring. Again, this is a me problem, who isn't into action unless I'm really in the mood for some. I wasn't.
One more thing I didn't realize until I was way past the middle is that this is written to be a series. There is so much they bring up in the story that never gets explained... To be honest, even for something that needs some loose ends to be continued, I got teased too much. For example, right in the beginning Cara's grandmother mentions Zach's grandfather. I may have not realized that they answered it, but I don't think they ever did. So did this have to have been so in the beginning, like it was a big twist to be expected? I didn't even know it was a series, if it will really become one (as of now, July 2023, Goodreads doesn't mention anything).
It's still a nice read with different elements that make it refreshing.
Honest review based on an ARC provided by Netgalley. Many thanks to the publisher for this opportunity.
April 1, 2024
I did not expect to like this book as much as I did and definitely exceeded all of my expectations.
I like that this book has this cosy fantasy vibe that would be perfect as an autumn read - set during Halloween week in a small town where our FMC can see ghosts. The one book that I can compare this to is Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas. Both books have a similar premise where our MC has a secret power and is haunted by a ghost so the MC agrees to help the ghost which turns out some evil forces are behind everything. I enjoyed both books equally, always been a sucker for cosy fantasy reads with a tinge of adventure and mystery.
Reading this book also reminded me of Percy Jackson and his adventures because the adventures that Cara, Zach and Britney went on were fun to read. They get to go to different places, and realms, and meet interesting (and dangerous) people along the way. It's very Percy Jackson-coded. There's this one scene where Zach, the ghost, calls Cara Annabeth and I SQUEALLLLL.
As with lots of Asian American books I've read, this coming-of-age book also tackles the topic of finding your voice and agency. Cara's the girl who always listens to her mom and never once rebel. Despite knowing that she's a ghostspeaker, her mom forbids her from using the power and tells her not to tell anyone about this. I like books that explore the mother-daughter relationship and in this book, we get three generations of Asian American women and they CERTAINLY have a very complex relationship. I feel like the author did a great job of letting Cara go on this great adventure to find herself and when she's back, she can either continue the cycle of hurt or break the cycle and get everyone to heal their traumas.
Even her ghostspeaking ability put her at odds with her classmates. I guess you can kindaaaaa relate it to her race, how being an Asian makes her stand out and how her mom tries to suppress her ability and asks her to hide it so she can "blend" in with the crowd. Maybe I'm reaching, maybe I'm not.
The only thing did not enjoy about the book is how when two characters have feelings for each other, but they have to gaslight themselves into thinking they're only doing this because of *something*. It's so frustrating reading the inner thoughts. Like girl, just communicate and tell him how you feel. The world won't end. But yes, I get that it's YA and that's how teenagers operate, but MY GOD.
Anyway, great book. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Cemetery Boys.
I like that this book has this cosy fantasy vibe that would be perfect as an autumn read - set during Halloween week in a small town where our FMC can see ghosts. The one book that I can compare this to is Cemetary Boys by Aiden Thomas. Both books have a similar premise where our MC has a secret power and is haunted by a ghost so the MC agrees to help the ghost which turns out some evil forces are behind everything. I enjoyed both books equally, always been a sucker for cosy fantasy reads with a tinge of adventure and mystery.
Reading this book also reminded me of Percy Jackson and his adventures because the adventures that Cara, Zach and Britney went on were fun to read. They get to go to different places, and realms, and meet interesting (and dangerous) people along the way. It's very Percy Jackson-coded. There's this one scene where Zach, the ghost, calls Cara Annabeth and I SQUEALLLLL.
As with lots of Asian American books I've read, this coming-of-age book also tackles the topic of finding your voice and agency. Cara's the girl who always listens to her mom and never once rebel. Despite knowing that she's a ghostspeaker, her mom forbids her from using the power and tells her not to tell anyone about this. I like books that explore the mother-daughter relationship and in this book, we get three generations of Asian American women and they CERTAINLY have a very complex relationship. I feel like the author did a great job of letting Cara go on this great adventure to find herself and when she's back, she can either continue the cycle of hurt or break the cycle and get everyone to heal their traumas.
Even her ghostspeaking ability put her at odds with her classmates. I guess you can kindaaaaa relate it to her race, how being an Asian makes her stand out and how her mom tries to suppress her ability and asks her to hide it so she can "blend" in with the crowd. Maybe I'm reaching, maybe I'm not.
The only thing did not enjoy about the book is how when two characters have feelings for each other, but they have to gaslight themselves into thinking they're only doing this because of *something*. It's so frustrating reading the inner thoughts. Like girl, just communicate and tell him how you feel. The world won't end. But yes, I get that it's YA and that's how teenagers operate, but MY GOD.
Anyway, great book. Would recommend it to anyone who enjoyed Cemetery Boys.
October 5, 2023
⋆⭒˚｡⋆ 5 stars ⋆⭒˚｡⋆
i think i just found the perfect spooky season book.
if i have to be haunted follows cara who is a ghost speaker as she goes on a journey to raise her nemesis, zach, from the dead.
what i liked the most about this book is definitely the romance. i mean when you give me a slow burn enemies to lovers combined with forced proximity, you can’t expect me not to love it. the banter between the main characters was immaculate.
the plot was also amazing and i swear there wasn’t even one boring moment from the beginning to the end.
october is honestly the perfect time to pick up this book and i wholeheartedly recommend it!
thank you to netgalley and harpercollins children's books for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
i think i just found the perfect spooky season book.
if i have to be haunted follows cara who is a ghost speaker as she goes on a journey to raise her nemesis, zach, from the dead.
what i liked the most about this book is definitely the romance. i mean when you give me a slow burn enemies to lovers combined with forced proximity, you can’t expect me not to love it. the banter between the main characters was immaculate.
the plot was also amazing and i swear there wasn’t even one boring moment from the beginning to the end.
october is honestly the perfect time to pick up this book and i wholeheartedly recommend it!
thank you to netgalley and harpercollins children's books for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review
did-not-finish
September 30, 2023DNF@15%
I can’t speak of the quality of the book or story because I decided to give up only 15% in. I love having ghosts in stories so I figured I’d give this a go.
My gripe with the book is that is reads middle grade to me personally and the humor felt very reminiscent of 2000s movies for me which is just not something I necessarily want in my books. I think there’s a chance I could like the book but I’d rather read other stuff.
I can’t speak of the quality of the book or story because I decided to give up only 15% in. I love having ghosts in stories so I figured I’d give this a go.
My gripe with the book is that is reads middle grade to me personally and the humor felt very reminiscent of 2000s movies for me which is just not something I necessarily want in my books. I think there’s a chance I could like the book but I’d rather read other stuff.
October 19, 2023
I got this book in a YA book box and honestly felt like it could have been more of a kids book due to its plot, tropes, and messaging.
It was a very cookie cutter story. But I'd recommend it if you want a light-hearted, easy to read, Halloween/fall read.
It was a very cookie cutter story. But I'd recommend it if you want a light-hearted, easy to read, Halloween/fall read.
October 16, 2023
I think the biggest problem this book had was how much missed potential it had. There was so much great material to work with that just doesn't get explored to the degree I believe it deserved.
Cara's relationship with her mother, which ties into their relationship with LaoLao (Cara's grandmother) and how it's inherently tied to their experience as POC. I think it's obvious that the reason Cara's mother doesn't want her to be a ghost speaker is because, like many immigrant parents, she doesn't want her daughter to stand out any more than she already does naturally. That's the reason many first generation children grow up separated from their culture. That's probably where their relationship was leaning but Cara doesn't think about it much and her mother is the typical stoic, never wrong Asian mom so we never really get to explore that.
Cara's relationship with Zach felt so forced? They had 0 chemistry together, not as enemies nor lovers. This is due to more wasted potential. Obviously Cara holds resentment towards Zach because he represents something she will never have; he has rich, white boy privilege. Okay, interesting. So she comes to love Zach because...because...yeah, I got nothing. She never once says anything good about his character, just his looks, and 80% of the way through the book she's saying she loves him. Huh? Why? There's literally no exploration of her romantic feelings for him, nor do they spend that much time developing their relationship. They mainly just fight for no reason.
Furthermore, I guess that Zach envies Cara because she gets a lot of attention from her family and they have expectations of her meanwhile his family just ignores him and doesn't think much of him. And I'm saying I guess because, once again, his feelings towards Cara are never explained. They talk about their families exactly once throughout the book and that's it. Zach never expands on his feelings for Cara. He just reveals that he's always loved her. But again, why?
All the building blocks were there too. Maybe Cara admires how Zach is clever, and secretly very generous (since he agrees to help one of Cara's friends at an adoption fair for a shelter she volunteers at). Maybe Zach admires how Cara can handle the massive amount of pressure she's under from her mother and how she's driven and disciplined. All of the pieces were there, but they were just kind of scattered and didn't fall together in a way that felt meaningful. One second they hate each other and literally the next they're star crossed lovers. I don't like that.
Brittany's character was fun, but she really didn't need to be there. She's really just there to break the tension between Zach and Cara and be the, "oooh you guys liiike each oootherrr!!" character so she's pretty much just a gimmick. That being said, she's probably the best character out of the three of them because she's the most well rounded. Her motivation and backstory all make sense.
Another huge problem this book has is it's pacing. Things just happen, one right after the other, with very little explanation and it's just so weird. Cara is told she needs to travel to "the liminal world" to save Zach and she's just like, "Alright well, time to go adventuring for a week." with 0 apprehension. So, let me get this straight. Cara, who's only adventure into ghost speaking has only ever been looking at ghosts and speaking to her grandmother, who hasn't explored ANY other part of ghost speaking or magic, is just super cool with going on this supernatural adventure?? We as readers don't even really get an explanation for what the liminal world is, not even when we're in it. They just go, a lot of shit happens, quest over, back to the normal world. Uumm, okay.
Cara also just gains magical fire powers out of nowhere and they're never explained. Actually, no, she tries to explain them by saying that maybe it's something on her dad's side...her dad she's never met and barely mentions?? Why would she just randomly assume this magic comes from her dad?? That had me laughing.
There's also a bunch of references to Greek mythology, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, ATLA, and probably others and it's just too much. Like, I understand being inspired but it was just so on the nose and out of place in this book, it was jarring.
The rules of magic in this book don't make sense either, especially when it comes to ghosts. Ghosts can't be touched...except when they can be touched. Cara touches Zach multiple times but then also says he's not capable of being touched in his current state (ghost). LaoLao is also constantly touching and holding Cara, but I guess Cara just can't touch her back?? Sometimes ghosts can touch things and then sometimes they can't? I don't really get it and it seems like ghosts can do whatever is convenient for the plot at the time.
Also one huge plot hole I couldn't get over. Cara's mother and LaoLao have a terrible relationship. Cara's mother wants nothing to do with ghost speaking...yet she has a bunch of LaoLao's books about the topic in her attic?? Not hidden away either, they're on a bookshelf. Uuuh, okay. I guess it's supposed to show that Cara's mother could never really push away LaoLao, but she could have at least hid them to make the story more believable.
Another thing I didn't like was the pointed political and social commentary that suddenly cropped up in the narrative. This book is very juvenile in it's setting, plot, and writing style. You'll have a goofy chase sequence where the characters will literally be talking like they're reading a modern Disney Channel script and then all of a sudden Cara will go, "Yeah being an Asian American is hard because people harbor a lot of racism in their hearts just because you look different." And then immediately cut back to goofy banter and whacky hijinks. Um, yes, thank you, Cara.
Overall, I was looking for a fun little hometown mystery where Cara and Zach had to work together to help bring Zach back to his body. Think, Nancy Drew Halloween mystery with ghosts. I don't know why I got it in my head that it'd be that way, so that's my bad for just making up that whole vibe. It seems like this book is getting a sequel based on the epilogue, but I don't think it's necessary and I definitely won't be reading it. This book could have 100% tied all the loose ends up and been a standalone had the editing been better. Not worth the read, but the FL edition is gorgeous.
Cara's relationship with her mother, which ties into their relationship with LaoLao (Cara's grandmother) and how it's inherently tied to their experience as POC. I think it's obvious that the reason Cara's mother doesn't want her to be a ghost speaker is because, like many immigrant parents, she doesn't want her daughter to stand out any more than she already does naturally. That's the reason many first generation children grow up separated from their culture. That's probably where their relationship was leaning but Cara doesn't think about it much and her mother is the typical stoic, never wrong Asian mom so we never really get to explore that.
Cara's relationship with Zach felt so forced? They had 0 chemistry together, not as enemies nor lovers. This is due to more wasted potential. Obviously Cara holds resentment towards Zach because he represents something she will never have; he has rich, white boy privilege. Okay, interesting. So she comes to love Zach because...because...yeah, I got nothing. She never once says anything good about his character, just his looks, and 80% of the way through the book she's saying she loves him. Huh? Why? There's literally no exploration of her romantic feelings for him, nor do they spend that much time developing their relationship. They mainly just fight for no reason.
Furthermore, I guess that Zach envies Cara because she gets a lot of attention from her family and they have expectations of her meanwhile his family just ignores him and doesn't think much of him. And I'm saying I guess because, once again, his feelings towards Cara are never explained. They talk about their families exactly once throughout the book and that's it. Zach never expands on his feelings for Cara. He just reveals that he's always loved her. But again, why?
All the building blocks were there too. Maybe Cara admires how Zach is clever, and secretly very generous (since he agrees to help one of Cara's friends at an adoption fair for a shelter she volunteers at). Maybe Zach admires how Cara can handle the massive amount of pressure she's under from her mother and how she's driven and disciplined. All of the pieces were there, but they were just kind of scattered and didn't fall together in a way that felt meaningful. One second they hate each other and literally the next they're star crossed lovers. I don't like that.
Brittany's character was fun, but she really didn't need to be there. She's really just there to break the tension between Zach and Cara and be the, "oooh you guys liiike each oootherrr!!" character so she's pretty much just a gimmick. That being said, she's probably the best character out of the three of them because she's the most well rounded. Her motivation and backstory all make sense.
Another huge problem this book has is it's pacing. Things just happen, one right after the other, with very little explanation and it's just so weird. Cara is told she needs to travel to "the liminal world" to save Zach and she's just like, "Alright well, time to go adventuring for a week." with 0 apprehension. So, let me get this straight. Cara, who's only adventure into ghost speaking has only ever been looking at ghosts and speaking to her grandmother, who hasn't explored ANY other part of ghost speaking or magic, is just super cool with going on this supernatural adventure?? We as readers don't even really get an explanation for what the liminal world is, not even when we're in it. They just go, a lot of shit happens, quest over, back to the normal world. Uumm, okay.
Cara also just gains magical fire powers out of nowhere and they're never explained. Actually, no, she tries to explain them by saying that maybe it's something on her dad's side...her dad she's never met and barely mentions?? Why would she just randomly assume this magic comes from her dad?? That had me laughing.
There's also a bunch of references to Greek mythology, Percy Jackson, Harry Potter, ATLA, and probably others and it's just too much. Like, I understand being inspired but it was just so on the nose and out of place in this book, it was jarring.
The rules of magic in this book don't make sense either, especially when it comes to ghosts. Ghosts can't be touched...except when they can be touched. Cara touches Zach multiple times but then also says he's not capable of being touched in his current state (ghost). LaoLao is also constantly touching and holding Cara, but I guess Cara just can't touch her back?? Sometimes ghosts can touch things and then sometimes they can't? I don't really get it and it seems like ghosts can do whatever is convenient for the plot at the time.
Also one huge plot hole I couldn't get over. Cara's mother and LaoLao have a terrible relationship. Cara's mother wants nothing to do with ghost speaking...yet she has a bunch of LaoLao's books about the topic in her attic?? Not hidden away either, they're on a bookshelf. Uuuh, okay. I guess it's supposed to show that Cara's mother could never really push away LaoLao, but she could have at least hid them to make the story more believable.
Another thing I didn't like was the pointed political and social commentary that suddenly cropped up in the narrative. This book is very juvenile in it's setting, plot, and writing style. You'll have a goofy chase sequence where the characters will literally be talking like they're reading a modern Disney Channel script and then all of a sudden Cara will go, "Yeah being an Asian American is hard because people harbor a lot of racism in their hearts just because you look different." And then immediately cut back to goofy banter and whacky hijinks. Um, yes, thank you, Cara.
Overall, I was looking for a fun little hometown mystery where Cara and Zach had to work together to help bring Zach back to his body. Think, Nancy Drew Halloween mystery with ghosts. I don't know why I got it in my head that it'd be that way, so that's my bad for just making up that whole vibe. It seems like this book is getting a sequel based on the epilogue, but I don't think it's necessary and I definitely won't be reading it. This book could have 100% tied all the loose ends up and been a standalone had the editing been better. Not worth the read, but the FL edition is gorgeous.
October 4, 2024
3.5 stars
February 29, 2024
Wow, ok, 🫢🙌🏻💞 This is probably the first time I’ve ever read about just ghosts, but I really enjoyed it. The elements of enemies to lovers, going on a quest and good vs evil made this book! Cara was a great main character with her abilities, her mom and grandma well thought counter parts, and Zach 😚 you know if the love interest calls the fmc by her last name, it’s perfection <3
(and oh my god, the cannibal made me want to puke 🤢 but well written tbh) and Brittany is such a badass, we love her 🫶🏻 calling Zach ”Casper the friendly Ghost” ahahahah 😂
(and oh my god, the cannibal made me want to puke 🤢 but well written tbh) and Brittany is such a badass, we love her 🫶🏻 calling Zach ”Casper the friendly Ghost” ahahahah 😂
February 19, 2024
“But not everyone who deserved to die did, and not everyone who died deserved it. And you couldn’t undo death.”
WARNING: i tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but i was fuming so much while writing this that i ended up ranting... it may contain minor spoilers.
i... don't know about this one. i've been looking forward to reading 'if i have to be haunted' by miranda sun for a while, but this was a huge disappointment.
first of all, this was just the cringiest shit ever. it read like middle grade, the characters were super immature, the romance was cheesy, and i visibly cringed at the dialogue. And i cannot express my absolute HATRED for our mc. tbh, all the characters were dull and two-dimensional, but Cara Tang was the worst of all. like, as soon as she finds out that the guy (zach or whatever his name was) she's already annoyed at him again. like i know you hate him but he just DIED. she could have been at least a little bit sympathetic. Like, i don't even understand why they despise each other (tho i might have missed something, 'cause i was skimming for a better half of the book).
the romance felt sooo forced. there was 0 chemistry between Cara and Zach. they were at each others throats (for no reason, i might add) like 20 pages ago and now they're saying i love you??! there was no buildup, no romantic tension, no chemistry.
also, a lot of the characters were really unnecessary and added nothing to the plot or story *stares pointedly at brittany* Mainly she's there to, idk, complete the trio and be likes 'oooooh, you guys liiiike each otherr' which was just annoying. the ghost hunter thing was cool, i guess, but how the hell did that add to the story or plot?
I'm also really confused about, like, those ghosts that showed up at the cafeteria looking for the ghost speaker... who were they, why were they there, who sent them...? Also, Cara's fire powers is never really explained... like it just randomly showed up and shes like 'well ok thats nice i guess i got them from my dad that i never knew cool.' And the consistency in this book was 0... sometimes zach can touch cara, and sometimes he can't? it is also mentioned that her grandma, laolao, touches cara several times, how is that possible when it is clearly stated several times that ghosts can't touch the living?? how is it that they can only do it when it's convenient to the plot?
This book was a MESS. the characters personalities was constantly changing, there were a million plot holes, and the author seemed to be going a dozen different directions.
but the worst thing is that, despite all its flaws, i could not bring myself to hate this book, even dislike it. maybe that would have been better. there are some books i love to the point i would die for it, and there are some books that i hate with every fibre of my being. at least i feel something for those books. because for this one, i felt nothing, nothing at all, but boredom. i just wanted it to be over already. it was so damn boring and there was i didn't care what happened. at all. everything was really bland and dull and i couldn't bring myself to care. i wasn't interested, end of story. i got nothing out of reading this book, and the epilogue was really, really unnecessary. i'm sorry, but the plot was already really boring and dragged on, but i might have been satisfied with a really good ending. now there's gonna be a sequel??!
I JUST WANTED A CUTE YA GHOST LOVE STORY WAS THAT TOO MUCH TOO ASK??! not sure i will be reading the sequel.
Now that i have finished ranting about how terrible this book was, here are the upsides of 'if i have to be haunted.'
~ that absolutely GORGEOUS cover (seriously, it's so pretty!)
~ it was kinda cute at some parts, i guess?
~ a lot of people seem to like it...
~ idk
Would i recommend this? no
do i think you'd enjoy it? don't let me stop you from reading it. in the end im just a broke teenage girl in canada who reads too many books, take my opinion with a grain of salt.
WARNING: i tried to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible, but i was fuming so much while writing this that i ended up ranting... it may contain minor spoilers.
i... don't know about this one. i've been looking forward to reading 'if i have to be haunted' by miranda sun for a while, but this was a huge disappointment.
first of all, this was just the cringiest shit ever. it read like middle grade, the characters were super immature, the romance was cheesy, and i visibly cringed at the dialogue. And i cannot express my absolute HATRED for our mc. tbh, all the characters were dull and two-dimensional, but Cara Tang was the worst of all. like, as soon as she finds out that the guy (zach or whatever his name was) she's already annoyed at him again. like i know you hate him but he just DIED. she could have been at least a little bit sympathetic. Like, i don't even understand why they despise each other (tho i might have missed something, 'cause i was skimming for a better half of the book).
the romance felt sooo forced. there was 0 chemistry between Cara and Zach. they were at each others throats (for no reason, i might add) like 20 pages ago and now they're saying i love you??! there was no buildup, no romantic tension, no chemistry.
also, a lot of the characters were really unnecessary and added nothing to the plot or story *stares pointedly at brittany* Mainly she's there to, idk, complete the trio and be likes 'oooooh, you guys liiiike each otherr' which was just annoying. the ghost hunter thing was cool, i guess, but how the hell did that add to the story or plot?
I'm also really confused about, like, those ghosts that showed up at the cafeteria looking for the ghost speaker... who were they, why were they there, who sent them...? Also, Cara's fire powers is never really explained... like it just randomly showed up and shes like 'well ok thats nice i guess i got them from my dad that i never knew cool.' And the consistency in this book was 0... sometimes zach can touch cara, and sometimes he can't? it is also mentioned that her grandma, laolao, touches cara several times, how is that possible when it is clearly stated several times that ghosts can't touch the living?? how is it that they can only do it when it's convenient to the plot?
This book was a MESS. the characters personalities was constantly changing, there were a million plot holes, and the author seemed to be going a dozen different directions.
but the worst thing is that, despite all its flaws, i could not bring myself to hate this book, even dislike it. maybe that would have been better. there are some books i love to the point i would die for it, and there are some books that i hate with every fibre of my being. at least i feel something for those books. because for this one, i felt nothing, nothing at all, but boredom. i just wanted it to be over already. it was so damn boring and there was i didn't care what happened. at all. everything was really bland and dull and i couldn't bring myself to care. i wasn't interested, end of story. i got nothing out of reading this book, and the epilogue was really, really unnecessary. i'm sorry, but the plot was already really boring and dragged on, but i might have been satisfied with a really good ending. now there's gonna be a sequel??!
I JUST WANTED A CUTE YA GHOST LOVE STORY WAS THAT TOO MUCH TOO ASK??! not sure i will be reading the sequel.
Now that i have finished ranting about how terrible this book was, here are the upsides of 'if i have to be haunted.'
~ that absolutely GORGEOUS cover (seriously, it's so pretty!)
~ it was kinda cute at some parts, i guess?
~ a lot of people seem to like it...
~ idk
Would i recommend this? no
do i think you'd enjoy it? don't let me stop you from reading it. in the end im just a broke teenage girl in canada who reads too many books, take my opinion with a grain of salt.
June 29, 2023
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
I was so excited to read this book but it fell flat unfortunately. It had a promising start but went downhill for me.
I honestly think I would have liked it better if they were just in high school competing for grades or in sports than learning the whole magic system. Cara and Zach’s relationship had potential, but I didn’t care so much about the ghost plot line. The magic system was abrupt and not explained very well. Suddenly people had powers and immediate control over it with no practice. It randomly brought in Greek Mythology at the end as well but didn’t touch on it further.
The characters talked like high schoolers, which was good because they were in high school so it seemed relatable for people around that age. It did read for a younger audience, which is why I had a harder time getting into it.
Cara and Zach had really cute banter. I loved how they bickered but when it mattered they cared about each other.
I do wish it was shown better that Zach liked her all this time. He seemed really snappy at her at first and not really in a teasing way. He seemed equally annoyed with her, to then act like in the end he’s always loved and cared about her even as they fought before he was a ghost. I know we aren’t in his head so we are biased by what Cara thinks and feels, but there could have been ways to subtly show that and I didn’t get that.
I could see throughout the book that he slowly started to chip away at Cara and she realized he may not be as annoying as she once thought, but it still felt really abrupt that they were suddenly super in love with each other at the end. I was hoping for more of a build up of reading about them being forced to work together and in turn finding out that the other wasn’t so bad. Instead it was almost an instant “I don’t hate you anymore but I am going to deny my feelings because there is no way the other person likes me.” It didn’t feel natural, even if I liked them together.
Zach had some really good lines to her though, like how much he cared about her and wanting her to make him real. There were a few lines of dialogue that got a reaction from me, that pulled at my heart strings, but most of the time I couldn’t fully commit to their relationship.
Brittany was a really fun character. She was funny and I loved her teasing Cara and Zach about their relationship which they denied every time.
The relationship between Cara and her mother and grandmother was so interesting. I wished we had more time to see Cara and her mother work on their relationship in the end, but it was a nice touch to the story to have that in there.
A lot of the plot was: something is attacking them, let’s run away, oh now something else is attacking, let’s run away again. Answers came to them very easily as well it seemed. There just wasn’t a lot of substance to the plot. It was kind of repetitive and not very interesting.
I think if things were fixed up I could have really enjoyed this book! But the plot seemed kind of all over the place and didn’t flow smoothly.
I did think it was nice that the story had a bit of an open ending that it could have a sequel. If you want to read more the opportunity is there but if you only want to read this book it is not like you are yearning for more. I was satisfied with how it wrapped up; I don’t feel like I need to read the second book.
I was so excited to read this book but it fell flat unfortunately. It had a promising start but went downhill for me.
I honestly think I would have liked it better if they were just in high school competing for grades or in sports than learning the whole magic system. Cara and Zach’s relationship had potential, but I didn’t care so much about the ghost plot line. The magic system was abrupt and not explained very well. Suddenly people had powers and immediate control over it with no practice. It randomly brought in Greek Mythology at the end as well but didn’t touch on it further.
The characters talked like high schoolers, which was good because they were in high school so it seemed relatable for people around that age. It did read for a younger audience, which is why I had a harder time getting into it.
Cara and Zach had really cute banter. I loved how they bickered but when it mattered they cared about each other.
I do wish it was shown better that Zach liked her all this time. He seemed really snappy at her at first and not really in a teasing way. He seemed equally annoyed with her, to then act like in the end he’s always loved and cared about her even as they fought before he was a ghost. I know we aren’t in his head so we are biased by what Cara thinks and feels, but there could have been ways to subtly show that and I didn’t get that.
I could see throughout the book that he slowly started to chip away at Cara and she realized he may not be as annoying as she once thought, but it still felt really abrupt that they were suddenly super in love with each other at the end. I was hoping for more of a build up of reading about them being forced to work together and in turn finding out that the other wasn’t so bad. Instead it was almost an instant “I don’t hate you anymore but I am going to deny my feelings because there is no way the other person likes me.” It didn’t feel natural, even if I liked them together.
Zach had some really good lines to her though, like how much he cared about her and wanting her to make him real. There were a few lines of dialogue that got a reaction from me, that pulled at my heart strings, but most of the time I couldn’t fully commit to their relationship.
Brittany was a really fun character. She was funny and I loved her teasing Cara and Zach about their relationship which they denied every time.
The relationship between Cara and her mother and grandmother was so interesting. I wished we had more time to see Cara and her mother work on their relationship in the end, but it was a nice touch to the story to have that in there.
A lot of the plot was: something is attacking them, let’s run away, oh now something else is attacking, let’s run away again. Answers came to them very easily as well it seemed. There just wasn’t a lot of substance to the plot. It was kind of repetitive and not very interesting.
I think if things were fixed up I could have really enjoyed this book! But the plot seemed kind of all over the place and didn’t flow smoothly.
I did think it was nice that the story had a bit of an open ending that it could have a sequel. If you want to read more the opportunity is there but if you only want to read this book it is not like you are yearning for more. I was satisfied with how it wrapped up; I don’t feel like I need to read the second book.
August 29, 2024
1,5⭐️
it was so abstract, weird, shapeless thing
it was so abstract, weird, shapeless thing
April 21, 2023
Overview:
😍 Rivals to lovers
😍 Slow burn romance
🙏 Weird people finding each other and becoming friends
👍 'Low' stakes fantasy
👍 Generational trauma themes
👍 Fast pacing
If I Have to Be Haunted was one of my most anticipated books of the year, and I got an arc! This is an urban fantasy standalone, but it looks like the door is open for more books in a possible series?
Cara is a ghost speaker, someone who can communicate with the dead. Her mother wishes she wasn't. Her biggest supporter is the ghost of her grandma...and shes being driven crazy constantly by the school golden boy, Zach. When she finds Zach dead and only she can save his ghost, the two embark on a quest to resurrect him before time runs out.
So one thing I LOVE about this book is its actually YA. These are characters with teen problems who act like teens. A lot of YA these days is reskinned adult fantasy; this is not one of those books. The audience is extremely clear and the book is still delightful for all ages.
The characters are easily the hi-light of the book; Cara is a first-generation Chinese girl struggling to meet the expectations of multiple family members who all want something different from her. Zach is a wealthy and popular boy who drives her crazy. Both of them are smarmy as hell and drive each other crazy. As a note, this book is RIVALS to lovers, but it is executed very well. Both characters are charming and their banter is to die for. I loved them together and on their own.
I would describe the romance as a 'dramione fanfiction you've always wanted'- complete with "only calling each other by last names' and of course the resident blonde bad boy asshole who can only be saved by the brainy and talented hero.
The book also introduces some side characters such as Cara's grandmother and a rogue ghost hunter. All of these side characters are so instantly likable. Miranda Sun can make even the smallest character explode with the size of their heart. You end up loving all of them.
A weak point is the plot. What is interesting is the contents of the plot are GREAT. The individual scenes are always a blast and I was never bored. I felt they were sometimes awkwardly strung together though, and I was sometimes a little confused how we got from point A to B, and it felt a little convenient at times.
THAT SAID, this book is wonderful and just..go along for the ride. Open yourself up to If I Had to be Haunted for an adorable ghost adventure with a charming romance that ACTUALLY IS SLOW BURN.
September 30, 2023
This was a standout YA paranormal romance debut with unique magical elements, evil snakes and a ghostly former high school nemesis who can only be saved by Cara, a Chinese American teen ghost speaker who is reluctant to take up her grandmother's legacy and all that it entails.
What I really loved was that it was the guy who needed saving in this one and the way he turned out to be the such a swoony secret softie in the end. The story was fresh and original and I had no idea where things would go, which made it so much fun!
Highly entertaining and full of adventure, romance, memorable characters and an ending that left me reeling. I really hope there will be a sequel and SOON! I am OBSESSED with this cover and need a copy for my shelves immediately! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
What I really loved was that it was the guy who needed saving in this one and the way he turned out to be the such a swoony secret softie in the end. The story was fresh and original and I had no idea where things would go, which made it so much fun!
Highly entertaining and full of adventure, romance, memorable characters and an ending that left me reeling. I really hope there will be a sequel and SOON! I am OBSESSED with this cover and need a copy for my shelves immediately! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital copy in exchange for my honest review!
abandoned
October 4, 2023DNF @ 20%
I'm sure this book will have its fans, but it was just too difficult for me to get past the writing style. The characters are juvenile to a degree I didn't expect, and this definitely leans towards young YA stylistically. While I like the idea of a rivals to lovers with ghosts, I can see no possibility of rooting for these characters in a relationship or as individuals.
I'm sure this book will have its fans, but it was just too difficult for me to get past the writing style. The characters are juvenile to a degree I didn't expect, and this definitely leans towards young YA stylistically. While I like the idea of a rivals to lovers with ghosts, I can see no possibility of rooting for these characters in a relationship or as individuals.
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