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A review by momwithareadingproblem
The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram
5.0
I received an eARC of this book from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of this review.
I really should know better than to start one of Kelly Oram‘s books before bedtime. It’s inevitable that I will stay up and finish reading it. I have never NOT finished one of her books in one sitting. They are that good. The characters are relatable, their plight heart-wrenchingly (is that a word?) real, and there’s just the right pinch of humor to get through the heavy stuff. I should have known better than to cave to my whims at 10:30pm, but I thought one chapter would be enough because I was tired when I started reading. Six hours later after multiple cries and a few snorts of laughter that woke the hubby, I was finished with The Ghost of You and Me and I was heart-broken and exhilarated and couldn’t calm down to sleep.
The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram is her best yet. Honestly I may even like it better than [b:Cinder & Ella|35001687|Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella, #1)|Kelly Oram|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493341478s/35001687.jpg|42254560] (Sorry Brian!). I was a little skeptical about how I would feel about the book when I started it. I mean yeah boy is dead and girl has to move on, but there was a bit of a love triangle going on when boy was alive SO I was skeptical. I shouldn’t have been. Seriously, I should have had faith in Kelly Oram. She’s never let me down. The heavy topics explored in this book really hit home for me, and I don’t think anyone else could have written it better.
The entire book is told from Bailey’s point of view. Bailey is introduced as a heartbroken teen. It’s been nearly a year since her long term boyfriend and best friend died in a car accident. She should be starting to put her life back together, instead she’s a living zombie. She goes through the motions but isn’t really there. Her heart has been shattered to pieces and feeling numb is her way to get through the days. I’ve been there. Grief, depression, anger, even lashing out is all normal they say. Bailey’s plight is that she feels SO guilty she doesn’t feel worthy of the things she experiences anymore.
Then there’s Wes. I was a bit confused over his character at first. Bailey remembers him as a guy that hates her. He has hated her ever since she started dating Spencer despite the fact that he was just as much her friend as he was Spencer’s prior to dating. At least that is what she thinks. But that isn’t what the reader gleans. Like Bailey, Wes is feeling guilty for living when Spencer didn’t. My heart ached for Wes. He is so broken and lost I just wanted to reach through the pages and give him a hug.
And finally you have ghost boy aka Spencer. As the blurb says, Spencer can’t rest when the two people he loves the most are still hurting because of him. He is given a short window to come back and fix things and he can only appear to one person, so of course he chooses Bailey. I did not read the blurb before reading the book so I thought she was imagining Spencer but then realized no he was really there. I actually really liked this element of the book. The magical realism was not too far stretched. It was perfect for telling the story and helping the characters “move on.” I loved Spencer and I think I hurt for him just as much as Bailey and Wes did. I loved his wit and how he knew exactly what they needed from him.
Overall I really loved this book. I loved the characters, the plot and even the ghost. If you’re a fan of Kelly Oram or you enjoy YA contemporary, I highly recommend it. It is worth all the feels!!!
I really should know better than to start one of Kelly Oram‘s books before bedtime. It’s inevitable that I will stay up and finish reading it. I have never NOT finished one of her books in one sitting. They are that good. The characters are relatable, their plight heart-wrenchingly (is that a word?) real, and there’s just the right pinch of humor to get through the heavy stuff. I should have known better than to cave to my whims at 10:30pm, but I thought one chapter would be enough because I was tired when I started reading. Six hours later after multiple cries and a few snorts of laughter that woke the hubby, I was finished with The Ghost of You and Me and I was heart-broken and exhilarated and couldn’t calm down to sleep.
The Ghost of You and Me by Kelly Oram is her best yet. Honestly I may even like it better than [b:Cinder & Ella|35001687|Cinder & Ella (Cinder & Ella, #1)|Kelly Oram|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1493341478s/35001687.jpg|42254560] (Sorry Brian!). I was a little skeptical about how I would feel about the book when I started it. I mean yeah boy is dead and girl has to move on, but there was a bit of a love triangle going on when boy was alive SO I was skeptical. I shouldn’t have been. Seriously, I should have had faith in Kelly Oram. She’s never let me down. The heavy topics explored in this book really hit home for me, and I don’t think anyone else could have written it better.
The entire book is told from Bailey’s point of view. Bailey is introduced as a heartbroken teen. It’s been nearly a year since her long term boyfriend and best friend died in a car accident. She should be starting to put her life back together, instead she’s a living zombie. She goes through the motions but isn’t really there. Her heart has been shattered to pieces and feeling numb is her way to get through the days. I’ve been there. Grief, depression, anger, even lashing out is all normal they say. Bailey’s plight is that she feels SO guilty she doesn’t feel worthy of the things she experiences anymore.
Then there’s Wes. I was a bit confused over his character at first. Bailey remembers him as a guy that hates her. He has hated her ever since she started dating Spencer despite the fact that he was just as much her friend as he was Spencer’s prior to dating. At least that is what she thinks. But that isn’t what the reader gleans. Like Bailey, Wes is feeling guilty for living when Spencer didn’t. My heart ached for Wes. He is so broken and lost I just wanted to reach through the pages and give him a hug.
And finally you have ghost boy aka Spencer. As the blurb says, Spencer can’t rest when the two people he loves the most are still hurting because of him. He is given a short window to come back and fix things and he can only appear to one person, so of course he chooses Bailey. I did not read the blurb before reading the book so I thought she was imagining Spencer but then realized no he was really there. I actually really liked this element of the book. The magical realism was not too far stretched. It was perfect for telling the story and helping the characters “move on.” I loved Spencer and I think I hurt for him just as much as Bailey and Wes did. I loved his wit and how he knew exactly what they needed from him.
Overall I really loved this book. I loved the characters, the plot and even the ghost. If you’re a fan of Kelly Oram or you enjoy YA contemporary, I highly recommend it. It is worth all the feels!!!