Review: Ghosted by Amanda Quain

Ghosted by Amanda Quain
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was provided an ARC of this book via Netgalley, all opinions are my own.

This was a really cute YA retelling of Northanger Abbey (I've never read it so I can't compare the two) with a paranormal twist. Northanger Abbey is the most haunted high school, and Hattie has the privilege of attending the elite private school. Her mom also happens to be the headmistress. Hattie used to be really into the paranormal, but she gave it all up when her family moved to Northanger and has worked really hard to become the perfect daughter and student. She wears the mask well, but the façade is starting to wear on her as her senior year kicks off and college application deadlines loom.

Enter Kit Moreland, a laid back fun loving ghost hunter who has received a scholarship to the haunted high school, and Hattie has been assigned as his ambassador. She is supposed to help him acclimate and learn to navigate campus. On the outside the two couldn't be more opposite, but on the inside Kit reignites all of the things Hattie used to love about ghosts, legends, and the history surrounding them. As they spend more time together Hattie gains some perspective on her life and starts to think more about what she wants for her future instead of what is expected of her.

I really enjoyed this. I love a good paranormal story, and the author does a good job giving you just enough about the sightings mixed in with the history of the school to make it feel plausible. Every good legend is steeped in a bit of truth, and Hattie and Kit do a good job debating back and forth about believing and not believing in ghosts. While there was some ghost hunting, most of that was a metaphor for other issues happening in Hattie's life. There were great discussions about emotion and grief and finding out who you really are versus living up to someone else's expectations. This has a lot of hard hitting moments balanced with some humor and light romance.

I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this author.

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