Whit Taylor

** I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. **

Ghost Stories is a short anthology with two graphic novel stories and one prose story, themed around the idea of past selves.

"Ghost" follows a girl who is granted a wish to talk to three historical figures she admires who are deceased. This was an interesting idea, but it is used as a strange segue into an examination of the main character's trauma. I thought that aspect of the story had the most substance, and would have made for a stronger story. It fit in awkwardly with the conversations the character has with Darwin and Joseph Campbell. Additionally, I felt lost reading this story because it's peppered in-between with strange dream(?) sequences that don't seem to have much bearing on the rest of the story.

"Wallpaper" is the single prose story that describes the events a young girl goes through while her family is remodeling their kitchen. This read more like stream-of-consciousness writing or poetry – it was simplistic but captured strong impressions. I wasn't sure if this was meant to be autobiographical, or purely fictional. This short story showed to me the author has real talent to write, and the illustrations in this one were the most intriguing.

"Makers" chronicles two close friends, who take different paths after leaving for college. Of all three stories, "Makers" was the most developed. The girls meet as teens and become inseparable in high school, but when they graduate and go to two different universities, they gradually draw apart. I was drawn in by the melancholic tone, and I could relate to the feeling of losing touch with someone you always thought you'd be close to.

These stories had major positives and negatives for me. On their own, they all had things I liked and disliked. As a collection... they seem random. I can sort of see how they are all themed around change, and one's past-self, but in terms of tone and storytelling style, there wasn't a real cohesiveness.

A major criticism I have with this anthology is the artwork – and this may just be my personal preference. I admired the attention to detail shown in "Wallpaper", but in the two graphic novel stories – "Makers" and "Ghost" – the artwork felt unpolished. It felt more like I was reading someone's sketchbook than a finished graphic novel.

Overall, I think the author has a real potential to be a strong storyteller – I was not a fan of the art. I think they could benefit from an editor or someone to at least critique their work. "Makers" was my favorite of the three stories – the story was interesting, and the characters were given proper development. Throughout the anthology, the problems lie primarily with plot and character development, and having a concrete direction.… (more)