Copyright Date:
2024
Edition Date:
2024
Release Date:
07/23/24
Pages:
272 pages
ISBN:
0-593-52667-8
ISBN 13:
978-0-593-52667-5
Dewey:
Fic
LCCN:
2023058278
Dimensions:
23 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
School Library Journal
(Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 CDT 2024)
Gr 6 Up— This graphic novel has much to delight over: a Victorian-type setting, an adorable queer romance, ghosts, and plague doctor exorcists! After a childhood accident leaves Dorian Leith with a "ghost eye" and the ability to communicate with ghosts, he dedicates his life to easing the problems of the shades he encounters by teaching them coping skills and helping them cross to the other side. When a young ghost steals the key to Death's Door, none of the ghosts are able to move on, and there's just not enough room in the town for the living and the deceased. It's up to Dorian to find the key and help the spirits move on before a ghostly plague consumes them and drives them mad—or the exorcists destroy them. Unfortunately, the constant need for attention—particularly from Dorian's ghostly grandmother—drains Dorian and leaves him with almost no energy to devote to his fledgling relationship with a lovable bookseller, or to care properly for himself. Similar to TJ Klune's Under the Whispering Door , the gentle story probes how grief can haunt us and how we must learn to let go. Readers will delight in the lovable characters and the beautiful illustrations, with ghosts appearing in spectral blue and green hues and the world of the living rendered in warm colors, cozy interiors, and green meadows. VERDICT This ghostly fantasy has everything that fans of cozy, spooky books want in a story.— Rosemary Kiladitis
Perfect for fans of everything from Lockwood & Co. to The Haunting of Hill House, this gothic graphic novel follows a young medium with the gift—or curse, as some might say—to communicate with the dead. This ghost story “powerfully, tenderly, and empathetically examines death, grief, and the afterlife” raved Kirkus in a starred review!
Dorian Leith can see ghosts. Not only that, he listens to their problems and tries to help them move on to the afterlife. It’s a gift that’s made him an outcast to everyone in town. That is except for his dearly departed grandmother, who he’s partnered with to turn this paranormal ability into an honest living, and the local bookshop owner, who seems to be the only non-deceased person willing to give him a chance. But it’s all worth it to Dorian, who feels like he’s been given a bigger purpose. A chance to save those who cannot save themselves.
Then one day, the key to Death’s Door is stolen, trapping all the ghosts in the land of the living. Since he’s only one who can see them, the spirits rely on Dorian to retrieve the key before it is too late. If they can’t move on, they’ll soon be consumed by a ghostly rot that has begun to plague them.
As it continues to fester and spread, and the ghosts become desperate for relief, Dorian must do whatever it takes to find a way to bring peace to the restless dead—even if that peace comes at the cost of his own….