Review: A Gift for a Ghost by Borja Gonzalez

To say I was excited for A Gift for a Ghost would be an understatement. This graphic novel is pitched as a story with time travel, ghosts, black holes, and an all-girl punk band, and I am completely here for all those things. I was so excited to read it that it actually made my Spring 2020 top-ten TBR, and after finishing the book I can say that I was 100000% not disappointed. Not only is the artwork absolutely stunning, but A Gift for a Ghost has such a lovely story told with equal parts strength and whimsy.

To tell you much of anything about the plot would be sacrificing the innate mysterious quality of the book. Essentially, though, it’s the story of two different girls in two very different times- one girl from the 1850s and one from 2016. There’s some supernatural/paranormal stuff happening, but the story isn’t really about that. At it’s heart, A Gift for a Ghost is about feeling like you don’t belong or that you were meant for a different time; it reads like a tribute to that kind of contented loneliness. It’s a universal theme that I think will resonate with nearly everyone. It certainly resonated with me.

The story is, admittedly, vague, but it has a quiet strength to it that I really loved. The pages are filled with ideas and fears and daydreams; it’s a story about a lot of things, but also about very little. It’s artistic and grand in scope, but at it’s core it’s very simple. It’s just a really, really beautiful story with really, really beautiful artwork, and I’m so glad I read it.

Bottom Line: 4/5 stars. This is a gorgeous book with a lovely story and really unique artwork that perfectly fits the narrative. If you enjoy whimsical stories, definitely pick this up. Even if it doesn’t sound like a book you would enjoy, this gorgeous hard-back edition would make a really awesome gift for the graphic novel lover in your life.

Thanks to Abrams ComicArts for sending me a copy of this graphic novel in exchange for a review! A Gift for a Ghost releases on May 5, 2020.