This is a graphic novel aimed at young people but, like all good stories, just as useful for older people too.
It begins with one sad ghost reluctantly beginning their day, struggling to get out of bed and overwhelmed by school deadlines and a casual invitation to a party. Should they go? Why were they invited? Was it a mistake? What if no one talks to them? The sad ghost’s self-talk is very negative and as we follow the narrative through words and pictures and meet other characters who are not sad ghosts we realise that our sad ghost is a metaphor for a very anxious and depressed teenager.
SG, as our sad ghost will come to be known, has to make a supreme effort to fight through some epic over thinking and catastrophising, modes of thought that some readers will recognise. The change comes when SG hauls themself to the aforementioned party and meets another person quite like them, illustrated as a ghost in a long white sheet, not able to engage. This ghost is called Socks and when the pair get around to communicating, they begin to realise they have a lot in common.
There are exquisite moments in this story. SG’s cat, Pocket, has a repertoire of meeps and meows with which to reply to SG’s swirling thoughts. The black and white illustrations are spare, focusing on the ghosts and cleverly using the contrasting monochrome to distinguish between SG (taller, white shoes) and Socks (smaller, black shoes).
A good graphic novel is like a poem, condensing huge ideas and narrative into a few words, with the addition of pictures to illustrate the story. I love the accessibility of this form, especially for young people, and in this case, those like the Sad Ghost Club who may not be able to cope with large swathes of text at this point in their journey. This is book one in a series and I highly recommend it.
