The Ghostkeeper
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- Pre-Order
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- Expected Jul 23, 2024
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- $10.99
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- Pre-Order
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
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….
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
The ghost population of the Victorian town of Rockford is in crisis: Death's Door is locked, and even ghosts who have found peace can't cross over to their final resting place. Mild-mannered Dorian—a "ghost specialist" whose exorcisms resemble meditation sessions between the specter and its host—discovers that the key is attached to ghost child Lucy. Dorian sets out to reopen Death's Door and save the suffering spirits, but the work takes a toll on him and on his fledgling romance with his flatmate Brody. While the ghosts demand a cure for their rot, an infection that's begun sprouting from their transparent blue bodies, human Rockford citizens tire of the unruly specters and turn to plague mask-wearing exorcists, who use a chemical to reduce ghosts to a sticky bog. Gentle, contemporary depictions of managing one's own mental health and setting boundaries are woven throughout a warmly erudite graphic novel debut that's rich with engaging lore. Taylor's lush illustrations portray a visually diverse community that populates an imaginative world teeming with cozy bookshops, ghost cats, and glowing banshees, among other paranormal delights. Ages 12–up.