Ghosts: A Graphic Novel

Ghosts is a middle-grade graphic novel written by Raina Telgemeier and first published in 2016. Telgemeier is the author and illustrator of five graphic novels—Guts, Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts—each of which earned the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list. Ghosts also received the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award. Ghosts incorporates magic realism as it highlights important issues surrounding culture, death, and family.

This guide utilizes the 2016 first edition of the graphic novel.

Plot Overview

Ghosts begins as protagonist Cat, her younger sister, Maya, and their parents make their way to their new home in Bahía de la Luna. The family is moving there for the area’s salty, moist air because Maya has cystic fibrosis (CF), a degenerative lung disease that makes it difficult for her to breathe or digest food. Cat spends most of her time worrying about her sister but also finds herself ridden with guilt for feeling sad about leaving her old home and friends behind. She wants her sister to feel better but also often feels frustrated by the fact that her life is always planned around Maya. Throughout the story, Cat learns to Accept and Adjust to Change.

Upon arriving in the new town, Cat cannot help but notice how gloomy and foggy it is. She and Maya go on a walk to explore their surroundings and come across a black cat, an old pier with an arcade, and a large bathhouse. Inside, they find Carlos, a boy who lives in the town and who offers ghost tours to keep the town’s heritage alive. He warns them that ghosts will soon be coming to visit Bahía de la Luna. Cat reacts with skepticism and fear, while Maya is intrigued and curious to know what happens after death. That night, Cat’s family is invited to Carlos’s house for dinner. There, they eat authentic tamales and hear more about the town’s haunted history. Cat starts to feel increasingly spooked the more she learns about the spirits who live there. That night, she sees the same black cat outside her window.

The next morning, Cat’s mother confesses that she drifted away from her Mexican heritage due to her rough relationship with her own mother. Thanks to Carlos and the town’s honoring of Mexican culture, the family slowly begins to rediscover its heritage. When Carlos takes Cat and Maya on a ghost tour, Maya is disappointed not to see any ghosts. Carlos decides to lead them up the hill to a mission, a place said to overlap with the spirit world. There, Maya is surrounded by several spirits who attempt to steal what little breath she has. Although their act is innocent, it causes Maya to become extremely ill and need hospitalization. Cat is blamed for the incident and takes it out on Carlos, and Maya requires a breathing tube afterward. Cat is constantly worried about Maya, and this experience traumatizes her, leaving her even more fearful of and even angry with the spirits who inhabit the town. Soon, however, Cat begins to open up to the spirits and her heritage, which in turn helps solidify The Unbreakable Bond of Sisterhood that she shares with Maya.

September comes, and school starts. Cat finds herself in the same class as Carlos and makes two new friends at school. A ghost follows Cat home. Believing that it is there to take her sister to the afterlife, she yells at it in the hopes that it will go away. Instead, more ghosts appear in her yard that night, along with music from Carlos’s nearby guitar. Maya feels comforted by it all, but Cat is unsure how to feel. October begins with the first sunny day since the family arrived in town, and Maya is thrilled about it. She goes costume shopping with her dad while Cat accompanies her new friends to the local harvest festival. There, she enjoys some Mexican traditions and learns about La Catrina, a famous Day of the Dead icon. This is a pivotal moment for Cat’s Discovery of Her Heritage. Cat then lies to her new friends about Maya, calling her a friend from her old home. When Maya finds out, she is hurt but soon understands that Cat acted out of frustration. Meanwhile, Carlos brings some marigolds to help decorate the ofrenda for Cat and Maya’s abuela.

Finally, Halloween night arrives. Maya dresses as an angel, and Cat shows her willingness to embrace her Mexican heritage by dressing as La Catrina. She goes trick or treating with her new friends while Maya reluctantly stays home, feeling that life is unjust. She knows that she does not have long to live and wishes she could just enjoy the little time she has. While out with her friends, Cat learns that the ofrenda at home may be attracting more than just her abuela. In a state of panic, she runs home but finds her family safe and happy. She spends a few hours with them before her sister encourages her to face her fear of ghosts and attend the midnight Day of the Dead celebration. Maya cannot go but wants Cat to at least experience it. Cat gathers the courage to walk by herself down to the pier and finds her friends there waiting for her. Cat also finds the entire town celebrating and dancing with the spirits of their loved ones. Ofrendas decorate the area, and candles line the path. Music plays, and people dance. Cat soon finds herself joining in, shaking maracas and dancing with Carlos as he plays his guitar.

When Cat sits down to reflect on what she is experiencing, the spirit of an elderly woman sits down beside her. She at first thinks it is her abuela, but when she realizes it is not, she sits with the woman anyway. They share an orange soda, and Cat thanks the woman for her comfort and company. Next, Cat meets José, Carlos’s uncle who died when he was eight. José talks with Cat and finds out that her sister is at home. He suggests they take the party to Maya, grabs Carlos and Cat, and flies them back to Cat’s house. Inside, José and Maya discuss death, and Maya feels relieved to know that she can still be part of her loved ones’ lives even after she dies. Cat is also comforted and feels that she is exactly where she belongs. As the night ends, the family finds a Mexican feast waiting for them on the dining room table. Cat is certain that her abuela left it there for them, and when the black cat returns, this seems to be confirmed. The family sits down to eat the delicious meal, enjoying the moment and not worrying about what may come tomorrow.

Note: Telgemeier faced criticism related to cultural appropriation for her use of Day of the Dead as a plot device and the inaccuracies inherent in her depiction of the deceased as ghosts. She is also criticized for her use of the mission setting that fails to reference the missions’ history as sites of oppression and abuse of Indigenous people and erases the area’s Indigenous first inhabitants.