Ghost Roast

by Shawnelle Gibbs, Shawnee Gibbs and illustrated by Emily Cannon
Versify/Harper Collins; 2024 

Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs refer to themselves as story architects.  Both sisters have amassed a large body of work producing and creating content for television, film, animation and publishing.  Natives of Oakland California, this dynamic duo sport Bachelor of Art degrees in Cinema. Moving to Los Angeles with credentials in cinema, and expertise in independent film and animation, eventually led to building a star status resume by working for Warner Bros., Dreamworks Animation and Marvel Comics.  Twin life isn’t the only thing these story architects share, they also founded Bopsee Books to share their love of adventurous, humorous, and magical narratives globally.  The authors deep family roots in Louisiana, Texas and California attributes to their interest in African American narratives filled with magical realism and the paranormal.    

Emily Cannon serves as the illustrator of the book Ghost Roast.  Emily received a bachelor’s degree in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of design. 

Summertime is always a magical time of year for teens, as they look forward to days lounging in the sun, working the family business, and craving late night soirees with friends. This is Chelsea Grant’s life a soon to be sophomore experiencing every day teenage angst of first crushes, emotionality, and sheer anxiety of being ‘discovered as the daughter of a ghost hunter’.   Chelsea’s dad runs a paranormal ghost eviction business, which often lands Chelsea in the seat of embarrassment with the ‘cool’ crowd she considers her friends.  Intended as a punishment early in the story, Chelsea is actually rewarded when she has to work with her father in the ghost buster business over the summer.  As the beautifully illustrated story unfolds, Chelsea discovers her own innate clairvoyant abilities and uses them to make herself just as ‘cool’ as her crowd of friends.  

What works:  The monochromatic color scheme on the cover page brings in the humor, light, magical reality of this graphic novel.  The illustrations are grounded in soft curvy lines and fanciful, vibrant colors bringing out the character’s emotions, creating a tender, charming tale. The author’s use of hidden southern charm and history brings a vibe of enigmatic and mystical aura.

What doesn’t work: One thing I found myself questioning was the illustrations that brought out the character’s emotion in a very exaggerated style, one would see in a manga book. 

Pass It OR Grab It? At first glimpse, I was skeptical this book could contain such charm and lightheartedness.  Teens that love to read mystery and graphic novel with humor will enjoy this read.  

Content Warning:   This book contains a few scenes with teens and alcohol.