Review: The Sad Ghost Club | Lize Meddings

This review is spoiler free.

“The universe is most pleased we met.”

Series: The Sad Ghost Club
Published: 2021, by Hodder Children’s Books.
Pages: 247
Format: Paperback
Genre: Sequential Art, Graphic Novels, Young Adult, Contemporary, Mental Health, Fiction
Contains: Mental Illness, Depression, Anxiety

‘The Sad Ghost Club’ is the story of one of those days – a day so bad you can barely get out of bed, when it’s a struggle to leave the house, and when you do, you wish you hadn’t. But even the worst of days can surprise you. When one sad ghost, lost and alone at a crowded party, spies another sad ghost across the room, they decide to leave together. What happens next changes everything.

This graphic novel is one that has been on my radar for a while, but I’ve never had the chance to pick it up, until recently when I received it as a gift for Christmas. Aside from a few small touches, I’m very happy I did.

SG, or Sad Ghost, was a very sweet protagonist, living about their daily life with anxiety looming in the background, but still managing to face the day. It was inspiring to read and comforting in a way to watch a character with similar experiences face their life. However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have moments where it all crumbles down around them, they’re just able to pull themselves out of them with the help of those around them.
Socks is another really interesting character, battling similar problems whilst facing the destruction of depression. The days are hard for Socks, however, they discuss the importance of speaking up which was a very compelling argument.

The writing itself is very simplistic and made for a quick and easy read. However, I would have liked to have seen more information of Socks’ journey into recovery with their illness, how they managed to get themselves out of bed to attend the party and meet SG. However, that’s a minor detail, but I think there’s a lot of emphasis on the illnesses without delving into learning to handle them healthily. This might be expanded upon in later volumes, however, I’m not sure.

Overall, this was a very cute read, The characters were adorable to read about, the art style was beautiful, and I enjoyed the tale it told, even though it was a little short.